Holiday Spices with Hidden Health Benefits! 

By Dr. Scott Olson, ND Posted December 23, 2020

It’s that time of year… when we all hop in our kitchens, light the oven — grab a cookie sheet or two — and start baking our favorite holiday treats.   

Now, while many of these goodies are certainly indulgences – there are some reasons to not feel guilty.  

In fact, as long as you don’t go too overboard with the sugary sweetness, there are some health benefits lurking in these holiday recipes.  

Aside from the sugar, what makes these holiday treats stand out among the rest? Their spices.  

Let’s look at how beneficial these everyday holiday spices are for you and how they help to keep your stress level low, maintain your immune system, and even reduce stress and treat inflammation. 

• Many people LOVE cinnamon. Cinnamon contains a molecule called cinnamaldehyde that is responsible for the slight sweet taste you get from cinnamon. But that is not all, cinnamaldehyde has anti-inflammatory, antitumor, and antiviral properties. Cinnamon has been studied to help lower your cholesterol. What you might not know about cinnamon is it can help relieve depression, balance blood sugar, and it even has antibacterial properties. Cinnamon is also great for digestive health.   

• Nutmeg has a warm sweet taste, and it shows up in a lot of savory dishes. Nutmeg has antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties. It has been studied to help improve blood circulation – which is great for your brain and heart (but also for your sex life!).  
• Ginger: is a well-known digestive tonic. If you ever feel like you ate too much, a little bit of ginger can help soothe your aching stomach. Ginger has been used for years for travel sickness and women with nausea of pregnancy. Ginger excels as a powerful antioxidant. It’s been used to treat a variety of digestive complaints including gas, bloating, and even inflammatory bowel disease. I also like it as a tea to help sore throats. 
• Cloves have a strong pungent flavor. Cloves have been shown in research to help regulate blood sugar. They are rich in manganese and they are anti-microbial, antifungal, and they even has some anesthetic (numbing) properties. 
• Vanilla is the world’s most popular spice and although it is expensive right now because of shortages worldwide is a wonderful calming herb for the nervous system. Vanilla is also anti-inflammatory.  
• Star Anise usually only shows up around this time of year. It has a sweet and spicy flavor from a molecule called shikimic acid. Shikimic acid has been isolated to make the flu medicine Tamiflu, which means it’s antiviral. 

• Peppermint is not just found in your candy canes; it finds its way into many foods. That is good news because peppermint is really good for digestion complaints – especially those achy sharp feeling you might get and occasionally when you overeat. Peppermint can also improve alertness, is a good antioxidant, helps calm down allergies and even has antimicrobial properties.  
• Sage is well known to help relax the body. It is also a powerful antifungal, anti-bacteria. Some people drink sage or even burn it in their house for relaxation. 
• Rosemary is a Mediterranean herb which is anti-inflammatory and antioxidant. It also has been studied as an antidepressant, to help calm anxiety and even been shown to help improve memory. 

I tend to overuse spices because I like strong flavors and like to get more goodness out of these spices – so feel free to dump a little more of these great spices into your recipes.  

P.S. Research has found that certain spices have some pretty incredible superpowers. Like this miracle spice that can STOP heart disease and cancer! Click here for all of the details. 

Written By Dr. Scott Olson, ND

Nearly 25 years ago, failed mainstream medical treatments left Dr. Olson in constant pain – and his health in ruins. And that’s when he did something REVOLUTIONARY. He began his career in medicine – and dedicated his life to uncovering the true, underlying causes of disease.
Through his innovative medical practices in Tennessee and Colorado, Dr. Olson has helped cure countless seniors from across America of arthritis… heart disease… diabetes… and even cancer. All without risky prescription drugs or painful surgeries.

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