Spices are much more than just flavor enhancers!

Super Spices

Forget diamonds, spices are a girl's real best friend.

Not only will adding them to most of your meals help stave off disease, they can also prevent aging and age-related conditions.

You know what they say about variety, right?

Well, enjoying such variety just may help you live a healthier life as well.

Did you know that many of these have more disease-fighting antioxidants than most fruits and vegetables?

Seasonings have been used since Biblical times to perk up the flavor of food.

The question many people have though is, what exactly are they?

They're the dried parts of very aromatic plants that usually make their home in the tropics.

They're usually hard parts of plants such as pieces of bark (ie; cinnamon), roots (ie; ginger), flower buds (ie; cloves), or berries (ie; pepper).

Some are much more than just flavor enhancers because what's new, is that research is now showing that some of them can actually enhance your health, thus your longevity.

Usually these seasonings are a pungent, aromatic plant substance, such as cinnamon, cloves, mustard or nutmeg used to flavor foods or beverages.

They can come from almost any part of a plant including seeds, leaves, barks, rhizomes, latex, stigmas, floral buds and modified stems.

They are the common dietary ingredients that contribute to the taste and flavor of foods.

They're also known to exert several beneficial effects.

Because of these beneficial effects, and due to increased research on the health benefits, some of them are now actually available in supplement form.

In traditional medical systems, the ability of natural seasonings to heal various physical, mental and emotional problems has widely been reported.

A growing body of research has demonstrated that the more common ones such as garlic, black cumin, cloves, cinnamon, ginger, thyme, allspices, bay leaves, mustard, and rosemary, possess antimicrobial properties that, in some cases, can be used therapeutically.

Others, such as saffron, a food colorant; turmeric, with it's yellow coloring; tea, either green or black, ginger, and flaxseed do contain potent plant substances, including carotenoids, curcumins, catechins, lignan respectively, which provide significant protection against several chronic health conditions including cardiovascular conditions and tumor prevention.

The USDA estimates that the average American consumes 3.3 pounds annually, but more than a quarter of that is black and white pepper as well as mustard seed (used in prepared mustard).

Mustard seeds are excellent because they contain lots of protective substances called phytochemicals, which may inhibit the growth of existing cancer cells and help prevent normal cells from turning into cancerous ones.

Others, like the ones listed below, also have some amazing attributes.

But remember, a little, goes a long way.

Too much of some of these can ruin a recipe and may not be ideal for your health.