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WHY WE NEED TO SPICE UP OUR LIVES and SPICED PARSNIP SOUP

January 12, 2018 7 Comments

parsnip soup

I was flicking through The Times earlier this week, when I spotted – buried away on page 14 – a short piece about pharmaceutical giant, Pfizer: Pfizer gives up on dementia research.

Pfizer has said it will no longer be researching treatments for Alzheimer’s. The company has also stopped investing in a cure for Parkinson’s. Given that a cure for either condition is the jackpot every Pharma company dreams of, this is big news.

In the last six years, several potential dementia drugs (all designed to stop the build-up of amyloid proteins in the brain) have made it to the final stage of trials only to be found ineffective, suggesting that for most of us over the age of 40, there may not be an effective cure for Alzheimer’s, dementia or even Parkinson’s in our lifetime.

So far, only lifestyle choices seem to make any difference. In the last few weeks, a study from Chicago’s Rush University found that eating green leafy veg could keep the brain a decade younger, while the American Academy of Neurology updated its guidelines to include twice weekly exercise sessions for those with early signs of memory loss.

All this has been at the back of my mind, as I chose my New Year’s Resolutions. I’m rather partial to a resolution and usually make them for everyone in my family. They take no notice (obviously) but at least I feel as though we’re all moving on an upwards trajectory of progression and self-improvement. If only for a few days …

This year I’ve made three resolutions and I’ll share them on the blog over the next few weeks. My first came as I read Dr Michael Greger’s How Not to Die. Dr Greger is an evangelist for plant-based diets. I don’t agree with everything he says but I like his audacity, his non-commercial sincerity and his approach to supplements (watch this space). He also appears to have read every bit of nutritional research ever done.

Just as I was smugly thinking how much I knew from my years of blogging, I came across a fact that blindsided me: the power of a pinch of spice – or dried herbs. Of course, we know that herbs and spices are good things, but quite how good had escaped me. Besides, not all herbs and spices are equal. Very small doses of certain herbs and spices can so dramatically (and easily) boost the nutritional punch of a dish that it seems madness not to make full use of them

Doctor Greger gave two examples that had me reaching for the google bar. The first was a bowl of porridge that had its anti-oxidant power increased by around 500% with the addition of half a teaspoon of cinnamon; the second was a plate of pasta that had its anti-oxidant power increased by almost 400% with a single teaspoon of dried oregano. Interestingly a teaspoon of marjoram would have made it even more potent. He then suggested adding a pinch of cloves to the porridge. Cloves, apparently, are the king of anti-oxidants or off-the-chart-amazing as Greger puts it.

A quick check of the US ORAC table (see below, that’s the list of anti-oxidant values for each foodstuff although why the Spice table includes prunes and rice bran I’m not sure) confirms everything Greger says about herbs and spices.

Cloves aren’t consumed as much now, but I’ve been researching and cooking recipes from 200 years ago and our forebears (in England at any rate) made good use of cloves. A ginger cake I made from an 1845 recipe contained a heaped teaspoon of ground cloves and 25g of ground ginger, considerably more than most contemporary recipes. As my children gobbled up the cake, my thoughts turned to whether I could make more generous use of herbs and spices. And a 2018 New Year’s Resolution was born: to be more adventurous with herbs and spices.

I’ve started by replacing all the out-of-date herbs and spices from my larder and drawing up a list of herbs-to-plant-in-2018. The ORAC table below suggests that dried herbs are more potent than fresh, but I’m not one to routinely sacrifice taste for health. If a fresh herb tastes better, use it. My planting list includes some of the herbs Greger raves about but aren’t so easily bought – like lemon balm and marjoram. And I’m researching interesting ways of using less obvious spices like … cloves, obviously.

So what are Dr Greger’s top herbs and spices? His favourites for fighting inflammation (thought to be at the root of most degenerative disease) are:

  • Cloves
  • Ginger
  • Rosemary
  • Turmeric.

But he also likes: allspice, basil, bay leaves, cardamom, cayenne, coriander, cumin, curry powder, fenugreek, ginger, nutmeg, mustard powder, vanilla, saffron, smoked paprika, horseradish, lemon grass, lemon balm, marjoram, oregano, dill, parsley, peppermint, saffron, sage, thyme.

Oh, and he’s very excited about saffron (more to come…)

You can see him talking about herbs and spices in this very brief video: https://nutritionfacts.org/video/antioxidants-in-a-pinch/

 SPICED PARSNIP SOUP (8 portions)

This is one of my favourite winter soups. My Mum made it regularly when we were children and now I make it for my children. I’ve amended it to include extra turmeric. Any good curry powder will do, or make your own blend if you prefer. Feel free to increase or decrease the spices, as you – or your family – like.

Parsnips, a rich source of fibre, folate, anti-oxidants and potassium (amongst other things), are in season now. Serve this soup with lemon wedges, good bread and a green leafy salad. And plenty of black pepper to boost the nutritional value of of the turmeric.

  • 1 -2 tbsp olive oil
  • 500g parsnips, peeled and roughly chopped
  • 2 red onions, peeled and roughly chopped
  • 2 tsps curry powder
  • ½ tsp turmeric
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 1 litre veg stock or bone broth (I’ve been using stock made from the Christmas turkey bones)
  • Lemon wedges and chopped parsley, coriander or mint to serve

Put the parsnips, onions, curry powder and turmeric into a large roasting pan, with the olive oil and make sure they’re well oiled.

Roast in the oven at 180 degrees for approx. 30-40 minutes or until the parsnips are soft.

Tip into a bowl with the stock. Then blitz in a blender, bit by bit, until everything is smooth.

Season if you want.

