Mixing It For Health With Herbs and Spices - The Possible Health Benefits of Turmeric and Other Spices
Most of the herbs and spices we use in cooking today have been used for culinary purposes for many centuries, even thousands of years. Their natural and often deliciously subtle flavors can be, and are, used in many types of cooking, from desserts and cakes to savory main courses.
The wonderful variety of tastes that the world's many herbs and spices can bring is one of life's treasures. So much so, that some say the vast British Empire, once covering a quarter of the world's population and land mass, was built on the search for spices to rescue the English from the tedium of their insipid food. As an Englishman addicted to Indian spices and their multiple uses, I am not going to dissent from that claim.
Many of the familiar herbs and spices, whether from India or any other country in the world, do not only have uses in cooking and teas. There are also lots of attributed health benefits to some of them; indeed, some spices and herbs have been used for medicinal purposes for thousands of years.
Some of these ancient plant products, whether leaves, whole seeds or ground seeds, have been attracting much attention from health scientists searching for cures for chronic diseases. Two of my own favorites, turmeric and fenugreek, which are commonly used in curry powder mixes, have been studied a lot recently.
In fact, turmeric has caused a frenzy of scientific studies in recent years, especially into the active ingredient curcumin. Turmeric has shown some promise in the treatment of liver problems, Alzheimer's disease, and cancer. At the present time, studies are being undertaken at the US National Institutes of Health into treatment with curcumin for colorectal cancer and pancreatic cancers, multiple myeloma, and Alzheimer's disease. There are other studies taking place around the world.
Other old favorite spices that are thought to have health benefits are ginger, cinnamon and black pepper, plus the most exotic spice of all, Saffron. However, I suspect that that the world's spices and herbs will be the center of much medical science attention over the next few decades and beyond. In the mean time, just keep enjoying the great tastes they add to you food, knowing that some time, at least some of them might be proven to naturally do your health a lot of good.
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