Savor the Season: Celebrating the Health Benefits of Holiday Spices

Dec 26, 2023 - 04:14

Updated: 2 years ago

Savor the Season: Celebrating the Health Benefits of Holiday Spices

Many herbs and spices used during the holiday season are gifts of ample health benefits, adding to the appeal of your favorite holiday meals and drinks.

One of the most wonderful things about the holiday season is the delicious aromas wafting from the kitchen. Cinnamon, orange, nutmeg, and allspice fill the air and are among the quintessential flavors of the season.

The herbs and spices we choose to enhance our meals tend to change throughout the year—and Christmas has its own unique set of aromas and flavors that many of us look forward to. Along with their delectable flavors, most herbs and spices have a variety of health benefits, too.

Let's look at some of the most popular holiday spices and how—along with enhancing the dishes we love—they can improve our health this festive season.

Cinnamon

During the holidays, the scent of cinnamon infuses coffee shops, bakeries, and local restaurants offering holiday fare. Cinnamon is the perfect combination of sweet and spicy and goes well with chocolate, coffee, and almost every dessert. Like all the spices on our list, cinnamon has an impressive list of health benefits and has been used in cooking and as medicine for centuries.

According to historical accounts, cinnamon was once more valuable than gold and was, at one time, the most profitable spice in the Dutch East India Company—a trading company founded in 1602.

A 2020 study published in Molecules tested cinnamon's chemoprotective and therapeutic effects on breast carcinoma in rats, mice, and different cell lines. The study concluded that "C. zeylanicum L. [cinnamon] showed chemopreventive and therapeutic activities in animal breast carcinoma models that were also significantly confirmed by mechanistic evaluations in vitro and in vivo."

Cinnamon was once more valuable than gold. (rawf8/Shutterstock)

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Cinnamon is also known as an antifungal, with a 2016 study demonstrating that cinnamon essential oil combined with olive oil exhibited antifungal activity against different fungal infections, including several types of candida—which commonly infect humans.

A 2020 study evaluated cinnamon essential oil at four different concentrations (25 percent, 50 percent, 75 percent, and 100 percent) to test its effectiveness against strains of Candida albicans. The study found that cinnamon essential oil had a better antifungal effect than nystatin—a common drug used to treat fungal or yeast infections of the skin. Researchers found that the higher the concentration of the cinnamon oil, the more potent its antifungal effects.

In Ayurvedic medicine (the traditional medicine of India), cinnamon is used to treat various types of sexual dysfunction. A 2013 study validated this use, finding that cinnamon improved age-related sexual dysfunction in Wistar rats.

Ginger

As a warming herb, ginger is the perfect addition to holiday recipes during the colder fall and winter months. It's commonly made into tea and used in candies, baked goods, foods, medicines, and wine to add a delicious, warming flavor and many health benefits.

Ginger has been used medicinally for millennia by cultures spanning the globe, including the Egyptians, Romans, Greeks, and Chinese.

In Ayurvedic medicine, ginger harmonizes the digestive system, stimulates the nervous system, and treats pain.

Ginger is a foundational herb in Chinese medicine used to cleanse the body of toxins and as a yang tonic to warm the body and raise the spirit. It has a soothing effect on digestion and is often used for stomach upsets, including nausea, vomiting, constipation, morning sickness, heartburn, gas, and food poisoning.

In Chinese medicine, ginger is used to cleanse the body of toxins. (Charoen Krung Photography/Shutterstock)

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Known for its anti-inflammatory properties and ability to enhance the immune system—ginger has powerful antioxidant and antimicrobial properties and has demonstrated effects against cancer.

A 2018 study on the protective and therapeutic potential of ginger extract—including its most powerful biological compound 6-gingerol—found that "ginger derivatives, in the form of an extract or isolated compounds, exhibit relevant antiproliferative, antitumor, invasive, and anti-inflammatory activities."

Ginger comes in many forms—fresh, dried, ground, candied, and even as an essential oil—giving you various ways to incorporate this delicious herb into your life to enjoy its flavor and health benefits.

Cloves

Cloves are another spice we see in abundance around the holidays and have a long history of use in cooking and medicine. Traditionally, cloves have been used for infections and to treat pain.

