Spices are concentrated sources of bioactive plant compounds. They are used in small quantities by culinary convention, but those small quantities are often dense enough to contribute meaningfully to daily polyphenol and anti-inflammatory compound intake. The traditional culinary traditions of South Asia, the Middle East, and North Africa use spice quantities per meal that produce measurable blood concentrations of bioactive compounds.
Ginger: Gingerols and COX Inhibition
Gingerols and shogaols, the primary bioactive compounds in ginger, inhibit both COX-1 and COX-2 enzymes, the same targets as aspirin and ibuprofen. Multiple randomised trials have found that ginger supplementation significantly reduces markers of systemic inflammation and produces clinically meaningful pain reductions in osteoarthritis. A systematic review found ginger as effective as ibuprofen for reducing pain in knee osteoarthritis at comparable doses.
Cinnamon: Blood Glucose and Insulin Sensitivity
Cinnamon improves insulin sensitivity through multiple mechanisms including GLUT4 translocation enhancement and alpha-glucosidase inhibition. A meta-analysis of 10 randomised trials found that cinnamon supplementation significantly reduced fasting blood glucose, HbA1c, and fasting insulin. Ceylon cinnamon is preferable to cassia cinnamon for regular consumption as it contains lower levels of coumarin, which can be hepatotoxic at high doses.
Practical Culinary Use
- Turmeric plus black pepper in any curry, soup, or scrambled egg
- Ginger fresh or ground in stir-fries, soups, and dressings
- Cinnamon in oats, yoghurt, and coffee
- Cardamom in coffee and rice dishes
- Cumin and coriander as the base of dal, chilli, and roasted vegetables
- Quantities of half a teaspoon to one teaspoon per dish are the doses that approximate those used in research