Ten Healing Herbs & Spices
And the Science that Supports Them
In this e-book (100+ pages), Dr. Low Dog shares some of the magic of culinary herbs and spices, which are backed by more than heartwarming, anecdotal stories - they are backed by science.
Here’s a quick glance at Dr. Low Dog’s top 10:
1. Ginger
2. Cinnamon
3. Thyme
4. Sage
5. Oregano
6. Turmeric
7. Cayenne
8. Saffron
9. Rosemary
10. Star Anise
Introduction
For millennia, spices have played a major role in cooking, medicine, exploration, and economics. Early humans likely found that certain plants enhanced the flavor of their food when they wrapped meat in leaves before cooking on hot coals. No question, spices and culinary herbs added flavor and enhanced the palatability of food. Peppercorn, referred to as the King of Spice, was once traded as currency - Attila the Hun demanded 3000 pounds as a ransom for Rome. Cinnamon was more precious than gold in ancient Egypt and, along with cumin and anise, was used to embalm the dead. For centuries, Middle Eastern traders served as brokers, or middlemen, of the spice trade, controlling the flow of these exotic plants from Asia to Africa. Explorers, including Vasco da Gama and Magellan, set out to find sea passages to India and the Spice Islands in the hopes of filling European coffers from the transport and sale of exotic spices. Wars were waged, indigenous cultures exploited and enslaved, fortunes made and lost, all in the quest to control the flow of spice. Not only have these plants been valued for their fragrance and flavor, but spices and culinary herbs were widely used as medicine. Indeed, these plants span the continuum between foods and medicine; the line between culinary and therapeutic use blurred from ancient times to the present.
Spices and culinary herbs are particularly rich in powerful phytochemicals and phytonutrients, which contribute to their flavor profile and healing power. Many of these compounds have shown beneficial effects on the cardiovascular, digestive, nervous and immune systems; as well as diabetes, wound healing, mood and more. In this e-book, I want to share some of
the magic of culinary herbs and spices, which are backed by more than heartwarming, anecdotal stories - they are backed by science. I believe that the daily ingestion of these plants in our food as part of a healthy, wholesome diet may, over the decades, help stave off chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease, and possibly delay the cognitive decline that happens in our elder years.
I’ve compiled a list of some of my favorite culinary herbs and spices and their reported benefits on human health. I’ll share with you how you can consume more of each, whether through cooking or, when necessary, supplementation. It’s easy to increase your consumption of nature’s medicine when it tastes as delightful as ginger and cinnamon.