Lutgard Musiime

Spices are a holy grail for any kind of food, including tea. A single spice has the capacity to change a boring meal to a finger-licking one, but did you know aside from enhancing the taste and appearance of food, spices have very important and useful benefits that your body will thank you for?

Research has it that there are more than 100 spices in the world that people use unaware of the good therein yet they have proven to have tons of health benefits to whoever consumes them.

Here are the top 5 spices everyone needs in their kitchen and why.

1. Cinnamon

This is a very common spice that is very versatile, affordable, and locally available. This spice is obtained from the inner bark of several tree species from the genus Cinnamomum and if properly stored, can survive for 3 to 4 years, imagine!

Cinnamon is known for keeping blood sugar levels in check by slowing down the breakdown of carbs thereby increasing insulin sensitivity. Many studies have shown its useful effect on diabetic patients for whom it lowers blood sugar levels. It is no wonder that it is dubbed by many, a powerful anti-diabetic spice. Read more about the medicinal properties of cinnamon in this article and thereafter go find yourself some cinnamon.

2. Ginger

Whether you pronounce it as (jin-juh) or (jin-ger), this awesome spice is a must have on your rack, do you know why?

If you have been pregnant before and suffered from nausea or have motion sickness, someone should have whispered to you to chew on this root. This is because ginger is an old-time hack for beating nausea and also has anti-inflammatory properties. In Asian cultures, in addition to nausea, it is also used to treat stomach upsets and diarrhea. So the next time you see anyone struggling with nausea and pain management, you may want to offer them something with ginger or the root itself.

While storing ginger, try to keep out oxygen and moisture, you could make use of an airtight bag and it will keep longer.

3. Tumeric

Back then as a child, there was this lady who was popular for having very tasty ‘yellow’ cassava. It felt like she had a secret recipe to get her cassava yellow only later to find out that she dipped her cassava in tumeric to enhance the color and her trick worked, because she used to always sell out.

Tumeric pronounced as (tuh-muh-ruhk) is the spice that gives curry the yellow color, most popular in Indian curry dishes. The spice has become very popular with many using it to make golden milk, for making face masks, name it. The spice has anti inflammatory properties thanks to a compound contained therein called curcumin that is a powerful anti-oxidant.There are studies that show its powerful effect in reducing swelling and pain among arthritis patients. Do you see the reason why this is a must-have on your spice rack?

4. Garlic

This could have come first but I reserved the last seats for it because it is unlikely that you will find a home that does not use it or have an idea about it at the very least.

This strong smelling bulb is used all the time in cooking but a few may know that garlic is so good for the heart. As we go through the process of aging, our arteries begin to harden (a normal occurrence), something we refer to as atherosclerosis. It also occurs as fatty deposits made up of cholesterol and other substances build up on the inside of your artery walls. As the build up increases, the arteries narrow increasing the occurrences of heart-related diseases like high blood pressure, stroke, heart attacks name it.

Garlic has a compound called allicin responsible for the smell that gives it the medicinal effect for reducing cholesterol as well as blood pressure for those with high blood pressure.

5. RoseMary

Do you suffer from allergies and nasal congestion? Rosemary needs to be your friend. These needle-like leaves are commonly used in food but also to make some medicines. Rosemary is packed with antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds, which boost the immune system and improve blood circulation. Rosemary is also thought to be a cognitive stimulant that helps improve memory performance and quality.

If you don’t have these on your spice rack, consider updating it please. Save your body when you still can.

See you next Wednesday. Here is something to keep you company until we next meet.