Spice Up Your Health

Spices add flavor, but they can also offer up health benefits. Cinnamon and turmeric are  two examples that don't require a lot of prep to incorporate into your diet.
 
Don’t Wait for Pumpkin Spice Season
 
Consuming the equivalent of at least 1 teaspoon of cinnamon a day has been associated with lowered blood sugar and cholesterol in people with diabetes. Cinnamon can also be used as an alternative to sugar to add flavor to food.

Sprinkle cinnamon into …

• Oatmeal
• Tea or coffee
• Apples and peanut butter

 
Try it the savory way! Add it to …

• Chili
• Meat marinades

 
And try this recipe: Spiced-Pumpkin Smoothie
 
Pair Turmeric with Black Pepper
 
Turmeric contains curcumin, a protective plant compound that has been associated with lowered triglycerides (a type of fat in the blood that may contribute to heart attacks), decreased inflammation in patients with high blood pressure or blood sugar, and less arthritis pain.  Although powerful, curcumin is not easily absorbed by the body. To increase absorption, add black pepper.
 
To add turmeric to your diet ...

• Warm up your milk of choice, mix in turmeric, and sprinkle in other spices like ginger, cinnamon, and black pepper
• Add it to scrambled eggs, rice, roasted vegetables, or smoothies

 
And try this recipe: Red Lentil Dal
 
REFERENCES
Carlsen MH, Halvorsen BL, Holte K, Bøhn SK, Dragland S, Sampson L, Willey C, Senoo H, Umezono Y, Sanada C, Barikmo I. The total antioxidant content of more than 3100 foods, beverages, spices, herbs and supplements used worldwide. Nutrition Journal. 2010;9(1): 3.
Gupta, S. C., Patchva, S., & Aggarwal, B. B. Therapeutic roles of curcumin: lessons learned from clinical trials. The AAPS Journal. 2013; 15(1): 195–218. 
Hewlings, S. J., & Kalman, D. S. Curcumin: a review of its effects on human health. Foods. 2017; 6(10): 92. 
Khan A, Safdar M, Muzaffar M, Nawaz K, Anderson RA. Cinnamon improves glucose and lipids of people with type 2 diabetes. Diabetes Care. 2003; 26 (12): 3215-3218.
​Kizilaslan N, Erdem NZ. The effect of different amounts of cinnamon consumption on blood glucose in healthy adult individuals. Int J Food Sci. 2019; 4138534. 
Paultre K, Cade W, Hernandez D, et al. Therapeutic effects of turmeric or curcumin extract on pain and function for individuals with knee osteoarthritis: a systematic review. BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine. 2021;7(1). 
Zare R, Nadjarzadeh A, Zarshenas MM, Shams M, Heydari M. Efficacy of cinnamon in patients with type II diabetes mellitus: A randomized controlled clinical trial. Clin Nutr. 2019;38(2):549-556.

By Chessie Cox, MGH Dietetic Intern