Your Favorite Holiday Spices Have Surprising Health Benefits

‘Tis the season!

Nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, yum! These healthy holiday spices offer much more than terrific tastes and fantastic scents—they all provide immune-boosting benefits.

Cinnamon

Enhance your health, build up your immune system and ward off colds by adding a dash of cinnamon to your favorite holiday dish. Sprinkle it on literally everything to lower bad cholesterol and keep your blood sugar levels in check…which aids in weight loss.

This powerful spice is also full of anti-inflammatory, antifungal and antibacterial properties, so get to sprinkling it on damn near everything!

Related: The Healing Power of Spices

Nutmeg

Since the start of time, this holiday spice has been known for its powerful healing properties. Famed for its drowsiness-inducing powers, sprinkle nutmeg in your nighttime tea the next time insomnia hits.

Indulging in eggnog? Add a dash to regulate your digestive system. Suffer from cavities? The antimicrobial properties found in nutmeg will kill that cavity-causing bacteria dead in its tracks. What more could you possibly need from your spice rack?

Star Anise

Looking for the star of spices? Meet star anise! Simmer this licorice-flavored spice in a festive holiday tea or sprinkle in a hearty stew to say farewell to wintertime ills.

Brimming with antimicrobial compounds, star anise may just wipe out pesky viruses like the flu.

Related: 5 Healthy Holiday Recipe Ideas

Cloves

You’ll be happy to know that cloves melt fat, so DON’T use sparingly. This antioxidant-rich spice boosts your metabolism. The faster your metabolism, the more fat you’ll burn.

Studies suggest that including cloves in your regular diet leads to a flatter midsection. Other studies suggest ground cloves lead to lowered blood sugar levels by up to 21 percent.

Ginger

The spice that gives gingerbread cookies their distinctive flavor is also a powerful painkiller. Simply draping a wet washcloth wrapped in ginger over an achy knee or an inflammed wrist for 30 minutes daily will relieve joint pain by up to 50 percent with a week’s time.

Living with a snorer? Research suggest two cups of ginger tea per day will soothe airway swelling and reduce snoring.

Cardamom

Add some spice to your life without upsetting your stomach! Chewing on cardamom pods after that festive holiday meal helps break down food and squash intestinal cramps, cutting your risk of indigestion. This means you can indulge just a bit more over the holidays without paying for it!

Even better, cardamom’s scent is so festive, you’ll feel more merry in minutes.

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