Positive Effects of Spices on Human Endothelium Cells
Updated: Jan 22, 2022
Endothelium cells are the inner lining of our blood vessels. These endothelium cells are sensitive to oxidation and inflammation. A poor diet creates a lining of fatty plaque in the endothelium is called atherosclerosis and the onset of this sets humans up for the number one cause of death in the world, heart disease or a stroke. So how can humans best protect themselves against atherosclerosis?
The little known secret of health is that herbs and spices have some of the highest anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of ALL foods. In fact, we cannot get enough daily anti-oxidants from fruits and vegetables alone so herbs and spices are a critical part of the daily dietary requirements. The active ingredients found in many spices have been shown to protect against atherosclerosis. Some of these compounds include allicin in garlic, carnosol in rosemary, linalool in coriander, sesamin in nutmeg, and crocin in saffron. These potent compounds have been shown to alleviate chronic diseases and inhibit the production and build up of plaque biofilm in the arteries.
Anti-inflammatory properties of spices have been shown to be very beneficial for the human body. These ingredients are known to have antimicrobial properties against various bacteria, yeasts, and molds. Their benefits include reducing the risk of chronic disease, increasing overall quality of life, and improving gastrointestinal health. Several of these compounds are also known to affect the body's immune system, which makes them good candidates for treatment of atherosclerosis.
Some spices are better than others as shown in this ORAC article but, in general, most common spices found in any kitchen were found to inhibit the activity of inflammatory pathways, an important contributor to chronic diseases. Big pharma spends billions on synthesizing the exact same plants to try and bottle the benefits in the form of drugs to target these pathways. Most of these drugs are expensive and proven to ineffective and irresponsibly have negative side effects. Why spend more money than necessary to get poor or adverse effects? Spices reduce the severity and frequency of inflammation and are essential for maintaining good health, especially on the endothelium. The science has shown how spice consumption can be a cheap and excellent way to improve human health. Trust the science, not marketing. Add spices to every meal and be healthy.
References
Published online 2018 Nov 10 - spices and atherosclerosis
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6266658/
Antioxidant (ORAC) values in real life quantities: https://www.homefarmhydroponics.com/post/the-orac-antioxidant-value-of-spices-and-herbs