Traditional Indian Spices: The diverse spice combinations used in Indian cuisine are known to give each dish a unique flavor profile and health benefits long recognized by traditional Indian medicine. The taste, aroma and overall appeal of Indian food is greatly influenced by the spices used in it, ranging from the spicy heat of chillies to the aromatic sweetness of cinnamon.
India has an ancient tradition of using various spices in culinary preparations. In today's era we have forgotten its taste as well as its medicinal uses which are deeply rooted in Ayurveda and holistic life philosophy. Suman Agarwal, Founder and Nutritionist, Selfcareby Suman explains here what these spices can do for our well-being.
1. Salt: Essential to life, salt (mainly sodium chloride) is important in cooking and plays a very important role in food preservation. From a health point of view, salt is used to maintain our blood pressure and blood volume, nerve conduction and additional Is required. Iodine helps the thyroid gland to function smoothly. However, excessive salt consumption can lead to high blood pressure and heart disease.
2. Khada Masala: Often referred to as whole spices, Khada Masala is usually prepared by lightly roasting and grinding green and black cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, star anise, nutmeg, black pepper, cumin and a blend of India's quintessential spices. Coriander seeds among other spices. These spices release their aromatic oils after roasting, grinding or adding to dishes.
Each spice in Khada Masala has its own health benefits; Cinnamon has anti-inflammatory and snoop sugar reducing properties and helps improve insulin sensitivity and hence, PCOS like symptoms, on the other hand, clove has anti-cancer properties and is good for oral hygiene. It is good. Finally, nutmeg especially helps in inducing good sleep.
3. Turmeric: Turmeric contains the active compound curcumin, now known for its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anti-bacterial properties, found outside India in 'Turmeric Lattes' or our age-old cough and cold medicine 'Haldi Doodh' It is a staple ingredient in every Indian household and is used in Indian cooking not only for its aroma but also for its health benefits.
Curcumin reduces the risk of heart disease due to its anti-inflammatory properties and has been studied for its potential in preventing and treating Alzheimer's disease and cancer. However, curcumin has low bioavailability, meaning that consuming it with piperine-containing black pepper significantly increases its absorption.
4. Celery: Celery helps a lot in digestive problems due to the phenolic compound thymol which increases digestive enzymes. When boiled in water to make herbal tea, it improves digestion, relieves acidity and reduces bloating to a great extent, especially during the latter part of pregnancy.