Your heart is the single most hardworking organ in your body. It’s a non-stop pumping muscle that feeds oxygen and nutrients to every inch of your organism with a constant blood flow as precise as a Swiss watch.

It comes without saying that you must keep that ticker as healthy as possible, but there’s good news, food can help you have a robust, fit heart, especially in the herb and spice department.

Here are 5 herbs and spices for heart health.

1. Cinnamon

Cinnamon is ubiquitous in sweet and savory foods, it’s the very essence of the fall season, present in muffins, pumpkin spice lattes and banana bread. There are literally thousands of ways you can use this spice at home, and they’re all delicious.

Cinnamon can reduce blood sugar levels preventing diabetes and can reduce the ‘bad’ low-density cholesterol levels in your arteries, effectively preventing all types of heart disease.

The easiest way of adding cinnamon to your diet is in baking treats, so put on your oven mittens and makes some cookies! You can read more about Cinnamon here

2. Turmeric

The gorgeous yellow powder coming from the turmeric root is the soul of many dishes, including yellow curries, stews, veggies and rice. Turmeric is one of the healthiest and most complete spices health-wise and can lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels.

Curcumin, the active compound in turmeric could decrease the risk of heart disease as much as 65%, and being a fantastic antioxidant, it will protect the blood vessels integrity against oxidative stress.

You can easily add turmeric to curries, stews, rice and soups to cook not only healthy meals but lovely yellow colored food with an enticing earthy and peppery flavor. You can read more about Turmeric here.

3. Garlic

The aromatic bulb is loved worldwide, and it’s used in everything from Italian pasta to Asian noodles, and despite its strong scent, it adds layers of immense pleasure to food.

Add garlic to your food or ingest it as a supplement, so if you’re concerned about hypertension, then garlic might keep you safe.

Allicin in garlic, a potent compound, can lower blood pressure, relieving hypertension. The all-natural compound can be as effective as prescription heart medicine, which is encouraging.

Sauté garlic when you make sauce for pasta, add it to ramen noodles, prawns or any stir fry. Garlic will make your kitchen smell beautifully too.

4. Chili Peppers

Hot peppers, all members of the capsicum family come from Mexico and Central America, yet they’ve conquered the hearts of cooks worldwide, from Thailand to Morocco. You can’t beat the adrenaline rush that a bite to a spicy pepper gives you.

Capsaicin, the heat element in peppers is quite healthy for your heart. It lowers bad cholesterol levels and can reduce the heart-related mortality risk by 23%.

Choose your favorite hot pepper sauce, from mild to insanely hot and add it to soups, snacks, popcorn or any other food you want to liven with a little heat.

5. Ginger

Along with turmeric and garlic, ginger completes the best food-centered remedy for matters of the heart. The gnarly rhizome is fragrant, pungent and sweet, and makes wonders in Asian-inspired dishes, but also in winter baking projects including gingerbread cookies.

Ginger lowers cholesterol and triglyceride markers like magic. Eating ginger every day will dramatically lower the risk of heart disease while controlling your blood sugar levels, and it’s available as a supplement as well.

Ginger might very well be the best natural supplement to keep your circulatory system healthy.

The best part? Cooking with ginger is easy. Peel it with a spoon and finely mince it before adding it to stir-fries, soups and curries. You can also find it as a dry powder. Make pastries and baking treats with it too! And if you’re thirsty, there’s always ginger beer.

Keep That Ticker Going

Keep your heart strong and healthy while you spice up your meals. They’re easy to cook with.

Why wait until you start feeling something is wrong to act? Food is natural medicine and with a balanced diet and an active lifestyle you can guarantee your whole body is working as it’s supposed to.

Enjoy the herbs and spices above and share this valuable health information with your loved ones. The only thing as important as taking care of yourself is taking care of others, and what better than doing it with food?

Sources:

• https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/10-proven-benefits-of-cinnamon
• https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/top-10-evidence-based-health-benefits-of-turmeric#TOC_TITLE_HDR_6
• https://www.foodnavigator.com/Article/2019/12/17/Chilli-linked-to-lower-risk-of-heart-attack-and-stroke-study
• https://www.livestrong.com/article/557445-the-cardiovascular-benefits-and-harms-of-ginger/
• https://www.livestrong.com/article/557445-the-cardiovascular-benefits-and-harms-of-ginger/