According to WebMD, herbs and spices are good for you. In fact, they should be a part of your daily diet. Doctor David Heber, a respected professor of medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles’ Center for Human Nutrition, says that herbs and spices such as rosemary, basil, thyme, garlic and chili pepper can protect the body from a number of chronic conditions, add flavor to dishes and provide other health benefits.
Protect the Body Against Chronic Diseases
Everyone knows that foods produced from plants or plant parts are good for you. In fact, eating more plant-based foods helps protect the body against chronic illnesses such as diabetes, heart disease and cancer. Most common herbs are made from plant parts, including parsley and basil, while spices often come from bark, berries, seeds and the roots of plants.
Add Flavor Without Extra Calories
People love to eat flavorful food. This is why so many dishes call for adding fats, salt and sugar. However, these ingredients are not just adding flavor; they are adding extra calories. Herbs and spices are a great way to expand a food palette without adding ingredients that can make you gain weight.
Burn Off Unwanted Pounds
People who eat more spices such as chili pepper are more likely to lose weight than people who do not. This is thanks to ingredients like capsaicin, which is found in chili pepper. This ingredient not only helps boost the body’s metabolism, but it’s also known to lower blood pressure.
Vitamins and Minerals
As mentioned above, herbs and spices are made from plants. This helps explain why many herbs and spices contain vital minerals and vitamins that the body needs. According to herbaffiar.com, these vitamins are better for you than the ones found in multivitamins, because they come from natural sources.
Jump Start Your Digestion
Studies show that eating herbs and spices can help stimulate digestion. Even eating certain spices before a meal can kick start digestion. For example, eating a bit of lemon or fresh ginger 30 minutes before your main meal helps with the whole digestion process: absorption, assimilation and elimination. Chewing on a few fennel seeds after a meal also helps with digestion and freshens your breath.
These are just a few examples for why eating herbs and spices can be beneficial to your health and add flavor to your food without adding unwanted calories. Best of all, they can help you live a long and happy life.