Lost In Spice
Discover the flavor-and healing power-of the world's great spices.
10/2007
Some of my fondest memories of growing up in Toronto
are of tramping into my mother's kitchen after a day in
the snow to sneak a slice of her heavenly apple pie. Her
ability to add just the right amount of spice was uncanny. I
didn't know where cinnamon came from (Sri Lanka) or what
its nutritional benefits were (high in manganese, among
other things). I just knew the pie kept me returning for more.
Spices, of course, have been used to add that special touch
to meals for thousands of years. But for nearly as long as
we've been grinding, grating, and sprinkling spices into our
food, we've also been using them for their medicinal qualities. "Garlic was fed to laborers building the Egyptian pyramids to keep disease at bay," says Ian Hemphill, author of The Spice and Herb Bible (Robert Rose,
2006). Archaeologists have found cinnamon and cassia in Egyptian tombs dating
back to 3000 B.C.-their fragrance was believed to please the gods. "Cloves
have been used for centuries by the Chinese for their anesthetic and antiseptic
properties," says Hemphill. "Turmeric is used in Ayurvedic medicine for skin
complaints, and research suggests its curcumin content may fight cancer."
Ancient wisdom and contemporary clinical research appear to be in agreement:
Spices, whether composed of dried seeds, buds, fruit, bark, or roots, are
good for us. A 2003 study published in Diabetes Care reported that as little as
one gram of cinnamon reduced blood glucose and cholesterol levels in type 2
diabetics. Chile peppers, which are dried and ground to make the cayenne that
goes into a sizzling beef chili, contain an anti-inflammatory phytochemical called capsaicin, which gives the peppers their steamy personality. That "burn" in spicy chili releases endorphins and, according to research published in the
International Journal of Obesity, may help suppress appetite and reduce calorie
and fat intake. "Hot, spicy food accelerates the body's metabolic rate, so you
burn off calories more quickly," explains Hemphill.
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