Peachy the Magazine March 2014 | Page 90

Spice up your life… and your health M Most good cooks know that using herbs and spices in food preparation help flavor food without adding extra sodium, calories, sugar and fat. Modern science has given us more reasons to flavor our foods with these seasonings. Many herbs and spices have shown medicinal benefits and are believed to be weapons against illnesses and chronic diseases. Spices and herbal therapies have been used for thousands of years in nonWestern cultures as accepted remedies and cures for disease. A common saying in India cautions that “a house without ginger is a sick house.” In the past, these “therapies” were considered unorthodox by Western 88 PEACHY WRITTEN BY Dr. Nancy Palermo Lietz doctors, yet recent studies suggest there is a basis for their longevity. In cultures where herbs and spices are used in large quantities, the incidence of diet-related diseases such as heart disease and cancer are low. Science is just beginning to uncover the specific health benefits. The marketplace has picked up on the data and, in turn, demand and supply has increased exponentially. After implementation of the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act in 1994, the number of herbal products on the market has increased from approximately 4,000 products to more than 29,000. Recent national surveys have reported that 72 percent