8 Heart-Healthy Herbs and Spices to Add to Your Diet
One of the best ways to keep your heart
healthy is to follow a nutritious diet. Certain foods, such as
vegetables, fruits, beans, whole grains, olive oil, fish, and chicken,
can decrease your risk of heart disease. Another way to boost your
cardiovascular health through nutrition is to consume herbs and spices
loaded with potential healing agents.
Research has shown that adding herbs and
spices to your everyday diet can help protect your heart by influencing
blood pressure, triglycerides, cholesterol levels, and inflammation -
all of which are known risk factors of heart disease. Spices have been
used in cuisines around the world for centuries to add an extra boost of
flavor to the dishes. Today, we will look at some wonderful spices and
herbs that benefit the heart.
1. Cayenne Pepper
Cayenne pepper has been used in both food
and medicine in the past 9,000 years. It is a popular spice in Mexican,
Cajun, Creole, and Asian cuisines. Cayenne is a type of chili pepper
with a medium-hot spicy flavor. Cayenne pepper contains vitamin C,
potassium, vitamin B6, vitamin K, and provitamin A.
Research suggests that consuming cayenne pepper regularly helps improve
blood vessel strength, increases circulation, and also reduces plaque
buildup in your arteries. This is thanks to the presence of a compound
called capsaicin.
Studies have indicated that capsaicin promotes blood flow to tissues by
lowering blood pressure and stirring the release of nitric oxide and
other vasodilators. Vasodilators are compounds that prevent the muscles
in the walls of the arteries and veins from tightening and, hence, the
walls from narrowing. This, in turn, improves blood flow.
How to use it:
* Add a dash of cayenne pepper to a soup or stew.
* Sprinkle it on your salad or eggs.
* Add a pinch of ground cayenne pepper to homemade lemonade.
2. Turmeric
Turmeric is one of the most ancient spices
that originated in the Indian subcontinent. It’s commonly used in Indian
dishes, such as curries, tikka masala, and tandoori chicken to enhance
their flavor.
Recent studies have shown that turmeric contains bioactive compounds
with medicinal properties. As per a study published in the Journal of
Applied Physiology, curcumin, an active compound in turmeric, may
improve exercise intolerance in patients with heart failure. The
function of the left ventricle - the chamber of the heart that pumps
blood out to the rest of the body - is reduced in people with heart
failure. This is associated with a decreased ability to exercise. The
findings of this study showed that curcumin enhanced muscle function and
exercise capacity in mice with heart failure.
Furthermore, research has also proved curcumin to have
anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anticarcinogenic, antithrombotic, and
cardiovascular protective effects.
How to use it:
* Use it as a spice in curries, stews, and soups.
* Toss it with roasted vegetables like cauliflower, onions, and carrots.
* Blend it into a smoothie.
* Add it to rice.
* Make turmeric tea.
* Make a refreshing glass of turmeric lemonade.
3. Cinnamon
Cinnamon, a spice that comes from the inner bark of
several species of tree from the genus Cinnamomum, has been an integral
part of Asian and western cuisines for generations.
Cinnamon is best known for its ability to help lower blood sugar because
of the presence of cinnamaldehyde. A 2013 review study of 10 previous
studies found that a little dose of cinnamon powder daily can decrease
levels of total cholesterol, “bad” LDL cholesterol, and triglycerides, a
harmful type of blood fat. Cinnamaldehyde has also been shown to lower
blood pressure.
Additionally, it also has the ability to increase blood flow. A study
published in the journal Pharmacognosy Research showed that cinnamon can
relax blood vessels, thereby improving circulation. The improved
circulation ultimately keeps your heart healthy.
How to use it:
* Sprinkle it on toast and latte.
* Add to smoothies.
* Sprinkle it on your morning oatmeal.
* Swallow it with a tablespoon of honey.
4. Ginger
Ginger was first cultivated in Southeast
Asia, but it has become extremely popular in the West today. It is high
in gingerol, a substance with potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant
properties. Research also shows that eating this spicy root may reduce
your risk of high blood pressure. In a 2016 study published in the
journal Nutrition, researchers who studied the data of more than 4,000
subjects found that people who ate more ginger had a lower chance of
chronic heart disease and hypertension. The study authors recommend 2-4
grams (or about ½ teaspoon to a teaspoon) a day to prevent these heart
problems.