Happy New Year!

Annabel

ORAC SPICE TABLE

SPICES ORAC per 100 grams ORAC per 1 tsp (4 grams) ORAC/ 1 TBsp # tsp per 100 grams
Cloves, ground  290,283 11,611 34,833 45.45
Oregano, dried  175,295 7,011 21,035 66.66
Rosemary, dried 165,280 6,611 19,833 90.91
Thyme, dried 157,380 6,295 18,886 69.44
Cinnamon, ground 131,420            5,257 15,771 44.25
Turmeric, ground 127,068            5,083 15,248 44.25
Vanilla beans, dried 122,400 4,896 14,688 23.08
Sage, ground 119,929 4,797 14,391 142.86
Szechuan pepper, dried 118,400 4,736 14,208 33.33
Parsley, dried 73,670 2,947 8,841 80
Nutmeg, ground 69, 640            2,786 8,357 42.86
Basil, dried 61, 063 2,443 7,329 66.66
Cocoa, dry powder unsweetened 55, 653 2,226 6,678 55.81
Cumin seed 50, 372 2,015 6,045 50
Baking chocolate, unsweetened squares 49, 944 1,998 5,994 36.36
Ginger, ground 39, 041 1,561 4,683 57.83
Pepper, black 34, 053 1,362 4,086 46.73
Sage, fresh 32, 004 1,280 3,840 150
Mustard seed ground, yellow 29, 257 1,170 3,511 36
Thyme, fresh 27, 426 1,097 3,291 126.32
Marjoram 27, 297 1,091 3,273 177.78
Rice bran, crude 24, 287 971 2,913 40.68
Chili powder 23, 636 945 2,835 37.5
Paprika 21,932 877 2,632 44.04
Pepper, red or cayenne 19,671 787 2,361 56.82
Raspberries, black 19, 220 769 2,307 39.02
Nuts, pecans 17, 940 718 2,154 40
Tarragon, fresh 15,542 622 1,866 165.52
Ginger root, raw 14, 840 594 1,782 21.16
Peppermint, fresh 13,978 559 1,677 375
Oregano, fresh 13,970 558 1,674 66.66
Nuts, walnuts English 13,541 542 1,626 48
Raisins, golden seedless 10,450 418 1,254 33.1
Prunes, dried 8,059 322 966 28.24
Garlic powder 6,665 267 801 30.97
Lemon balm, leaves raw 5, 997 240 720 50
Coriander (cilantro) leaves raw 5, 141 206 618 60.24
Basil, fresh 4,805 192 576     114.29
Blueberries, raw 4,669 187 561 33.1
Nuts, almonds 4,454 178 534 34.78
Dill weed, fresh 4,392 176 528 100
Beans, black, boiled(raw 8,494) 2,249 90 270 27.91
Avocados, Hass, raw 1,922 77 231 32.88
Potatoes, red, flesh and skin, baked 1,326 53 159 39.34
Parsley, raw  1 spring=1 gram 1,301 52 156 78.69
Tea, green, brewed 1,253 50 150 75
Zucchini or summer sq 180 7 21 26.67

 

USDA Database for the Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC) of Selected Foods, Release 2 – Prepared by Nutrient Data Laboratory, Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center (BHNRC), Agricultural Research Service (ARS), U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) – May 2010

  • Meal Types: Family, Soups and Salads
  • Conditions: Ageing, Alzheimer's, Brain and Dementia, Cancer, Inflammation, Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Parkinson's
  • Ingredients: Parsnips, Turmeric
« MAKE YOUR 2018 RESOLUTION TO CUT CANCER RISK
WHY WE’RE NOT DOING DRY JANUARY (AND MAYBE WE SHOULD) »

Comments

  1. Sas says

    January 20, 2018 at 9:45 am

    Delicious soup !

    Reply
    • Susan Saunders says

      January 20, 2018 at 3:06 pm

      Thanks Saskia – glad you like it!

      Reply
  2. Philippa says

    February 7, 2018 at 11:13 am

    Kale and Cocoa, I’m loving the cinnamon addition to my morning porridge. A great recommendation!

    Reply
    • Annabel Abbs says

      February 9, 2018 at 7:38 pm

      Thanks, Philippa. I love it too!

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. A HEALTHY STICKY TOFFEE PUDDING CAKE? YES, REALLY…WITH WALNUTS! - The Age-Well Project says:
    September 13, 2019 at 6:10 am

    […] This cake is not only walnut-rich. It’s also packed with spices, including cloves (described by Dr Michael Greger as ‘off-the-chart amazing’ when it comes to anti-oxidants) and cinnamon. We wrote about the remarkable nutritional powers of spices here. […]

    Reply
  2. HOW TO EAT RIGHT FOR YOUR GENES - AND A FREE WEBINAR - The Age-Well Project says:
    March 23, 2022 at 1:42 pm

    […] Lots of herbs and spices, it appears.  Almost every dish of Rebecca’s is liberally spiced with cloves, nutmeg, mace, cinnamon and ginger.  Herbs like marjoram, thyme, sage, parsley and rosemary were widely used. We now know that herbs and spices are powerhouses of anti-oxidants and polyphenols – so perhaps these helped Rebecca live such a long life.  Reviewers of my novel have been surprised at how much spice Eliza Acton used – but spice has been a very popular flavouring for hundreds of years, only becoming less so in the twentieth century. Eliza’s Gingerbread, for example, uses a heaped teaspoon of ground cloves (we wrote about the extraordinary power of cloves here). […]

    Reply
  3. Get spicy to age well! - The Age-Well Project says:
    February 16, 2024 at 3:00 pm

    […] – 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 […]

    Reply

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