GET PLANTING WITH HERBS

Herbs and spices, which can also be easily grown in your home garden, have been a staple of the human diet for many years. Earlier generations discovered that ingredients like cinnamon, basil, oregano, and garlic could enhance the flavor and taste of meats and veggies, but our ancestors didn’t stop there. Herbs and spices have been used in traditional medicine for years, too, and for good reason. Science is now validating what we’ve known for centuries—that herbs are one of the most potent tools at our disposal for boosting the immune system. Let’s dive into some of the health benefits of using herbs in our dishes, daily.

1. Boosts Digestion

The body naturally produces enzymes, bile, and acid, among other things, to break down your food and extract the nutrients. However, stress, poor sleep, and poor diet can knock your system out of whack. As many of us know all too well, this can lead to digestive issues like constipation, bloating, and indigestion. Herbs and spices, such as ginger, peppermint, and fennel have been traditionally used to remedy these issues and aid in digestion. Research has begun to back up these practices with data. One study involving lab rats found that feeding them a spice mix that included turmeric, black pepper, and cumin benefited the digestive system. The data to date suggests that spices like these aid digestion in two ways: first, by stimulating the liver to produce bile, and second, by stimulating the activity of enzymes responsible for digestion.

2. Balances Blood Sugar Levels

Let’s start with a mind-blowing fact. Did you know that cinnamon can help stabilize blood glucose levels and improve blood lipid levels? Researchers think that cinnamon’s impact on blood glucose might be due to its insulin-sensitizing effect. One study found that consuming 1–6 grams of cinnamon per day for 40 days lowered participants’ fasting blood glucose levels, total cholesterol, LDL choles- terol, and triglycerides. But believe it or not, cinnamon is not the only food that offers this amazing benefit. Curcumin—one of the biologically active properties of turmeric—has also been shown to decrease blood glucose levels and may even play a role in preventing diabetes.

3. Improves Brain Function and Memory

Certain herbs and spices have even been linked to improved brain function and memory. Rosemary, for example, improves circulation in the body and the brain, which can help enhance concentration and focus. Researchers have even found that inhaling rosemary oil improves tasks related to thinking, concentration, and memory. A recent study found that volunteers were able to perform various cognitive tasks faster and more accurately when they performed them in a room with a rosemary oil diffuser (see Sidebar). Studies have also shown that cinnamon may help prevent cognitive decline by enhancing insulin sensitivity and reducing plaque buildup in the brain, which is associated with Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.

4. Contains Anti-Inflammatory Properties

Our modern diets and lifestyles have created an environment of chronic inflammation. Inflammation, in turn, is the root cause of many, if not all, chronic conditions. But just because we’re likely to all have some degree of inflammation just by nature of when and where we live, it doesn’t mean we’re helpless. You can reduce inflammation by dealing with common root causes, and eating herbs and spices can help. Herbs and spices such as ginger, garlic, and turmeric all contribute to healthy inflammation levels and support the immune system.

5. Amps the Flavor Profile

At the end of the day, our most basic reason for adding herbs and spices to our food is the same reason our ancestors had: they’re a winning combination, jam-packed with both nutrients and flavor. Using herbs and spices like garlic, turmeric, cilantro, parsley, and basil when you cook can turn good-tasting food into great-tasting food. Plus, these ingredients are chock-full of nutrients that provide a host of health benefits, in addition to those already mentioned above:

• Antioxidants that help conditions like depression, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, and headaches (oregano)

• Cardioprotective, anti-aging, and antimicrobial effects (rosemary, cinnamon)

• Phytochemicals that help with lymphatic function (echinacea, astragalus, cilantro, parsley)

• Adaptogens that help adapt and balance the response to stress (ginseng, Rhodiola rosea, ashwagandha)

Another Bonus: Alleviates Allergy Symptoms

Although not on the topic of herbs and spices in our dishes per se, here’s another tidbit in favor of using herbs.

Having thankfully wrapped up allergy season in my house, I can hereby leave my verified review on essential oil diffusers. Two of my children suffered terribly from seasonal allergies this past season. To help them decongest, I purchased an essential oil diffuser on Amazon. I placed the diffuser on their night tables and dropped in different herbal oils, depending on what we were in the mood of smelling. Having a gentle steam of different herbal essential oils wafting through the room all night really alleviated some of their symptoms. We experimented with lavender and peppermint oil, both of which can be derived from herbs.