Powerful Healing Herbs and Spices

Many of us have a cabinet full of herbs and spices we use to help improve the flavor our meals. What many may not realize is how much common kitchen herbs and spices can also help improve our health.

Ginger stimulates saliva flow and digestive activity, settles the stomach, relieves vomiting, eases pain from gas and diarrhea, and is effective as an anti-nausea remedy. This aromatic herb also helps lower cholesterol. Herbalists have also found it to be useful as a pain reliever.




Red Pepper or Cayenne - Great for adding heat and color to just about any dish, cayenne pepper or red pepper (different peppers but same family) taste great on everything. Try them on sautéed veggies or give your hot chocolate a Mexican makeover by adding a dash of either. Use them sparingly though because they are HOT.


Black Pepper - One of the reasons black pepper is effective for weight loss, is due to its ability to increase the metabolic rate. This means that the body burns calories faster, which results in weight loss. There is only 1 calorie in a 1/4 teaspoon of Black Pepper with 11% fat, 81% carbs and 8% protein. 


Garlic - A single clove of garlic does wonders. It has several properties which help prevent clotting and thickening of blood vessels. Also, it can easily fight the damage caused due to high BP.


Basil - Now here’s an herbal carminative, that is, it can relieve gas and soothe stomach upsets. One possible explanation for its calming effect is a compound called eugenol, which has been shown to help ease muscle spasms. Research is still preliminary, but laboratory studies also suggest that compounds found in basil may help disrupt the dangerous chain of events that can lead to the development of cancer.


Cinnamon - This baking staple can be used in everything from cinnamon toast, tea, sprinkled on top of hot cereal and much, much more. Several studies suggest that cinnamon may have a regulatory effect on blood sugar, making it especially beneficial for people with Type 2 diabetes. It is a great source of manganese, fiber, iron, and calcium.


Oregano - An indispensible spice in Turkish, Greek, Portuguese, and Spanish, Latin American and Italian cuisine, oregano is the must-have ingredient in tomato sauces and pairs well with capers and olives. Oregano contains at least four compounds that soothe coughs and 19 chemicals with antibacterial action that may help reduce body odor. The ingredients in oregano that soothe coughs may also help un-knot muscles in the digestive tract, making oregano a digestive aid. This familiar spice also contains compounds that can lower blood pressure too.


Cumin - Supports healthy blood sugar levels and is an anti-oxidant. It’s a great mild spice for curry dishes. An aromatic spice with a unique, bitter flavor, cumin goes best with beans, chicken, couscous, curry, fish, lentils, peas, pork, potatoes, soups and stews.


20 comments:

  1. I just see these spices in the kitchen and they are what makes flavor to dishes and health benefits.

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  2. these are not new to me because my wife works for an alternative medical practitioner... she always make me drink all sorts of herbal stuff... the only thing that I do take regularly is the garlic... it tastes bad but it's good for you..

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  3. i have most of these in my cabinets for cooking but some are already processed (even my chilli). i love ginger as it comes handy for cooking seafood and just adds flavor to any dish. but i wonder if a can drink it as salabat. :( honey with minced garlic also boosts immune system.

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  4. Oh, I love all these spices although i'm not so big on cummin. These herbs and spices don't just jazz up food but have health benefits too so it's super win-win. That's why when I cook, I try to be generous with herbs and spices :)

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  5. I love these spices but my super love is chili a great fat burner and it pumps your metabolism.

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  6. Its nice to know that these herbs and spices can be found in our kitchen which is used in our day-to-day cooking. ^_^

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  7. I suffered from GERD for almost 6 months and I tried drinking salabat. After a month, nagheal na yung sakit ko. Ginger is really effective if you have hyperacidity or other digestive problems.

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  8. Hala, nasa kusina ko lang lahat nyan. Yung oregano is a wonder herb.

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  9. not only in the kitchen but also for a healthy living of our body :)

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  10. omg! lucky i love all of them lalo n ginger! I boil them once a week and drink it and pg mgluto aq my bawang prang wlng katapusan hehe, I dont like cumin and oregano though hehe xx

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  11. My mother usually use ginger, it's really effective in many ways

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  12. black pepper is actually a great cure for runny nose.. just inhale the vapor from a hot water mixed with black pepper.. it's very effective.. and if you add some cinnamon to rice when cooking, it can prevent it from being spoiled from up to two to three days.. :)

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    1. thanks Justin for this tips. exactly i had runny nose..Lol :)

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  13. I like ginger, I use it as a tea to sooth my stomach aches.

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  14. We are so blessed because those herbs grow here in the Philippines. My aunts eat garlic to lower their blood pressure. They also boil oregano leaves for my niece whenever she has cough. I haven't tried it for myself though. :p

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  15. I love these spices! Very unique yet very tasty!

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  16. Again capsicum forever. The weather these days are great for eating chili

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  17. Whenever one got sick at home. Mom always rush on the kitchen to make some medicines. That was also one of my grand-mom had told us to do. Indeed, alternative medicines are great

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  18. that oregano is one effective herbal medicine .. aside from being used to produce aroma for the cooked rice .. love it since when i was young ..

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  19. Really good to have the terms of uses on herbs and spices which are good to heal the health problems in a healthy way, Thanks for the valuable share...

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