Clove is rich in eugenol, a volatile oil with a rich and spicy aroma. (AmyLv/Shutterstock)

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A 2022 review of previous studies stated that "eugenol is effective against cancers like breast, cervical, lung, prostate, melanomas, leukemias, osteosarcomas, gliomas, etc., as evident from preclinical investigations." The review concluded that eugenol could have massive potential for the prevention and treatment of cancer.

Clove essential oil, which contains roughly 89 percent eugenol, is also a potent antifungal against Candida yeast, Aspergillus fungus, and dermatophyte—a pathogenic fungus that grows on the skin.

Cloves pair well with meats and in curries, go well with apples and pumpkins, and are a tasty addition to warming holiday drinks. Cloves are a warming spice with a strong, pungent flavor, so you only need a little for maximum deliciousness—some say if you can taste it, it's likely too much.

Nutmeg

A rich, fragrant spice, nutmeg is a welcome addition to any holiday table. An essential ingredient in our holiday eggnog, nutmeg goes well in sweet and savory dishes and is a delicious addition to most root vegetables—especially pumpkin and sweet potatoes. It pairs exceptionally well with dairy products and enhances cakes, cookies, breads, and pies.

Nutmeg has ample medicinal benefits and has long been used in traditional medicines. In Ayurvedic medicine, nutmeg benefits digestion, eases diarrhea, calms the nerves, relieves stress, and improves sleep. In Chinese medicine, nutmeg is a warming herb known as Rou Dou Kou and is also used to improve digestion and stop diarrhea due to its astringent properties. It also stimulates the circulation of qi (the body's vital energy) and blood and relieves pain.

Studies have shown that nutmeg relieves pain, lowers inflammation, and improves sleep. If you're having problems sleeping, an excellent natural remedy is to add a pinch of nutmeg (a little goes a long way) to a warm glass of milk and drink it before bed.

Allspice

Despite its name, allspice isn't a mixture of different spices but one spice made from the berries of the tropical plant Pimenta dioica—native to Jamaica, the West Indies, and Central America. This sweet and savory spice goes well in holiday dishes such as cookies, cakes, pies, soups, wines, ciders, and a wide variety of meats.

Allspice is the prominent flavor in Jamaican jerk seasoning and will add a bit (or a lot) of pizzazz to any recipe.

Allspice isn't a mixture of different spices, but one spice made from the berries of a tropical plant. (Michelle Lee Photography/Shutterstock)

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Allspice has anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties and contains eugenol—a beneficial compound also found in clove, cinnamon, ginger, turmeric, pepper, oregano, and thyme.

Studies have shown that eugenol has antibacterial, antifungal, antioxidant, and anti-cancer properties.

A 2012 review of Pimenta dioica's medicinal properties states: "Recent studies have shown two of the known compounds isolated from allspice, eugenol and gallic acid, have selective antiproliferative and antitumor properties on human cancer cells and their animal models. New characterization of novel compounds such as ericifolin from the aqueous extract of allspice berries show potent anti-prostate cancer and anti-breast cancer properties that can be verified in vitro as well as in vivo."

A 2015 study found that allspice killed breast cancer cells and delayed the growth of triple-negative breast cancer in mice.

Star Anise

Star anise is the dried fruit of the Illicium verum—or star anise tree—a member of the magnolia family and native to China and Vietnam. Star anise can be used in sweet or savory dishes and is a common addition to holiday dishes such as soups, stews, broths, meats, mulled cider, and various desserts. It has a sweet-peppery-licorice flavor.

Star anise is one of the five spices—Sichuan pepper, fennel, cassia, and cloves—that make up the famous Chinese five-spice powder.

Star anise is used in the pharmaceutical industry, as it's an abundant source of shikimic acid—needed to make the anti-flu drug oseltamivir—or Tamiflu.

A 2010 study found that star anise demonstrated antibacterial effects against 67 strains of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

Star anise also has antifungal activities, with a Korean study finding that extracts and the essential oil of star anise showed antifungal activities against Candida albicans, a common cause of fungal infections such as thrush and vaginal yeast infections.

Final Thoughts

It's incredible to think that the spices that make our holiday dishes delicious are brimming with so many health benefits, and we have only just scratched the surface! So grate a little extra nutmeg into your eggnog this year, make an extra batch or two (or three or four) of gingerbread cookies, and enjoy some allspice in your mulled cider this holiday season—your taste buds and your health will benefit.