6 Healthy Ingredients Found Right There In Your Kitchen

We cook day in and day out yet we don’t know that there are several healthy kitchen ingredients existing at home that contain powerful anti-oxidants, and compounds that can provide relief from inflammation, pain, and even prevent disease like Alzheimer’s, cancer and diabetes. Here are the 6 best and healthy ingredients lying in your kitchen.

1. Holy Basil

Among healthy kitchen ingredients, basil has a lot of health benefits. Basil used for flavoring especially in pastas, contain immense health properties that have been proven by science. You can brew it as a tea with ginger, honey and cinnamon, to make it effective to cure a cough and cold. It is also anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory because it contains polyphenols and other beneficial compounds that prevents heart disease, arthritis, bowel disease and combats stress.

2. Black Cumin seed (Nigella seeds)

Nigella seeds are age old in their discovery and have been used since ancient times in making health mixtures to treat various diseases. Like Basil, Black cumin or Nigella Seeds also possess anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties that fight different types of cancer. It can help in weight loss and also prevent disease like diabetes. The best benefits of black seeds are:

Acne removal: A combination of sweet lime juice with black seeds can fix several skin problems like acne which plagues people everywhere. Just combine half teaspoon of nigella seed oil with one cup of lime juice. Now mix well and apply twice on your acne and blemishes daily for at least one week. You are bound to see some good results. You can use this same solution can heal your cracked heels as well.

Diabetes control: This is among the best advantage of black seeds because it is proven to control the sugar level in the body. Diabetes can severely damage your kidneys and may lead to kidney failure, so you must avoid it all costs. You need to add nigella oil in a cup of black tea every morning. The results are usually seen within few weeks.

3. Turmeric

Turmeric with its active ingredient curcumin is a potent anti inflammatory agent that boosts immunity, reduces blood clotting and helps digestion. It is also excellent for maintaining healthy and radiant skin. Turmeric is well known and proven anti-oxidant that can also help in depression and Alzheimer’s. Turmeric helps keep blood sugar levels steady and is helpful in preventing or decreasing the risk of type 2 diabetes. Turmeric also helps in decreasing joint pain.

4. Garlic

By far one of the healthiest ingredients in your kitchen, garlic’s health benefits have been known for ages. Garlic contains an active ingredient allicin that can reduce cholesterol, prevents clotting and combats cancer and even heart disease. It has anti-microbial properties to prevent infection and increase your immunity. However the benefits of raw garlic consumed in moderation are better than cooked garlic. Always chop garlic and allow resting for 5 minutes to allow release of allicin and then consume.

5. Cinnamon

Many of you will know that cinnamon is an excellent healthy kitchen ingredient added to tea for a healthy brew. Cinnamon is high in anti oxidant levels due to active ingredients such as cinnamaldehyde, cinnamic acid, and cinnamate. Cinnamon, fights diabetes, protects your heart improves brain function and reduces the risk of cancer

6. Ginger

Ginger has always been advocated by Chinese medicine and Ayurveda as a herb that has fantastic health properties. Even science proves the health benefits of ginger in treating bloating, headache, sore throats, PMS, and cold. Fresh ginger and the powder can give you the same benefits. The benefits of ginger are:

Immunity booster: Ginger boosts immunity to prevent coughs and colds. If you add ginger to tea or just ginger tea, it can relieve and reduces congestion including symptoms of flu. Ginger contains several antioxidants and acts as a pain reliever and reduces fever.

Reduces arthritis pain: ginger can help reduce joint pains and inflammation because of the active anti-inflammatory ingredient gingerol which inhibits cytokines. Ginger extract reduces symptoms of osteoarthritis in the knee.

Ginger can soothe sore muscles: Among healthy kitchen ingredients, studies have shown how ginger relieves pain, and relieves inflammations. It can also help you treats sore muscles in post workout muscle soreness. For best benefits, take 2 grams of ginger daily or 1 tablespoon of freshly grated ginger. Muscle soreness is reduced by 25%.

Remember, these are only natural remedies to reduce symptoms and are general health ingredients for prevention. Whenever you find yourself facing a severe health problem, always see a doctor.

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