April 1, 2006 | Episode 13
Spice up your life
Real Simple Television Productions Inc.
PBS.ORG EXTRA
Treat Everyday Ailments with Spices
Five common complaints — and how to cure them in the
kitchen
If you have a headache...
• Turmeric, when cooked in
oil or fat and ingested, may reduce the inflammation associated with
migraine and sinus headache, says Sally A. Frautschy, PhD of the
department of neurology at the University of California at Los Angeles
(UCLA).
• Ginger can also be good
when taken as a tea, according to Bill Gottlieb, author of Alternative
Cures. Just add one teaspoon of grated ginger to a 16-24 ounce
thermos
of hot water and sip throughout the day.
If you have a cold or the flu...
• Practitioners of Chinese medicine swear by ginger as an expectorant for cough
and
watery phlegm. “Boiling two half-inch slices in a cup of water, and
drinking this one to four times a day, should do the trick,” says Judy
Gee, who has a Masters in Traditional Chinese Medicine and is a
board-certified herbologist in New York.
• Stick cinnamon is
particularly helpful for colds, Gee says, because of its “slight
antibiotic, temperature-regulation, and diuretic effects.” It works
best
when boiled with licorice, and taken one to two cups at a time, three
to four times a day.
• “Garlic is the standout
for flu and colds because it is an antiviral,” says Gottlieb. Taking
300 to 500 miligrams for five to seven days, or as long as you have the
cold, should help knock it out. Gottlieb also suggests sprinkling a
pinch of cayenne pepper on any food to thin out mucus.
If you have a stomachache or indigestion...
• Turmeric is the most
efficient killer of Heliobacter
pylori (H. pylori), which is associated
with gastritis, gastric ulcers and peptic ulcers, according to a 2005
report from the World Journal of
Gastroenterology. Other effective spices included cumin, chili
pepper, black caraway, and oregano.
• Oregano is highly effective
in killing bacteria related to food-borne illnesses when used in
cooking, according to a 2001 study by Paul W. Sherman, professor of
neurobiology and behavior at Cornell
University. The study also points out that cooking with varying amounts
of the spice killed bacteria, so top your pizza with as little, or as
much, as you like.
• Ginger is effective in stimulating digestion (and relieving and preventing belching), says Gottlieb. Just one cup of ginger tea with each meal will help. He also recommends cardamom, which can reduce muscle spasms in the stomach. Add one teaspoon to eight ounces of water and boil for ten minutes, then drink with each meal. “It also increases the production of digestive fluids so your digestive tract is less likely to produce gas,” he says.
If you have muscle or joint pain...
• The potent anti-inflammatory effects of ginger and turmeric may help with
muscle and joint inflammation, says Frautschy. They help block the
COX-2 enzymes that cause swelling, says Dr. James A. Duke, a former
researcher with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and author of the Handbook for Medicinal Spices (CRC
Press). And a 255-milligram capsule of ginger
extract, available at health-food stores, taken twice daily may even
reduce pain caused by osteoarthritis of the knee, according to a 2001
study published in Arthritis &
Rheumatism, the official journal of the American College of
Rheumatology.
If you have a toothache...
• Clove has been used
throughout history as a quick remedy for toothaches, says Jack Turner,
author of Spice: The History of a
Temptation. Clove’s main active ingredient is eugenol, which is
used by dentists as an analgesic, adds Duke. To be effective, “the
eugenol needs to have direct contact with the inflamed tissue,”
explains Bradford Johnson, director of postdoctoral endodontics at
the University of Illinois at Chicago. He recommends applying clove oil
as needed.
• The long pepper, available
at gourmet food stores, is favored by practitioners of Chinese
medicine, says Gee, who recommends grinding the pepper and applying
topically, three to four times daily, until pain subsides.
More Solutions and Recipes from this episode
