Spice Antioxidants

courtesy of The Spice Hunter

Herbs and spices are the very best way to add flavor and dimension to a dish without adding fat, salt or calories. In fact, some herbs and spices already include a little something extra, like antioxidants.
Antioxidants are substances in your diet that slow or prevent the oxidative process in which cells are damaged by free radicals, which can lead to cell dysfunction.

These powerful nutrients have been linked to the prevention of heart disease and diabetes, improving immune function and lowering the risk of infection and even some cancers.

While you hear a lot about the antioxidants found in dark chocolate and red wine, spices like ground cloves, oregano leaves, ginger, cinnamon, turmeric and yellow mustard seed are the real antioxidant all stars – delivering a higher concentration of antioxidants per 100g than dark chocolate, wine, even blueberries and whole grain cereal. Plus, they have none of the calories found in chocolate or the drawbacks associated with alcohol consumption. When preparing recipes with these antioxidant spices, feel free to interchange between our 100% organic and non-organic herbs and spices in any recipe.

The National Institutes On Health recommends getting antioxidants from dietary sources. With The Spice Hunter’s wide variety of herbs and spices, it’s easy to incorporate these A-listers into a host of tasty dishes.

• 1 tsp. of ground cloves has more antioxidants than 2/3 of a cup of fresh blueberries.
• 1 tsp. of dried oregano leaves has 3 times the antioxidants as 1/2 a cup of raw broccoli.
• 1 tsp. of ground cinnamon has almost 4 times the antioxidants as a sweet potato.
• 1 tsp. of ground turmeric has more antioxidants than 1 cup of pinto beans.
• 1 tsp. of ground ginger has more antioxidants than 1 cup of honeydew melon.
• 1 tsp. of ground mustard has more antioxidants than 1 cup of raw carrots.

The top antioxidant performer, ground cloves aren’t just for desserts – they can be sprinkled on oatmeal, added to ground coffee, used in a glaze for carrots or ham and much more. Here’s a tip: add sparingly to coffee grounds, stews, marinades and beef & lamb dishes.

Resources:

• American Dietetic Association
• American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 84, No. 1, 95-135, July 2006
• National Institutes on Health

The information we provide about potential health benefits of certain herbs and spices has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. We do not provide any medical advice and we make no claim that herbs and spices can be used to treat, prevent, mitigate or cure any disease. For specific and individual nutritional and medical advice you should consult your personal physician or nutritionist.