10 SPICES THAT WILL MAKE YOUR MEALS HEALTHIER (INCLUDING 4 SPICES TO EXPLORE!)

The seasoning of food is a personal, cultural, regional, and sensual experience of adding flavor to a dish. Some examples of seasonings can include salt, herbs (the leaves or shoots of a plant), spices (the seeds, fruit, flowers, bark, or roots of a plant), acids (vinegars, citrus juices), and, although technically considered a condiment, fats (butter, vegetable oils, animal fats). 

When flavoring dishes most people are pretty familiar with salt, fats, and herbs (oregano, basil, parsley, dill, sage, rosemary, thyme, and cilantro). However, spices can be a little intimidating for some, especially when it is an unfamiliar spice. Some conventional spices used in american culinary dishes are: black pepper, cumin, nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon, paprika, ginger, cloves, garlic, onion, and chili powders. 

Not only do spices add color, aroma, and flavor to foods, they are also little powerhouses containing anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, and antioxidant components. They have been associated with protective effects against cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, neurodegeneration, and cancer.1

A Few Spices On The Familiar List That Pack A Healthful Punch!1,2

Ginger - has a spicy and fragrant smell and a hot-sweet taste. Ginger is native to India and Southeast Asia, and is used widely in culinary recipes worldwide. Ginger is suggested for a variety of digestive complaints: nausea, digestive upset, appetite stimulant, and has strong anti-inflammatory activity. It also has also exhibited anti-bacterial, cholesterol lowering, cancer preventive, and fever reducing effects! Ginger is used widely in Asian cuisine and is commonly added to sweet treats, such as cookies, pies, candies, cakes, etc.

Cinnamon - has a spicy-sweet smell that adds aroma and flavor to dishes. Cinnamon is native to India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Myanmar. It has been studied for its anti-diabetic and glucose lowering effects. Cinnamon is commonly used in sweet treats but is also delicious in savory fare like curry, butternut squash soup, or added to poultry/meat dishes. 

Fennel Seed - smells and tastes subtly like black licorice. The entire fennel plant (bulb, stalk, and feathery fronds) is edible and indigenous to the Mediterranean.  Fennel has been suggested to treat digestive illnesses, respiratory tract infections, and as a tea to aid in milk production for lactating mothers. Fennel seeds are versatile and delicious added to meats, salads, curry, teas, and sweet treats.

Turmeric - has an aromatic smell and pungent, earthy taste, and is native to Southeast Asia. Like Saffron, it is used more as a coloring agent than a flavoring. Turmeric is a well studied spice, and its curcuminoids have a robust resume of health benefits: potent anti-inflammatory effects, as well as being anti-microbial, improving metabolic syndrome markers, and anti-cancer activity.3 Turmeric is a primary ingredient for curry blends, and is used widely in Asian cuisine, especially Indian, Thai, Chinese, and Middle Eastern dishes. (curcumin has a low bioavailability and is fat soluble, so be sure to consume it with a fat source and/or black pepper to increase availability in the body)

Chili pepper - the plants that make up the capsicum family originated in Mexico before they were brought to Spain, and then spread throughout the world. The capsaicin found in chili pepper fruits have anticancer, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and analgesic effects (meaning they can stop pain when used topically). Chili peppers can be found in spicy dishes from across the world and are versatile in sweet and savory dishes!

Paprika - a sweet subset of the chili pepper family that boasts similar health benefits, although paprika is known more for its antioxidant activity.

Enjoy Exploring These Unusual Spices 

Saffron - native to Southwest Asia and tastes pungent, earthy, and subtly sweet. Saffron is primarily used in Persian, Indian, European, and Arabic cuisines. It is used for the beautiful yellow color it adds to foods as well as its flavor. Saffron is rich in antioxidants, carotenoids (beta-carotene, lycopene, etc.), thiamin (B1), and holds the highest riboflavin (B2) values range of any food reported. Saffron is used in rice dishes (tachin, risotto, and paella), bouillabaisse, and sauces.

Cardamom - is native to India and has a very unique smell and taste described as warm, slightly pungent, and aromatic, a mix of ginger and cloves . It can be used in both sweet and savory dishes. Like other spices, it has a high antioxidant content, is antimicrobial,4 and may improve biomarkers for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.5 Additionally, another study found that it potentially protects the liver from cancer proliferation.6 Cardamom is used widely in Indian cuisine, especially the Northern Indian spice blend garam masala. However, the spice has also become a staple in Middle Eastern, Swedish, and Finnish dishes.

Anise - smells and tastes like black licorice and originates from the Eastern Mediterranean region and Southwest Asia. Anise has been used to remedy digestive upset and flatulence. Anise seed is a spice that can easily be associated with sweets due to its licorice flavor. However, it is used in Vietnamese soups, barbequed meats, in a Middle Eastern spice blend called Baharat, and other savory dishes.

Sumac (NOT poison Sumac) - grows worldwide and has a rich sweet-tangy smell and taste, resembling the aroma and taste of lemon juice. It is an important component to the Middle Eastern spice blend Za-atar, which is reportedly used on almost everything! Sumac is described as having “potent antioxidant effects”, in addition to antifungal and antibacterial actions.7-9 The sumac spice is used widely in Middle Eastern cuisine, Sicilian dishes, and Native Americans made a “lemonade” from the spice. Because sumac is so versatile it is a great spice to experiment with in the kitchen. (Avoid if you have a cashew or mango allergy to prevent a potential cross-reaction!)

The protective effects of spices are cumulative in nature, so the more they are consumed the more they can impact your health. Additionally, when a low-sodium and/or low-fat diet is necessary for health reasons, adding a variety of spices to a dish can add the missing flavor and richness that is craved. Experiment with, and explore, new spices to make your meals satisfying and healthful.

Try this Miso Pho recipe with star anise, cloves, and cinnamon:

Slow Cooker Vegan Miso Pho

5 cups Vegetable Broth

3/4 tsp Star Anise

1 tbsp Whole Cloves
2 servings Cinnamon Stick (approx. 3 inches in length each)

1 1/2 tbsp Tamari

Sea Salt & Black Pepper (to taste)

3 tbsp Miso Paste (usually found in the refrigerated section near produce)

4 cups Mushrooms (whole)

4 cups Bok Choy (halved)

6 1/2 oz. *Pho Noodles (find in the Asian section of your grocery store)

2 cups Bean Sprouts

1 cup Thai Basil (stems removed)

1 cup **Culantro (chopped) (can substitute with cilantro, if needed)

Time to prepare: 4 hours

Add the vegetable broth, star anise, whole cloves, cinnamon sticks and tamari to your slow cooker. Cook on high for 4-6 hours. Strain the contents and pour the broth into a large pot.

Season the broth generously with salt and pepper. Add the miso paste, mushrooms and bok choy to the broth and bring to a simmer over medium- high heat. Let simmer for about 5 minutes or until the veggies are soft.

Meanwhile, cook your pho noodles according to the instructions on the package.

Divide the pho noodles, mushrooms, bok choy and then the broth into bowls. Top with bean sprouts, Thai basil and culantro. Serve immediately and enjoy!

*Can use brown rice spaghetti or soba noodles instead.
Best enjoyed immediately. But you can refrigerate the broth separately in an in an airtight container up to 4 days, or store in the freezer.

**Different than cilantro. Culantro has a stronger flavour and is also called "long- leafed coriander or "saw-toothed mint".

References

1. Vázquez-Fresno R, Rosana ARR, Sajed T, Onookome-Okome T, Wishart NA, Wishart DS. Herbs and Spices- Biomarkers of Intake Based on Human Intervention Studies - A Systematic Review. Genes Nutr. 2019;14:18. Published 2019 May 22. doi:10.1186/s12263-019-0636-8

2. Hoffman, D. Medical Herbalism, The Science and Practice of Herbal Medicine. 2003 Healing Arts Press. Rochester, VT.

3. Kunnumakkara AB, Bordoloi D, Padmavathi G, et al. Curcumin, the golden nutraceutical: multitargeting for multiple chronic diseases. Br J Pharmacol. 2017;174(11):1325-1348. doi:10.1111/bph.13621

4. Noumi E, Snoussi M, Alreshidi MM, Rekha P-D, Saptami K, Caputo L, De Martino L, Souza LF, Msaada K, Mancini E, Flamini G, Al-sieni A, De Feo V. Chemical and Biological Evaluation of Essential Oils from Cardamom Species. Molecules. 2018; 23(11):2818. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules23112818

5. Daneshi-Maskooni M, Keshavarz SA, Qorbani M, et al. Green cardamom increases Sirtuin-1 and reduces inflammation in overweight or obese patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: a double-blind randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial. Nutr Metab (Lond). 2018;15:63. Published 2018 Sep 25. doi:10.1186/s12986-018-0297-4

6. Badroon NA, Abdul Majid N, Alshawsh MA. Antiproliferative and Apoptotic Effects of Cardamonin against Hepatocellular Carcinoma HepG2 Cells. Nutrients. 2020;12(6):1757. Published 2020 Jun 12. doi:10.3390/nu12061757

7. Anwar MA, Samaha AA, Baydoun S, Iratni R, Eid AH. Rhus coriaria L. (Sumac) Evokes Endothelium-Dependent Vasorelaxation of Rat Aorta: Involvement of the cAMP and cGMP Pathways. Front Pharmacol. 2018;9:688. Published 2018 Jun 28. doi:10.3389/fphar.2018.00688

8. Momeni A, Maghsoodi H, Rezapour S, Shiravand M, Mardani M. Reduction of expression of IL-18, IL-1β genes in the articular joint by sumac fruit extract (Rhus coriaria L.). Mol Genet Genomic Med. 2019;7(6):e664. doi:10.1002/mgg3.664

9. Alsamri H, Athamneh K, Pintus G, Eid AH, Iratni R. Pharmacological and Antioxidant Activities of Rhus coriaria L. (Sumac). Antioxidants (Basel). 2021;10(1):73. Published 2021 Jan 8. doi:10.3390/antiox10010073