By Mindy Antimie, MS, RDN
Herbs and spices are potent sources of anti-inflammatory compounds. Chronic inflammation is a risk factor in developing autoimmune disease, heart disease, diabetes mellitus , kidney disease, and neurodegenerative diseases. Eating a diet high in anti-inflammatory compounds can drastically improve your inflammatory status. This can protect you from disease and pain.
A diet excessive in processed food contributes to chronic inflammation. Processed food include an excess of sweets, processed meat (deli meat, bacon, sausage), snacks stripped of fibers, sugary beverages, and an excess of salt. As you switch from a processed food diet to a whole-foods diet you may feel the taste is lacking. Using plenty of spices and herbs are a great way to improve the taste of your cuisine and replace the salt and sugar found in processed food.
Amazingly, herbs and spices are rich in anti-inflammatory agents, vitamins, minerals, and bioactive compounds. These all support your health and can make your culinary creations ooze with flavor.
5 Anti-inflammatory Spice Blends
Majority of salt in our diet comes from packaged foods. The salty-six is a term used to describe the highest salt items we typically consume. These include breads, pizza, sandwiches, cold cuts/cured meats, soup, and burritos/tacos. As a bonus, condiments can also be incredibly high in salt. When cooking at home, salt is an important component to expand other flavors, but should not be used in excess.
The spice recipes below are crafted by Registered Dietitian Nutritionists. You can make these blends in bulk by doubling the recipes. Buying these spices in bulk online, from Costco, or the spice section in some grocery stores can help save you dollars.
Fajita Seasoning
This recipe crafted by the theoregondietitian.com tastes fantastic in Latin based cuisines. Oregano has been shown to reduce inflammatory agents such as interleukins and prostaglandins.
- 2 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp cumin
- 2 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp dry oregano
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper
Greek Seasoning
These flavors focus on Mediterranean cuisine, made by rbitzer.com. If you don’t have all the spices below, don’t worry, you can still achieve good flavor even with majority of the spices. Using the fresh form of these herbs is also a wonderful alternative. Thyme contains a compound called thymol which directly inhibits TNF-alpha, an inflammatory promoting factor.
- 2 tbsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp dried basil
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp dried parsley
- 1 tsp dried rosemary
- 1 tsp dried dill
- 1 tsp dried marjoram
- ½ tsp ground thyme
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
Italian Seasoning
Another delicious concoction by the theoregondietitian.com can be used on classic Italian dishes. You can buy a tomato sauce that is free of additives, and then use this spice blend to flavor it up without the added salt. Sage is rich in polyphenols, which is a type of bioactive compound. Polyphenols are concentrated antioxidants; these can help protect us from the damage of reactive oxygen species.
- 3 tbsp dry oregano
- 2 tbsp dry thyme
- 1 tbsp marjoram
- 1 tbsp dry basil
- 1 tbsp dry sage
- 1 tsp garlic powder
Steak Seasoning
Specifically made by thekidneydietitian.org to bring out the flavors of steak, this combination is high in healthful nutrients. Cumin is the mostly widely consumed spice worldwide, and fights inflammation.
- 2 tbsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika
- 1 tbsp onion powder
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp dried rosemary
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
Curry Seasoning
This rich combination by the theoregondietitian.com is a delicious balance of spices. It contains turmeric and ginger. These are some of the strongest anti-inflammatory and nutrient dense roots that we regularly consume.
- 3 tbsp coriander
- 2 tbsp cumin
- 2 tbsp turmeric
- 1 tsp dry ground ginger
- 1 tsp dry mustard powder
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper
- ½ tsp red chili flakes
The Bottom Line
In truth, all these spices provide health benefits. Stocking up on these in bulk and then creating your own blends is a great way to save money and promote your health. In addition to fighting inflammation, these nutrients are high in vitamins and minerals. There is no downside to cooking with plenty of herbs and spices!
