10 days ago
SACRAMENTO, CA - It's the holiday season again and to help you stay healthy, perhaps it's time to consider going heavy on the spices.
Medicinal spices and herbs have been used for thousands of years by different cultures, and according to medical research, they can help you live longer and healthier.
Alden Okie, a master herbalist with Sunrise Natural Foods in Roseville told News10 more and more people are looking for alternative ways to stay healthy, including the use of herbs and spices.
One of the most popular right now, he says, is tumeric.
"Tumeric is great for inflammation. It's also very good for heart conditions, and now they're talking about pancreatic cancer, how it's actually used in double-blind placebo studies to help stabilize pancreatic cancer," said Okie. "In India, they say there's less Alzheimers because of the use of tumeric. I think it may have something to do with the color of the herb itself. It's very bright."
Okie points out several other healthy spices. "Cinnamon for diabetes and skin diseases. We sell a lot of cinnamon," Okie said.
Okie added ginger is not only great for treating nausea, but it's also a powerful anti-inflammatory.
He points to the book Beyond Aspirin. "This book is remarkable," said Okie, especially when it comes to the beneficial properties of ginger, considered a super spice.
"They've broken down every single chemical in ginger. They've isolated 477 different chemicals in ginger itself. Ginger is remarkable for what it can do," Okie said.
Other healthy spices include garlic, which has been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease by decreasing blood cholesterol. Rosemary may be good for eye health. Oregano has a very high antioxidant level and is said to be beneficial against several cancers, and sage may give your memory a boost.
When it comes to how much spice you should use, Okie said, "I found out by studying herbology that normally a gram and a half of any herb is where an herb as food becomes medicinal in its quality and effectiveness. Normally that would be three 500-milligram capsules, which is the equivalent of 3 capsules a day, or one with a meal."
But there is a warning to heed before you start adding a lot of herbs and spices to food. "The problem we're running into today is using herbs with medicines, prescribed medicines, and the interactions can be devastating and problematic," said Okie.
Experts said it's best to talk with your doctor first and educate yourself about the interactions of prescriptions drugs with herbs, spices and even vitamins.
by Jennifer Smith, jsmith@news10.net
News10/KXTV
