Nature's Bounty: Sage Advice

If you're looking to consume more superfoods, those edibles with nutritional and functional riches at little caloric cost, search no further than your spice rack. Start thinking about ways to add herbs and spices to your meals. A pinch here, a dash there—you not only add taste and aroma, you wind up cutting down on iffy ingredients such as salt and sugar. You also do your body and brain multiple favors, as the antioxidants in many spices curb inflammation, widely recognized as an early step in vascular disease, cancer, diabetes, and other chronic conditions.

Enhance sweetness with allspice, cinnamon, cloves, or ginger. To enhance savory flavors or substitute for salt, use basil, cumin, mustard, oregano, pepper, rosemary, or sage. Or a combination of them. Start your spice odyssey by taking a trusted recipe and adding just one seasoning each time you make it, allowing about one quarter of a teaspoon (the official definition of a pinch) per pound of meat or pint of liquid.

Cloves

Among the top three spices in antioxidant concentration. Contains eugenol, carophyllin, gallic acid, eugenin. Inhibits oxidation of LDL cholesterol, an early step in atherosclerosis.

Cinnamon

An antioxidant powerhouse; compounds protect against inflammation, heart disease, Alzheimer's. Polyphenols also increase insulin activity, aiding diabetes control. Cinnamon scent boosts attention.

Allspice

Contains more than a dozen antioxidants, including eugenol, quercetin, ellagic and gallic acids. Ellagic acid has anticancer effects, decreases proliferation of pancreatic cancer cells.

Saffron

Loaded with carotenoids, which possess anticancer activity and aid immune function. Also protects blood fats against oxidation, a step in the development of cardiovascular disease.

Fennel

Contains flavonoids and tannins. Stimulates bile acid production
in the liver, giving it a major role in fat digestion and absorption. Also contains anethole, shown to reduce inflammation and retard cancer.

Oregano

Another antioxidant powerhouse loaded with phenols. Rosmarinic acid has demonstrated antimicrobial activity against food-borne pathogens, and can be used topically as an herbal antiseptic.

Cumin

Seeds have significant antiglycemic effect and help reverse metabolic abnormalities in diabetes. Also stimulate bile acid production and its secretion into bile.

Garlic

Pungent sulfur compounds promote heart health via beneficial effects on lipid metabolism and reduction of cholesterol levels. May also reduce blood pressure and retard cancer growth.

Mustard

Has strong antimicrobial
effects. Loaded with glucosinolate phytonutrients and their component isothiocyanates, which inhibit growth of cancer cells, especially in the gastrointestinal tract.

Rosemary

Carnosic acid may shield brain from free-radical damage, lowering risk of stroke and neurodegenerative diseases. May also improve memory. Additional antioxidants detoxify carcinogens.

Mint

Stimulates bile acid production
in liver and its secretion into bile. Antioxidants in mint include vitamin C and the phytonutrient perillyl alcohol, which has been shown to prevent cancer growth.

Turmeric

A component of curry, its active ingredient circumin has neuroprotective and anti-aging effects on the brain, anti-inflammatory effects, and slows spread of breast cancer. May also prevent strokes.

Basil

Boasts wide range of polyphenols, on a par with berries. Green basil is rich in flavonoids, purple varieties in anthocyanins. Also contains rosmarinic acid. Decreases platelet aggregation, preventing blood clots.

Ginger

The antioxidant zingerone
appears to have specific brain-protective properties. The phenolic gingerol subdues inflammation; studies show it reduces the viability of gastric cancer cells.

Red Pepper

Active ingredient capsaicin is used topically to relieve pain of peripheral neuropathy. Also stimulates bile acid and may aid weight loss by boosting metabolism. The hotter the pepper, the more antioxidants.

Black Pepper

Contains free-radical scavenger pinene, which counteracts oxidative stress from consuming high-fat diet. Piperine increases absorption of selenium, vitamin B, beta-carotene, and other nutrients.