Healing Herbs and Spices

1. Cayenne (red) pepper- helps pain, treats shingles pain and diabetes-related nerve pain. Shrinks blood vessels in your nose and throat, relieving congestion. Metabolism booster, speeds up for a couple of hours after eating. Anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anticancer, and antidiabetes properties.

2. Cinnamon - helps control blood sugar in diabetics; cuts triglycerides and total cholesterol; helps prevent blood clots; antibacterial, anti-inflammatory; shown to conquer E. coli, among other types of bacteria; high in fiber (comes from the bark of a tree); and can reduce heartburn in some people.

3. Cloves - anti-inflammatory; protects against heart disease and cancer; slows the cartilage and bone damage caused by arthritis; improves insulin function; clove oil has numbing effect in addition to bacteria-fighting powers (good use for toothaches); in test tubes, cloves also killed certain bacteria that were resistant to antibiotics.

4. Coriander seeds - digestive aid; helps with irritable bowel syndrome; antianxiety herb; Its essential oil fights bacteria, including E. coli and salmonella. Has been shown to lower cholesterol in animals and is being further studied in humans; antioxidant.

5. Garlic - when eaten daily, can help lower heart disease risk by as much as 76 percent; thins blood and reducing chances of blood clots; antioxidant; appears to ward off cancer, especially stomach and colorectal cancer. The compounds flush carcinogens before they damage DNA, and they force cancer cells that do develop to self-destruct. Antibacterial and antifungal - help with yeast infections, some sinus infections, and the common cold. Can even repel ticks.

6. Ginger - Reduces pain and swelling in people with arthritis. May help with migraines by blocking inflammatory substances called prostaglandins. Boosts digestive juices and neutralizes acids while reducing intestinal contractions. Effective against nausea. One study showed worked just as well as Dramamine, but without making you sleepy.

7. Mustard - made from seeds of a plant from the cabbage family - strong anticancer group of plants. May inhibit growth of cancer cells; can break up congestion; helps with pain if used externally; mustard powder added to a foot bath helps kill athlete's foot fungus. Too much though, can have a laxative effect or cause vomiting.

8. Nutmeg - kills a number of bacteria; inhibits an enzyme in the brain that contributes to Alzheimer's disease and  improves memory in mice. Researchers are currently studying it for an antidepressant.


9. Sage - memory enhancer; some lab studies show that it protects the brain against certain processes that lead to Alzheimer's disease. In at least one study, a sage-oil concoction improved mood, increasing alertness, calmness, and contentedness. In a British study, healthy young adults performed better on word recall tests after taking sage-oil capsules. Anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anticancer properties; boosts the action of insulin to reduce blood sugar.

10. Turmeric - top anticancer agent; slows inflammation that contributes to tumor growth; works in the same way as broccoli and cauliflower to clear carcinogens away before they damage DNA and repairs already damaged DNA. Lab studies showed that Turmeric helps stop the growth and spread of cancer cells that do form. Research shows that it may protect against colon cancer as well as melanoma. In animal studies, curcumin (a chemical in turmeric), decreased the formation of amyloid, the stuff that makes up the brain deposits characteristic in people with Alzheimer's disease.


SOURCE:

Cleary, Allison, et al. Food Cures. New York: The Reader's Digest Association. 2009. Print.