The fall season has arrived, and this means that many of people’s fall favorites are back! Apple pie, spiced lattes, apple picking, and pumpkin carving are all things to be looking forward to this season. An unexpected bonus of the fall season is the health benefits of fall spices like ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, and cloves: all spices that make up the popular pumpkin spice seasoning.
So, when enjoying a sip of pumpkin flavored coffee, or making a pumpkin pie, you can also enjoy the fact that you are helping your gut health thrive. Since these spices contain compounds that your body can recognize, they can quickly absorb and be digested to make for a powerful boost of your gut health.
These are some of the ways that these four “fall” spices can promote a healthy gut:
Ginger is a superstar spice that can solve a lot of adverse symptoms associated with poor gut health or stomach issues (IBD, IBS, nausea). Most popularly, ginger reduces nausea which can be from motion-sickness, overeating, or general stomach discomfort. Additionally, ginger helps to stimulate saliva and bile production, which keeps your digestive tract moving. Lastly, ginger is a great agent for reducing gas and bloating. This is because ginger contains gingerol, which is a powerful bioactive antioxidant component that has anti-inflammatory effects.
Cinnamon is a very popular spice found in baking and cooking. Cinnamon has anti-viral, anti-bacterial, and anti-fungal properties that come from an essential oil in the bark called cinnamaldehyde. Cinnamon also has many polyphenol antioxidants that protect the body from disease as well as having anti-inflammatory effects. Additionally, the prebiotic and probiotic properties of cinnamon promote growth of good bacteria in the gut as well as helping to protect against the bad pathogenic bacteria.
Similarly, to ginger and cinnamon, Cardamom is full of antioxidants that make it a great anti-inflammatory agent. In general, the anti-inflammatory properties of all these spices protect your cells against damage from chronic diseases. Cardamom also has anti-nausea properties that uniquely can heal and relieve pain from stomach ulcers.
Cloves are high in antioxidants as well as key compounds that have been shown to help protect against cancer. Additionally, cloves have anti-bacterial properties that promote oral health, and can kill harmful bacteria in the mouth before it makes its way down your digestive track.
After learning all of these powerful benefits of fall spices, taking that extra slice of pumpkin pie may not be the worst idea!
The material provided is for informational purposes only. It is not intended to replace the diagnosis or treatment by a qualified healthcare professional. You should always seek medical advice before consuming any new medicines or supplements.