i’m not talking about flavoring your food but i feel like it’s pretty common for spices (tumeric, ginger, cinnamon, ect) to be praised for their nutritional benefit. but i’m curious with the amount that someone would typically use to flavor their food is there actually any benefit? also how much would you actually need to consume for any of the benefits too appear?
Research is ongoing, but the rate of Alzheimer’s in India’s 70+ population is 4.4 times less than the 70+ population in the United States. Some evidence may suggest that diet is a key component there, partly due to turmeric and its known medicinal properties. Not everyone in India is taking turmeric as a supplement capsule but is a reasonable claim to suggest their population on average consumes turmeric in quantities far exceeding the typical diet in the States. So at least for this one example, yes you can see benefits from spices used in cooking. But also if you have curry once a month is also very different from cultures who consume it essentially daily.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2781139/
Here’s another study on garlic too. Interesting read. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7402177/
Most of the research has been done on isolated compounds within the herbs and spices, administered in high doses. Some have really low bioavailability, so the amount from seasoning a dish may be insufficient to see benefit but may become beneficial when formulated into a concentrated dose.
> Herbs and Spices- Biomarkers of Intake Based on Human Intervention Studies – A Systematic Review
> This suggests that potentially synergistic or antagonistic factors concerning the consumption of the herb or spice along with possible matrix effects in terms of absorption and bioavailability were not typically evaluated in these studies.
In essence, we don’t know yet! Less of the research has been done on the food forms, so we don’t know if the compounds will act the same way in a system as they do in a vacuum.
What you put into your body matters. I eat raw turmeric daily, as well as ginger and cinnamon. Been doing it for years and (for me) have not been sick once in all this time. I believe eating raw foods help with inflammation in the body. It seems to be working for me. I also eat raw honey every day. I do not have allergies anymore either. I am (M56)
I don’t know if this will contribute to long-term or substantial benefit, but I certainly notice a difference when I consume tea of turmeric, ginger, and black pepper, or when I cook with those spices, as well as others such as hing and ajwan. Maybe it’s TMI, but differences in cognitive function and libido specifically
I add a tablespoon of mixed spice (20+ different) to my every day breakfast.
No science backing for this but I figure that diversity and having it everyday is most important. It’s a preventive choice, like an unprocessed vitamin pill.
All those micro-nutrients, readily available in small quantities for my body to use everyday.
google healthline benefits Spicename
Spice is medicine!