SPICES & HERBS FOR THEIR MEDICINAL QUALITIES

SPICE CAPSULES.COM, NATURAL HEALTH MEDICINALS
Turmeric
Turmeric is the king of all spices. Ounce for ounce, it's the most anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antibacterial, anticancer, antifungal one of the bunch. In Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine, it's used to treat everything from diabetes and allergies to Alzheimer's and arthritis. Turmeric's active phytochemical ingredient is curcumin, an antioxidant compound that reduces inflammation and also gives it its vibrant yellow color. (Beware getting turmeric on anything white; it stains.) Curcumin has actually been shown to reduce growth in cancer cells, and if there's any good reason to eat a spice. Turmeric also contains other anti-inflammatory compounds that inhibit swelling and pain and block the plaques that cause Alzheimer's disease
Eat more turmeric. Add it to salad dressings, meat and fish marinades, or even turmeric infused tea, latte, or lemonade. It's surprisingly tasty.
Chile Peppers and Cayenne
Cayenne's active ingredient is capsaicin, which delivers both a chile pepper's medicinal qualities and its spicy heat. The hotter a pepper, the more capsaicin it has. In addition to a long history of medicinal uses in India and China, Native American healers favored cayenne for digestive and circulatory problems. Sourced and stored properly, cayenne is a fantastic source of antioxidants that fight free radicals and protect against cell damage, which often manifests as premature aging. There are promising studies underway to observe whether cayenne inhibits cancer cell growth, but the science is still young.
Ginger
Ginger has long been used in Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine to combat inflammation and pain, soothe sore muscles, and treat aches and fatigue. It's also a common remedy for digestion as it fights an overgrowth of nasty gut bacteria. The compounds in ginger actually act in a similar way to anti-inflammatory drugs, like ibuprofen, that are used to treat arthritis. If more people knew this, more people might be able to find relief from ginger tea or Asian dishes.
Ginger is also great for sore throats, colds, and believe it or not, you can apply it directly to a painful joint with a compress for relief through skin contact. As with all spices and herbs, storage is important for ginger.