Spices and The Diseases They Fight

Keeping your foods flavorful will do more than just make what you eat taste delicious. It turns out, the herbs and spices you already have in your kitchen cabinets are packed with protective nutrients that can help you fight diseases. From Alzheimer’s to staph infections, here are 5 herbs and spices you’ll want to get more.

To get the most life-giving properties out of these herbs and spices, use whole or dried versions whenever possible. Also, store them in a cool, dark place.

1. Sage for Alzheimer’s Disease

The word sage means wise and so it makes perfect sense that its herbal namesake is great brain fuel. A report published by the National Institutes of Health found that in eight clinical trials, sage was shown to increase cognitive performance. Two of the studies involved Alzheimer’s patients and sage was shown to decrease the effects of the disease.

2. Allspice for Prostate Cancer

What do you get when you combine cinnamon, cloves, ginger and nutmeg? The most fragrant prostate cancer fighter! Ercofolin, a compound found in allspice, was used to kill prostate cancer cells and reduce tumor growth in a University of Miami study. Allspice is a signature ingredient in Jamaican jerk seasoning, so all the more reason to get more jerk chicken in your life.

5 Spices, Herbs & The Diseases They Fight  was originally published on blackdoctor.org