By Adam
With the holidays in full swing and the volume of unhealthy food dancing through our homes at an all-time high, it’s time to explore how one can manage their health in such an “unhealthy time.”
The simple truth is no one is going to escape the holidays without overindulging.
That being true, perhaps it would be wise to overeat foods with the following ingredients because, as you’ll see, there are 4 ways these modern Christmas spices could improve immune health and beat disease.
Discover how Cinnamon and Clove Can Make You A Healthier Human
Cinnamon and cloves are likely the most commonly used “Christmas spices” in the modern American pantry.
But just because we use them without regard in this day and age doesn’t mean they don’t have a long history of medicinal use.
2 Great Uses for Cinnamon:
For centuries, medical practitioners have prescribed cinnamon to help heal what ails sick people.
Modern research supports claims that cinnamon has highly valuable therapeutic uses.
Two of the most significant are cancer prevention and boosting immune health.
Admittedly, research showing that cinnamon kills cancer in humans isn’t available. That much being true, there are significant studies in animals and test tubes that indicate it may limit cancer growth.
For instance, a study on mice afflicted with colon cancer showed that cinnamon could activate several detoxifying enzymes that helped limit further growth of cancerous cells.
And in test tube cultures of human colon cancer cells, cinnamon was also shown to prevent further colon cancer growth.
As far as immune-boosting properties go, cinnamon has been shown to exhibit a strong antioxidant effect, which helps improve immune response to inflammation, and cinnamon offers powerful antioxidants polyphenols that have even been shown to be more effective than the ones scientists have identified in other antioxidant superstars like oregano and garlic.
Cloves Offer 2 Serious Health Boosting Effects, Too
Cloves are undoubtedly thought of as a very seasonal spice, enjoying popularity November and December and then fading come the New Year.
Here’s how they can help to improve your health while “Jingle Bells” plays in the background.
The first way to use cloves is a powerful antibacterial agent.
Killing bacteria before they have a chance to infect you is one of the best ways to prevent disease and illness.
Cloves are observed to have strong antimicrobial properties.
A test-tube study of clove demonstrated that clove essential oil was a potent agent against some of the most common bacteria, including E. coli.
Another study shows that the extract in cloves was effective at inhibiting the growth of a couple of bacteria that are known to cause gum disease.
In addition to that, cloves contain a compound called eugenol that may help to protect the liver — a must-have during the holidays.
As Healthline notes:
“An animal study showed that the eugenol found in cloves helped reverse signs of liver cirrhosis, or scarring of the liver.
…
One small study found that taking eugenol supplements for one week decreased levels of GST, an enzyme involved in detoxification that’s often a marker of liver disease.
Cloves are also high in antioxidants, which may help prevent liver disease due to their ability to help decrease oxidative stress.”
How to Get the Most Out of These 2 Spices
While it would be ridiculous to think that you could eat a metric ton of spice cookies and mulled wine to get the maximum benefit from these spices, there are some other simple and affordable ways to increase your intake and boost your health.
Cinnamon can be consumed in supplement form, and both clove and cinnamon are available as essential oils that you can apply topically or ingest orally (depending on the strength).
Just know that while the holidays might seem to be an unhealthy time of year, not all unhealthy foods are made with unhealthy ingredients.
