Are spices the secret to curing disease?

I see all the time that food is medicine and that we should be ditching pharmaceuticals to go for a more natural approach. But do these claims have any merit? And is it worth shelving the medications for spices instead?

In this blog post I’m going to be looking at the popular natural remedies of turmeric for joint health, ginger for digestive health, and cinnamon for blood sugar control. 

Let’s jump right in.

Is turmeric anti-inflammatory?

Inflammation is your body’s reaction to stress, injury or infection. Long term inflammation can increase the risk of diseases like diabetes, cancer, and heart disease so it makes sense that people want to reduce their levels.

Curcumin is the active ingredient in turmeric that's thought to be an antioxidant. This means it works to protect our body cells from damage and reduce inflammation. 

There is some research that shows that taking tablets of curcumin extract can reduce markers of inflammation in the body and improve feelings of joint related pain. 

However, curcumin isn’t used as a medicine as it’s not a very stable molecule, so it breaks down easily. It’s also not well absorbed by the body meaning it can’t be used enough to have a medicinal effect on diseases or illnesses. 

So, if buying curcumin pills is pointless, an extra sprinkle of turmeric on your lunch wouldn’t hurt, right? Well, it certainly won’t hurt, but it’s not likely to help either. Curcumin makes up about 5-10% of turmeric powder. So, it’s unlikely that you’d add enough to get a decent dose of curcumin in your dinner.

To sum it up, curcumin, the active ingredient in turmeric, can improve markers of inflammation in the body. But it’s not enough to treat or cure diseases. Although, there’s no harm in an extra dash of turmeric in a curry if you fancy it.

Will ginger shots settle your stomach?

Ginger has a reputation for settling nausea and digestive issues. You can buy ginger shots, ginger teas and ginger pills that claim to soothe your gut. 

A lot of the research in ginger looks at its effect on nausea and vomiting in people with cancer or people that are pregnant. And there’s mixed results on whether it works. Some studies show a great improvement in feelings of nausea after eating ginger, and others show it does nothing. 

We know that ginger extract can help your stomach empty quicker. This means food moves out of the stomach and into the intestines quicker, which can reduce feeling sick.  

But one of the active ingredients in ginger, gingerol, which helps with stomach emptying isn’t a stable compound. This means that it breaks down easily and may not have the desired effect. 

So, while ginger isn’t guaranteed to reduce the nausea, but it won’t do any harm.

Can cinnamon curb your blood sugar?

I’ve heard of the idea that cinnamon lowering blood sugar from even before I qualified as a dietitian. For people living with type 2 diabetes, I can understand wanting to try things to help regulate the condition. 

There has been lots of research into cinnamon and it’s thought that it can increase the effectiveness of insulin, the hormones that helps control blood sugar.  It also has antioxidant properties, which can reduce inflammation – high levels of inflammation are associated with diabetes. 

Research has shown that cinnamon can lower blood sugar levels, but it’s not clear on the best dose, the best type of cinnamon to take, or the best method of taking it. 

You could take cinnamon tablets, sprinkle it on your cereal or simmer a stick in milk as we just don’t know enough to make recommendations. 

While cinnamon can help your blood sugar levels, it can’t be a medicine for diabetes just yet. 

I've got a post with science backed ways to help your blood sugar control here.

I think this whole blog post can be summed up by saying: spices won’t cure your problems, but they won’t make it worse. 

I hope you enjoyed this blog post. I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.

And if you're thinking about trying a new diet, I've written an e-book with all the tips you need to lose weight for good. You can buy it on Amazon.

Bye for now 👋

References:

Turmeric: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8572027/ and https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9881416/#S1  

Ginger: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7019938/ and https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18403946/ and https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/fsn3.807 

Cinnamon: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36206028/ and https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31425768/ and https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2901047/