Mommy Life

Cayenne: This well-known spice can do more than heat up your favorite foods. Cayenne is known for its stimulating and warming effects, and it is why traditionally it has been used to promote heart and circulatory health. Various topical preparations of capsicum, a resin found in cayenne, are used globally as a topical aid that helps with inflammation and pain.

Chamomile: You probably know chamomile tea as something tasty you sip with your Grandmother. Chamomile has been used for thousands of years for digestive upsets, heartburn and even headaches. Known for centuries to have a calming effect, try a little chamomile at the end of a stressful day.

Cinnamon: A favorite spice used in sweets, pastries and beverages, some science has suggested that cinnamon helps maintain a healthy blood sugar level in the body. Cinnamon also warms the body, and has been used to aid colds, cramps and abdominal pains.

Cranberry: Who knew this Thanksgiving staple had major health benefits? Many scientific studies have suggested that cranberry helps maintain a healthy urinary tract because it prevents certain bacteria from adhering to bladder walls.

Garlic: Popular Italian recipe staple, aphrodisiac, vampire repellant...creative uses for garlic have spanned centuries. But garlic has also been tapped for many health measures--most noticeably for sustaining cardiovascular health and preserving healthy blood pressure.

Ginger: Mom's favorite remedy when you were suffering from a stomachache as a kid. And she was on to something. Several studies have shown that ginger can potentially benefit many forms of nausea, from a simple upset stomach to morning sickness. Recent scientific studies have even shown ginger to help with nausea associated with the side effects of chemotherapy, surgery recovery, and motion sickness.

Lavender: This lovely spring flower can provide more than just a picturesque garden. Because of its calming effects, lavender is also a well-known sleep aid, and has been used traditionally for calming anxiety, stress, tension and relaxing muscle spasms.

Mint: Mint tea, mint chocolate chip, mint julep...this potted plant favorite has long been added to everything from treats to beverages to toothpaste. Not only is it refreshing and pleasing to the palate, mint, especially peppermint, can also aid in digestion and help prevent indigestion. An upset stomach can be due to muscle spasms in the digestive tract that cause discomfort, and chemicals found in mint can help relax these muscles.

Rosemary: Another popular potted spice, rosemary also contains natural antioxidants that shield the body from the harmful effects of free radicals. Antioxidants found in rosemary, such as carnosic acid and rosmarinic acid, are even added to oils to preserve freshness by protecting them from free-radical oxidation.

Turmeric: Though you may know it more as curry, turmeric has many traditional uses. Tumeric has been utilized as a spice, medicine, cosmetic ingredient, and as a dye. Recent scientific evidence indicates that a chemical found in turmeric--curcumin--may have significant anti-inflammatory properties. Scientists are interested in the health benefits of tumeric and are exploring ways it may benefit individuals with chronic inflammatory conditions such as arthritis and tendonitis.