The Power Of Spices For Mental Health And Wellness
There was a time when spices were more precious than gold. Wars were fought over them and new landscapes were bravely explored in the search of them…and the wealth that they brought.
While spices did spend a fair amount of time being used as money, they have spent far more time being used and revered as medicines for physical health, mental health, and general wellness. Their medicinal use dates back to some of the first civilizations. Southeast Asia and India were key players in sharing medicinal and culinary spices with other parts of the world.
Over the centuries, traditional cultures and original peoples have kept the lore of spices and their health benefits alive. But now, with the continued explorations of scientific studies and nutritional research, we are starting to learn more about how and why spices have been a mainstay in our lives. Their role in physical health, mental health, and general wellness is ancient, yet still powerfully relevant.
So, what is a spice?
A spice is a dried seed, fruit, root, bark or flower of a plant or an herb used in small quantities for traditional medicines and for flavor enhancement. They are also “functional foods”...meaning, they have demonstrated a beneficial effect on certain target functions in the body beyond basic nutritional requirements. The wisdom of ancient cultures and practices have always known how powerful spices are, and that knowledge is becoming more widely known and accepted in our modern world.
Curious about what the difference is between a spice and an herb? Here’s what the encyclopedia Britanica has to say,
“Let’s use cinnamon and oregano as examples. Cinnamon is a powdered spice that can be made from the bark of a few different trees that fall under the genus Cinnamomum. Spices like cinnamon are made from the aromatic seeds, bark, flowers, and roots of plants that have been dried and crushed. Oregano, however, is an herb derived from the herbaceous oregano plant. Herbs are leaves, and although most come from herbaceous plants (plants that lack woody stems), a few do come from woody plants, such as bay leaf. Spices tend to be stronger in flavor than herbs, because they are made from crushed portions of plants that are especially rich in essential oils.”
Science confirms it.
There is ample research that confirms how antioxidant-rich spices (and herbs) are. These phytonutrient gods disarm the free-radicals that cause cell damage and lead to mental and physical illnesses, system imbalances, and the unpleasant effects of aging. These naturally growing friends are also anti-inflammatory, antitumorigenic, anticarcinogenic, glucose- and cholesterol-lowering, as well as contain properties that affect cognition and mood.
The extensive benefits of spices for natural health, wellness, and culinary magic are now well-known across the globe, and the pharmaceutical industry profits from them in big ways. The reported market value of prescription and over-the-counter plant-based drugs in 2014 was $24.4 billion in the United States. While not all of these plant-based drugs may be considered spices, many of them certainly are.
The use of drugs to treat everything from bacteria and viruses to degenerative diseases has helped many people to live longer, better-feeling lives….but the side effects of pharmaceuticals can often be debilitating and long lasting, and their efficacy can be inconsistent. While herbs and spices are not devoid of side-effects, they are fewer, less-invasive, and generally considered safe and well-tolerated by most people. They are incredibly valuable to mental health, physical health, and general preventive-lifestyle repertoires.
The taste of good health.
In the ancient practice of Chinese Medicine (TCM), where some of the first uses of spice-as-medicine were explored, they recognize a 5 organ-system model for balancing human bioenergetics: heart, lungs, kidney, liver, and pancreas (including spleen). It is interesting to note that there are also 5 recognized flavor profiles in spices, and each flavor profile plays a role in tonifying a particular organ:
Sweet - Spleen
Salty - Kidneys
Bitter - Heart
Sour - Liver
Spicy - Lungs
The brain, in TCM, is kind of like the umbrella under which the 5 main organs rest. The brain functions are dispersed amongst the 5 organ systems, and their balance and interactions influence the functions of the brain. So, by nourishing and tonifying the 5 major organ systems, we influence the optimal functioning of the brain.
Perhaps this is why the original Hippocratics of Greece used the phrase, let thy food be thy medicine. When this phrase was developed, there were no such things as Ritz crackers and Honey-nut O’s. The spices that were used to flavor foods were also recognized for their medicinal and health-boosting benefits, particularly for which organ-system they relate to.
Physical and mental health are one.
The Greek Hippocratic philosophy also believed that mental and physical health were interrelated, as they had found that the body and mind should be in harmony to optimize functional capacity. They asserted that strong physical exercise and flexibility were the primary contributors to good physical and mental health, “but (plant-based) drugs with psychedelic, hypnotic, narcotic, analgesic, suppressive, euphoric and stimulating effects were also used in various ways to treat mental health”.
With modern science now starting to offer Ketamine (and exploring the potential use of psilocybin) to treat depression, we may be catching up to what was, perhaps, lost over time. One idea that we have held onto is the notion that a whole foods diet and daily exercise will keep you strong and healthy...mentally and physically. Sadly, however, our American diet is poor in the whole-foods and spice department. The daily cuisine that most Americans eat is primarily bland, boxed, bagged, and altogether lacking in rich, complex flavors that stimulate the 5 organs and add a daily dose of prevention to chronically stressed bodies and minds.
With depression affecting every 1 in 3 adults, and preventable diseases topping the charts as leading causes of death, there’s room to believe that the way we’re living could use an upgrade. How about we start adding some spice to our lives?!
Consider trying one of our favorite recipes, it could even help you minimize your coffee intake while boosting your health and keeping you energized:
Chai Masala (Spiced Milk Tea).
This spiced beverage, which is sold by chai wallahs (tea vendors) all over India, is now popular worldwide. Although you can find chai blends in the supermarket, you can create a much better flavor and experience by making your own. *Recipe from the book, Healing Spices by, Bharat B. Aggarwal, PhD
10 Cardamom pods or ½ tsp cardamom seeds
1 one-inch cinnamon stick
4 white peppercorns
¼ tsp fennel seeds
2 cups milk
3 tbsp brown sugar
1 one-inch piece fresh ginger or ½ tsp ground ginger
2 cups water
4 bags black tea
Remove the seeds from the cardamom pods and discard the outer skin. Dry roast the cardamom seeds, cinnamon stick, peppercorns, and fennel seeds in a hot skillet until they release their fragrance, about five minutes. Transfer to a plate to cool. Put them in a spice grinder or mini food processor and grind to a fine powder.
Put the milk in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer. Add the ground spices, brown sugar, and ginger.
Heat the water in another pot and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat and steep the tea bags for 3 minutes. Pour the tea into the milk mixture and simmer one minute. Let the chai rest a few minutes. Strain and serve.
Makes 4 servings. Enjoy!