A 2018 study of 60 people with hyperlipidemia (the condition in which
there are high levels of fat particles, or lipids, in the blood) found
that people who consumed 5 grams of ginger powder every day showed a
considerable decrease in their LDL (bad) cholesterol levels.
How to use it:
* Chop it up and add raw to salads.
* Toss it into stir-fries after chopping.
* Make ginger tea. It’s the perfect winter tonic.
5. Garlic 
The health benefits of garlic are many.
This flowering plant has been used throughout ancient history for its
medicinal properties, particularly for its anti-inflammatory,
antibacterial, and antifungal properties.
Studies have also shown that the active compounds in garlic can reduce
blood pressure. High blood pressure, or hypertension, is one of the root
causes of cardiovascular diseases like heart attack and stroke.
Research suggests that high doses of garlic supplements can reduce blood
pressure in people with high blood pressure.
Further, a review study involving 2,300 people published in the journal
Nutrition Reviews showed that garlic lowered total and LDL cholesterol
in those who had high cholesterol levels by as much as 10%. Another
study published in The Journal of Nutrition concluded that garlic
supplements help reduce total cholesterol and thus have the potential of
cardiovascular health protection.
How to use it:
* Add to soups, stews, and casseroles.
* Press a few cloves of fresh garlic with a garlic press and mix it with
olive oil. You can also sauté it in olive oil with vegetables like
spinach or kale.
* Have it raw on an empty stomach.
* You can also take a garlic supplement and add it to your dishes.
6. Black Pepper
Black pepper is one of the most used spices
all over the world. Its sharp and mildly spicy flavor goes well with
many dishes.
It is also a potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory booster. More
importantly, its active compound, piperine, has been shown to have the
ability to lower LDL (bad) cholesterol and increase HDL (good)
cholesterol levels. Additionally, black pepper contains more potassium
than 94% of all foods - 100 grams of black pepper contains 39% of the
potassium you need to consume daily. Potassium is known to regulate
heart rate and high blood pressure.
How to use it:
* Sprinkle it on your salad dressings or soups to add an extra dash of
flavor to them.
* Make your breakfast flavorsome by adding a pinch of black pepper to
scrambled eggs, avocado toast, or veggies.
* Add up to 1 teaspoon of black pepper a day to your meals.
7. Cloves
Apart from also containing fiber, vitamins,
and minerals, cloves are particularly rich in antioxidants. This
pungent spice is native to Asian countries like Indonesia, India,
Pakistan, and parts of East Africa, and it has been used in India and
China for over 2,000 years to check tooth decay and counter bad breath.
Also, the antioxidants in cloves help your body get rid of free
radicals. Free radicals are unstable atoms that can damage cells and
lead to many diseases. By getting rid of the free radicals, the
antioxidants in cloves reduce your risk of heart disease, as well as
diabetes and some types of cancer. Moreover, cloves are an excellent
source of potassium, which can help control heart rate and blood
pressure.
Cloves also contain phytonutrients called eugenol and isoeugenol. Some
research indicates that they have a potent anti-inflammatory effect and
can be beneficial in preventing heart disease.
How to use it:
* Add a teaspoon of clove powder to your daily meals.
* Chew it whole after every meal.
* Add ground cloves to pumpkin pie.
* Mix powdered clove with warm water and consume it every morning on an
empty stomach.
8. Coriander
Coriander, also known as Chinese parsley or
cilantro, is a popular herb used in a variety of international dishes.
Research suggests that coriander may be beneficial for your heart, as it
helps lower blood pressure and LDL (bad) cholesterol while also
increasing HDL (good) cholesterol. Moreover, it’s been found that the
rates of heart disease tend to be lower in places where people tend to
consume large amounts of coriander, along with other spices.
How to use it:
* All parts of the coriander plant are edible. You can sprinkle the
leaves over fresh salads or use them to flavor soups.
* Use coriander in fresh tomato salsa.
* Add the leaves to lemon juice.