Some herbs and spices fight inflammation. In this article, we have selected five.
The interest of anti-inflammatory herbs and spices
Inflammation is an immune reaction which aims to eliminate a microbe. But when it lasts over time and becomes chronic, it is often associated with diseases. Food influences the inflammatory state of the body and certain ingredients, such as herbs and spices, have recognized anti-inflammatory properties.
In osteoarthritis, for example, anti-inflammatory drugs can be prescribed to relieve symptoms. But before arriving at this stage, patients often seek natural solutions to delay the progression of the disease.
Three spices with anti-inflammatory properties
Ginger
Originally from Southeast Asia, ginger is a medicinal plant but also a spice commonly used in the kitchen. From the plant rhizome Zingiber pharmacyit is present in different traditional medicines (Ayurvedic, Chinese, Tibetan, Roman, Greek, etc.). Ginger is a traditional remedy to relieve current health problems, including pain, nausea and vomiting (1). It contains many compounds, in particular gingerols, shugaols, zleghones, terpenes … ginger has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory virtues, from which the health benefits of the body take.
Is ginger good for osteoarthritis?
Osteoarthritis is a chronic inflammatory disease for which it is interesting to find natural anti-inflammatory drugs, in order to reduce the dose of drugs and their long-term toxicity. A meta-analysis that brought together the results of five clinical trials including 593 patients with osteoarthritis concluded that ginger helps reduce joint pain. The authors, however, judge the effectiveness of modest ginger (2). They also note that some patients abandon treatment with ginger because of taste or gastric problems, but none of these side effects is considered serious.
Recipe ideas:
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Marinated ginger
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Lemongrass and ginger vegetables
Turmeric, an anti-inflammatory spice
Colorful spice present in the Indian curry, turmeric comes from the rhizomes of an Asian perennial herbaceous plant, the Turmeric Longafrom the same family as ginger. It has been used for centuries in Ayurvedic, Chinese or Japanese medicine, especially for its digestive virtues.
Turmeric is rich in antioxidants, polyphenols whose curcuminoids which give the spice its yellow color. Among the curcuminoids mainly appears the curcumin to which most of the health virtues of this “saffron of the poor” are attributed. But it is not the only one: less known tummerone is also a bioactive compound of turmeric. If the curcumin is interesting, its metabolites and in particular the tetrahydrocumin is no less.
In recent decades, turmeric has been the subject of numerous scientific studies which highlight its health benefits. It is essentially by fighting against inflammation and oxidizing stress that are involved in many chronic diseases that turmeric can prove to be a weight health ally.
Several studies highlight the ability of curcumin to improve inflammation markers: a randomized controlled trial-an analysis, for example, shows the capacity of curcumin to reduce the concentration of interleukin-6, a pro-inflammatory cytokine (3). In patients with type 2 diabetes, supplementation of 300 mg/curcumin day for 8 weeks has reduced their general inflammatory condition compared to a placebo (4).
Due to its low intestinal absorption, turmeric is often associated with other substances in food supplements, such as piperine, in order to increase its biodisponality.
Recipe ideas:
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Turmeric paste with spices
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Small spelled casserole
Cinnamon, another anti-inflammatory spice
Cinnamon is traditionally used in inflammatory diseases. It can adjust the immune response by regulating the expression of the genes involved in inflammation. A study has shown that cinnamon could relieve people with rheumatoid arthritis (5). The study focused on 36 women: a game received every day for 8 weeks 4 capsules of 500 mg of cinnamon powder, the other received a placebo. At the end of the experience, women who took cinnamon saw their level of C-reactive protein and TNF- α (two blood markers of inflammation) decrease compared to women in the placebo group. Their diastolic blood pressure has also decreased, while the measures of the activity of the disease fell, in particular swelling and pain.
The main active cinnamon ingredient is Cinnamaldehyde; This spice also contains many flavonoids which contribute to its anti-inflammatory properties. All these compounds help reduce TNF- α, which is a pro-inflammatory cytokine involved in several chronic diseases.
Cinnamon and coumarin
Please note, it is not advisable to absorb large quantities of cinnamon due to possible side effects according to its origin. Indeed, there are on the Ceylon and “Cassia” cane market with divergent coumarkets contents, a family of compounds that streamline blood. If we consume too many coumarins for too long, there may be a risk of hemorrhage, especially in heart patients who follow anticoagulant treatment, or in certain diseases of blood clotting. The level of coumarin in the cinnamon of Ceylon is quite lowand probably without risk, while in the cinnamon “Cassia”, it is higher and is therefore accompanied by potential risks. For these reasons, We advise to avoid consuming a lot of “cassia”. So if you plan to consume cinnamon regularly, it is better to buy a product that clearly identifies the plant.
Recipe ideas:
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Cinnamon apple porridge
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Tagine prune apples
2 anti-inflammatory plants
Rosemary
Rosemary is an aromatic plant of Mediterranean origin, now cultivated worldwide. Its leaves are commonly used as a condiment, but the plant has also been widely used for different medicinal purposes (6). In traditional and popular medicine, rosemary is used as a light stimulant and analgesic, to treat headache, poor circulation, inflammatory and physical and mental fatigue, or as choleretic agent and hepatoprotector.
Rosemary contains in particular rosmarine acid, a polyphenolic compound with anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, immunosuppressive and antibacterial properties. This compound is also present in other plants in the Lamiaceae family, such as mint. In a study on 62 people with osteoarthritis of the knee, some have drank, every day for 16 weeks, an infusion of green mint with a high content of rosmarine acid, and others an infusion of green mint of the trade (7). The two infusions have reduced the symptoms of stiffness linked to the osteoarthritis of the knee, but only that which was rich in rosmaric acid had a significant effect on pain.
A recipe: vegetarian couscous
Garlic
Garlic has long been used in traditional medicine (8). In the Medicine canonAvicenna recommends it in the treatment of arthritis, teeth, chronic cough, constipation, parasitic infestations, gynecological diseases, or as antibiotic in infectious diseases. The properties of garlic are linked to the presence of organo-sulfurred compounds with antioxidant, antimicrobial effects, inflammation modulators (9).
A recent study concludes that garlic could be considered a safe natural drug to reduce inflammation in patients with cardiovascular disease (10).
Recipes with garlic:
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Pad Thai with sautéed shrimp
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Bulhão pato clams
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Octopus in prison
Herbal tea, tea, infusion: suggestions for anti-inflammatory drinks
Green tea is also recognized to be anti-inflammatory, due to the presence of the Gallate of epigallocatechine, or EGCG (11).
In his book Treat yourself by plantsDr. Gilles Corjon advises a herbal tea against joint pain with: birch (leaves), blackcurrant (leaves), ash (leaves), white willow (bark), poplar (buds), horsetail and juniper (berries). “This mixture promotes the elimination of acidic metabolites which promote inflammation and helps the restructuring of joint tissues”, he said.
