There’s something immensely satisfying about cleaning out a spice drawer, isn’t there? It’s purposeful, practical and is a reminder that these pungent substances can transport us to exotic locations with just a whiff. I gave mine an early spring clean this week and it conjured thoughts of delicious recipes and faraway places. (But why is there ALWAYS a stray jar or packet, somewhere at the back, that has evaded previous clean-up operations and has been past its sell-by date since 2018? Please tell me that isn’t just me!)
SUPER CINNAMON
A report crossed my desk this week that highlighted the power of spices to help us age well, in this case cinnamon. Even the ancient Egyptians knew that it’s good stuff – using it in religious ceremonies – and more recent research has highlighted its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. (Annabel wrote a detailed breakdown of those properties here). This latest report looked at cinnamon’s ability to help manage blood glucose in a small group of people with obesity and pre-diabetes. It was a double-blind, crossover trial – the gold standard for this kind of research. This means that neither the trial participants, nor the researchers, knew who was taking what. The participants took either 4g capsules of cinnamon (just under a teaspoon) or substitute ‘sugar’ pills each day for four weeks. The two groups then had two weeks without the capsules – known as a ‘wash out’ so their systems were free of the pills – then swapped over. All the participants wore CGMs – continuous glucose monitors – during the trial. These revealed that people consuming cinnamon had consistently lower levels of blood sugar and lower glucose peaks than those who had the placebo.
BETTER BRAINS
This was a very small study – 18 people – and the ‘sugar’ placebo pill (actually maltodrextrin) might have impacted the blood sugar levels of those taking it. But overall, it’s exactly the kind of research we like at the Age-Well Project: a simple, cheap intervention that supports long-term health. High blood sugar and pre-diabetes are linked to an increased risk of type-2 diabetes, of course, but also heart disease and stroke. Research by University College London in 2021 linked prediabetes to increased risk of cognitive decline and vascular dementia too. Interestingly, that report suggested that low-normal (as opposed to high-normal) blood sugar levels ‘are associated with more favourable brain health outcomes and warrant more in-depth investigation’. We’ll keep our eyes peeled for that.
GOOD GUT HEALTH
Some of the benefits of cinnamon may come from its positive impact on the gut microbiome. And cinnamon’s not alone in the spice world for this. Research by Penn State University published in the Journal of Nutrition linked just one teaspoon a day of herb and spice blends – including cinnamon and also ginger, cumin, turmeric, rosemary, oregano, basil and thyme – to improved gut microbiome diversity in four weeks. The same team published research last summer showing that replacing some of the sugar, saturated fat and salt in processed foods with herbs and spices made them healthier, and – most importantly – tastier.
TASTE TEST
The research team identified 10 popular dishes which are high in salt, saturated fat and sugar. These included macaroni cheese, chicken pot pie, meatloaf and brownies (you can tell the research was done in the States!). They then created three versions of each dish – one with the usual levels of fat, salt and sugar, the second with reduced levels and the third with reduced levels but added herbs and spices. Each dish was taste tested by around 100 people and for seven of the 10 dishes study participants liked the healthier versions as much, if not more than, the originals. There’s work to be done to tease out the implications of this for the food industry, but it’s a simple intervention.
What are your favourite culinary spices and herbs? Let us know in the comments.
‘REFRAME YOUR BRAIN’ – FREE MASTERCLASS
Want to know how to build consistent health habits for reduced dementia risk? I’ve put together a free masterclass to do just that. I’d like you to ‘reframe’ how you think about your brain: prioritising lifestyle change that helps you stay free of cognitive decline.
By the end of the session, you’ll have a clear overview of the key actions that build a better brain, and simple tips on habit formation to embed those behaviours into your day-to-day life. We know that a healthy lifestyle is the only way to reduce dementia risk, but knowing the right actions to take, and doing them consistently, can be tough.
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OUR FAVOURITE SPICY RECIPES FROM THE ARCHIVE
Spiced fruit loaf with green tea
Susan
Photo: Ratul Ghosh @ Unsplash
Cinnamon is an excellent spice for so many recipes and is good for our health, but please get proper Cylon cinnamon not a poor substitute usually found in supermarkets. Which is cassia cinnamon.
That’s a good point Jillian, thank you. The cinnamon sold in the main supermarkets here in the UK is usually cassia.I try to buy the Ceylon from health food shops – it’s lighter in colour (more of a tan colour than reddy-brown) than the cassia.
Visiting my Brother recently his wife makes a delicious granola recipe and I was surprised to learn it had Turmeric in it along with other spices so I have been making my own now. 2 or 3 teaspoons of Turmeric is surprisingly not too much. The Mixed Spice I have used in it is a tub from “Grape Tree” and has the following spices in it Coriander, cinnamon. Fennel, ginger, caraway, cloves, nutmeg and pimento. Very tasty.
I have a glut of Jerusalem Artichokes at the moment and looking for different ways to cook them discovered a sauce using them which had Nutmeg in it, I added spring onions, milk and some creme fraise whizzed it all together and used it on a pasta dish and tasted delicious. Would also be good as a soup.
I use a lot of Turmeric in curries but also in making a dairy free Macaroni Non-Cheese. I cook half a cauliflower in a small amount of stock, chicken or vegetable, with a small onion. Once cooked and cooled I add a half a tsp of Turmeric and some mustard which give it a cheese like colour and when cool whizz it in a blend and reheat. Sometimes add Nutritional yeast. Have served this to friends kids and they have not been able to tell the sauce was made from cauliflower.
This all sounds delicious Heather! I’ve been making a great turmeric granola too – this is the recipe
https://www.mindbodygreen.com/articles/turmeric-black-pepper-granola-with-brain-health-benefits
Hurrah for this shout out for cinnamon. I sprinkle it liberally on porridge every morning (with a few sea-salt crystals and mixed seeds, blackberries and cooked apple). It’s delicious, fragrant, and sweet-satisfying, tho’ I can’t persuade my maple syrup friends to change!
That sounds good Hilary! Cinnamon seems to trick our taste buds into thinking we’re consuming something sweet. So you’re right, no maple syrup required!
I see salmon is mentioned. I thought we weren’t eating this anymore unless it was wild on account of the ghastly stuff farmed salmon is fed on?
Many thanks for this Christina. Yes, you’re right, wild salmon is a better choice. But, with my health coaching hat on, it also depends on where someone is on their health journey. Is wild salmon better for us than farmed? Yes. Is farmed salmon a better choice than, say, a fast food burger? Yes. I’m also conscious that the cost of wild salmon can be prohibitive. Although I do like tinned!
Great post, Susan. I love using spices in my cooking. I spent many years of my life living in the “Spice Islands” and these exotic smells are in the air. I don’t have a favourite but love mixing my own curry powders, garam marsala etc.
It is good to know that these flavours are also good for our health.
What an incredible place to live Gaynor! It must have smelled amazing. No wonder you like making your own spice blends!
Do love cinnamon, it’s my favourite sweet spice. The takeaway for me though from the week’s post comes from that research on the benefits of blends of herbs and spices – to try to consume more overall, and more variety. Having read about the benefit of taking adding pepper to turmeric I am wondering if there are synergies we don’t know about yet.
That’s such a good point, Jonathan, thank you. Like you, I suspect there are all sort of synergies that haven’t been researched yet. But in the meantime – more spices, and more spice blends, are definitely good!