8 Best Sickness Fighting Food Spices Your Kitchen

Sickness fighting food spices reminds me of a popular saying that health is wealth, having a sickness-free life may not be possible all the time but having the ability to effectively combat any sickness that may come into your life is the best alternative. Most time in our struggle to make ends meet, we tend to forget our health which is the bedrock of our strengths. Remember, if you neglect your body today, you will pay the price tomorrow as it is advisable to take care of your health, especially what you eat. Because our state of health is the product of our diet.  

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There are food spices that can be very beneficial to our health and often we do neglect them. Even the medicine we do take when we fall sick is made from some of these food spices. For instance, ibuprofen is produced with the inclusion of curcumin which is a product of turmeric spices.  There are many more I would love to share with you below.

Sickness Fighting Food Spices 

Here is a list of 8 best sickness-fighting food spices you should never lack in your kitchen

Scent Leaf

The scent leaf, which has its botanical name as Ocimum gratissimum, belongs to a family of tropical species called Labiatae. It is a domestic shrub with a unique aromatic flavor that is commonly used as a spice in cooking varieties of African foods. Scent leaf has different names which most ethnic nationalities in Nigeria call it, for instance, the Igbos know it ‘change’, the Hausas know it as ‘dandiya’, whereas the Yorubas call it ‘firing’. It also has a good content of vitamin A, carbon, phosphorus, calcium, potassium, and iron.

Apart from the delicious aroma, it provides when used in cooking you. Below are other health benefits of Scent leaf.

1.  It’s used to relieve certain health issues like constipation, chronic dysentery, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach ache, etc. 
2.  It has a good content of antioxidants such as antifungal, antibacterial, and antiseptic properties.
3.  It is a good deodorant because of its antibacterial content. Mostly used against mouth odor, and oral infections, prevent bad breath and tooth decay, etc.  
4.  Its oil extract serves as a good preservative, for colon pain, and headache relief.
5.  It’s a good mosquito repellent. (Dry and burnt its leaves to achieve that).
6.  It can be used to treat skin infections like ringworm when the leaf is squeezed and applied on the affected part of the skin and also for prevention and treatment of urinary infections, genitalia douches, and gonorrhea infections.
7.  It aids food digestion, which in turn improves weight management and easy bowel evacuation.

 Ginger

 

Zingiber officinale popularly known as Ginger is an Asia plant that belongs to the Zingiberaceae family. The importance of Ginger to our health can never be overemphasized. Not only that it serves as a spice for food but also largely used for the manufacturing of medicine. It can be used fresh, dried, powdered, or as an oil or juice for whatever purpose you want it to serve.

Health Benefits of Ginger 

1.  It has a good content of gingerol. Gingerol is used medicinally for food digestion, helps in weight loss, it also helps in the fight against the flu and the common cold and reduces nausea.
2.  Gingerol has an antioxidant effect that helps to reduce oxidative stress which comes from free radicals, hence it has an anti-aging effect on the human body.
3.  It helps in reducing joint pain and stiffness which most doctors referred to as Osteoarthritis (OA).
4. It also helps to lower cholesterol levels in our body and as well lowers blood sugars level.
5.  It also helps to boost the immune system and enables It put up a good fight against infections.
6. Ginger contains chemical compounds that help our skin,  protect it against Alzheimer’s disease, and as well improve brain function.

Allium sativum (Garlic Onions)

Allium sativum popularly known as Garlic Onions is a Chinese flowering plant that belongs to bulbous species. Garlic onion which is known for its rich flavors and tastes it brings to foods when added is also very rich in multivitamins like vitamins A, B6, and manganese.

 Health benefits of Garlic Onions

1. Garlic plays an important role in the human heart by improving blood circulation and helping to reduce the risk of heart disease and common illnesses like the flu and common cold.
2. It helps to improve blood pressure for those with known high blood pressure (hypertension).
3. It helps in lowering LDL cholesterol in the body system.
4. It helps to boost antitoxic chemicals in the body, which can help to reduce lead toxicity and related symptoms.
5. study shows that it is beneficial to bone health and as well help to increase female estrogen level.

 Curcuma longa (Turmeric)

          Image by Vya Naturals on unsplash.com 

Turmeric belongs to the same family of ginger called Zingiberaceae. Like ginger, its rhizomes are served as spices used for cooking.

Health benefits of turmeric?

•  treatment of inflammation diseases, 

It has a good content of curcumin which is very potent in the treatment of inflammation diseases, bowel disease, pancreatitis, and arthritis, due to its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. It’s used in the production of medicine like ibuprofen, Aspirin according to a study.

•  Treatment of Depression

A recent study also shows that turmeric may help in the treatment of depression. Remember, depression is also attributed to lower levels of BDNF (Brain-derived neurotrophic factor) in the body and turmeric can boost BDNF levels. Hence its spice exhibits an anti-depression effect.

Black Pepper and Chilli powder

Black pepper is an essential spice in the kitchen, it is known for its flavor in foods. Research shows that Black pepper is a good source of iron, calcium, and magnesium. Whereas Chili powder which is made up of red pepper is a good source of vitamin A and vitamin B-6.

Curry leaf and power (CUMIN) 

Curry leaf and power (CUMIN) is another spice that is beneficial to health. research reveals that curry leaf is a good source of iron which helps in blood formation.

 PAPRIKA

What is paprika good for?

According to research Paprika is a source of capsaicin, a compound found in other spices like pepper. The study reveals that capsaicin has antioxidant properties that may help alleviate gas, lower the risk of cancer, and heart disease, and improve immunity. 

Paprika is also a good source of: