Herbs and Spices: Health Benefits, Allergies & Uses

Herbs and spices like cayenne and ginger offer therapeutic benefits for everything from weight loss to heart health. However, understanding spice allergies and toxicities, such as those associated with nutmeg and paprika, is vital for safety.

Ginger

Ginger And Ulcers

Ginger, a spice obtained from the root of Zingiber officinale, is native to southeastern Asia but now grows throughout the tropical regions of the Unites States, West Indies, China and India.

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Chili peppers

Can Cayenne Pepper Hurt Your Stomach?

Cayenne pepper is a chili pepper that belongs to the nightshade family of plants, which includes paprika, tomato and eggplant. The peppers are dried and powdered and used to make hot sauces and add spicy heat to foods, such as Buffalo-style chicken wings.

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The Nutrition Data on Yellow Thai Curry

Thai cuisine varies widely throughout Thailand, but nearly all regions have curry dishes. When you go to a Thai restaurant, you are almost certain to encounter red, green or yellow curries with possible ingredients such as noodles, high-protein foods, vegetables, spices, peanuts and coconut sauce.

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Chili

Lemon Water & Cayenne Pepper Detox

Some people will try almost anything to lose weight, including drinking lemon juice and cayenne pepper. Lemon juice and cayenne peppers are major components of the Master Cleanse, also known as the lemonade diet. Laxatives are recommended morning and evening to encourage bowel movements.

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Can Eating Garlic Make Your Skin Smell?

If you avoid eating garlic because the smell comes out of your skin pores for days, you're not alone. Garlic, an herb used in many food dishes as well as a supplement in alternative medicine, can definitely cause a distinct and persistent body smell that can linger for days. Garlic can also linger on your breath.

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Fresh ginger on board closeup.

What Is Uncrystallized Ginger Good For?

Ginger root is a rhizome, which means it is an aromatic underground stem. This root is a common ingredient in many cuisines, including Asian and Indian dishes. Ginger has properties beyond providing a spicy, sweet taste to these cuisines, however.

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Green lemongrass tree

Can You Eat Raw Lemongrass?

Cymbopogon, or lemongrass, comprises more than 55 species of grass. You can use lemongrass in various dishes and teas, as a pesticide and as a preservative. You can also prepare lemongrass can in several ways and use this grass fresh, dried or powdered. You can eat raw lemon grass.

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waiting

Harmful Effects of Table Salt on Pregnant Women

Table salt contains about 2,000 milligrams of sodium per teaspoon. Too much or too little salt intake during pregnancy can negatively affect your sodium levels. As with other nutrients, pregnant women need more sodium than non-pregnant women.

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Garlic

Does Garlic Thin the Blood?

Blood clots are the body’s defense mechanism against excessive bleeding from injuries or cuts. However, conditions such as diabetes, family history and high blood cholesterol levels can lead to formation of blood clots in the arteries of heart, brain and lungs.

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spices

Health Benefits in Turmeric & Cayenne Pepper

Many spices common in cooking have also been used medicinally by various cultures throughout history. Turmeric and cayenne pepper are included in recipes in many types of ethnic cuisine and are purported to have healing effects for more than just minor ailments.

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Close-up of a dish of rice and curry garnished with coriander and banana slices

How Fattening is Curry?

Curry is a staple part of the cuisine throughout East Asia, and its popularity has also stretched into Western countries. Although there’s no standard definition for what makes up a “curry,” dish, it generally includes meat or vegetables and has a spiced sauce that may feature turmeric, cumin or coriander powder.

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Cinnamon and star anise

Can You Take Cinnamon With a Blood Thinner?

Revered for its medicinal properties by the ancient Egyptians, cinnamon is a savory spice found in the bark of Cinnamomum trees. Although it is a widely used spice, you may need to moderate your consumption if you are taking a blood thinner. The coumarin in the spice could increase your risk of bleeding.

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Cinnamon Stick

Which Spice Can You Substitute If You're Allergic to Cinnamon?

Ingesting cinnamon rarely causes an allergic reaction, although it is possible, according to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. If you do have an allergy to ingesting cinnamon, which an allergy specialist can confirm, you can still enjoy the foods you love without cinnamon.

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Christmas gingerbread spices

Ginger & Cinnamon for Gastritis

Gastritis develops when the stomach lining becomes inflamed. Doctors often prescribe antacids and histamine blockers to reduce acid production or antibiotics, if gastritis is due to an infection. Scientific research shows that ginger may be effective in killing bacteria that frequently cause gastritis.

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Ginger root

Does Ginger Treat Bloating?

Bloating results from a buildup of gas in your gastrointestinal tract. Likely culprits of bloating include poor eating habits -- such as eating with your mouth open -- a fatty diet, sudden increase in fiber intake, stress or smoking.

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Cayenne Pepper and Anxiety

Anxiety is your body’s natural response to physical or emotional stress. The National Institute of Mental Health says anxiety can be used by your body as a coping mechanism, but if your anxiety levels become uncontrollable, or if they begin to affect your daily life, you might have an anxiety disorder.

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Paprika Allergy

Paprika is a reddish, piquant spice that is made from finely ground peppers, such as red bell peppers, green peppers or jalapeno peppers. Sometimes a blend of these peppers are used to make paprika, which can vary from spicy to mild. Consult an allergist if you think you may have an allergy to paprika or other foods.

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Garlic

Is It Okay to Eat Sprouted Garlic?

Garlic is one of the world's most popular ingredients, adding a pungent flavor to cuisines from around the globe. It consists of several small cloves, surrounded by papery skin and gathered into a bulb. Cooks appreciate its ability to grow in most climates, and its long-term storage ability.

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The Signs & Symptoms of a Cayenne Pepper Allergy

Cayenne, also called capsicum, generally refers to red peppers with pungent to hot and spicy flavors. The spiciness of cayenne depends on the concentration of capsaicinoids, alkaloid compounds that irritate skin and mucous membranes.

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