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It’s fall here in the US and as we approach November, pumpkin spice season has been in full swing for almost two months. Starting September 1st, you can find more pumpkin spice products and recipes start popping up everywhere. This seasoning combination has been wildly popular for several years. And die-hard fans need little excuse to consume pumpkin spice in their favorite products, whenever they can. But are there actually health benefits of pumpkin spice?
First, let’s look at the basic herbs found in pumpkin spice. They are cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, allspice, and clove. This spice combination actually packs a punch when it comes to health benefits! Yes, that’s right, pumpkin spice can actually be good for you….when used in the right way!
Health benefits of pumpkin spice herbs
Cinnamon
As one of the most popular culinary herbs, cinnamon is full of amazing health benefits! It is rich in antioxidants and has the power to help lower blood sugar levels, aids with digestion, and improve immunity. Cinnamon is anti-inflammatory and helps to protect the heart and brain function. It has natural antibiotic and anti-viral properties, so it can help to fight viruses and infections. Cinnamon can also help to fight fungal infections including Candida.
Nutmeg
One important benefit of nutmeg is its ability to reduce pain and inflammation. It also helps with digestion, helps to naturally detoxify the body, improved insomnia, and improves brain health and blood pressure.
Ginger
One of the best and well know benefits of ginger is for nausea and digestive issues. But that is not all that ginger can help with! Ginger can also help to fight cold and flu, can help reduce muscle pain, can fight inflammation, can lower blood sugar, and can help reduce heart disease risk. It may also help to lower cholesterol levels and could potentially be a cancer fighter! Finally, ginger is a potent infection fighter.
Allspice
This spice is sometimes mistakenly thought to be a mixture of other spices. But Allspice is a standalone spice that comes from the dried, unripe berries of the Jamaican Pimento tree, which is found in Mexico, parts of the Caribbean, and Central America. Allspice has strong anti-inflammatory properties and can reduce pain. It also benefits digestion and can eliminate diarrhea and constipation. It is a strong antioxidant and has anti-biotic and anti-viral properties, which helps the body fight viruses and infections. Allspice can improve circulation and helps to boost heart health as well.
Cloves
They may be tiny, but they pack some good benefits for your health! Cloves can help with a toothache or even teething pain. They also help to relieve upper respiratory infections. Cloves hold powerful anti-inflammatory properties and can also help reduce pain. They are great for treating scrapes and bruises and can help to improve digestion.
With so many of these amazing culinary herbs able to help boost immune system function and fight viruses and infections, it is probably no surprise that this seasoning blend is popular in the fall…just at the start of cold and flu season!
And you can harness the power of these herbs to help yourself to stay healthy this fall and winter season as well. But you must use pumpkin spice in the right way to reap the health benefits! There are plenty of pumpkin spice products on the market that is less than healthy for you. Because of that, I will always encourage people to make their products from scratch! You can either use a good organic pumpkin spice seasoning blend, or you can make your own! I’ve included a simple recipe below that you can whip up in about 5 minutes!
Making your own pumpkin spice treats is the only way to be assured that you are getting real spices that contain the real benefits…and not imitation flavoring!
Pumpkin Spice Seasoning
Ingredients
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 1/8 tsp ground allspice
Instructions
- Mix the ingredients together in a small bowl and store the mixture in airtight container.
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