We've all experienced it - whether dining at a new restaurant and trying a new dish, or visiting family and friends, we're often presented with food loaded with delicious herbs and spices (or, in some cases, the opposite!). It's no secret that herbs and spices can be tricky to navigate. Whether you're curious about their health benefits or seeking inspiration to switch up your taste buds, this article has you covered.

The health benefits of herbs and spices have been recognised for centuries. Exploring how ancient knowledge has sparked a recent surge of scientific research is fascinating! Before we take a closer look, let’s consider some benefits of herbs and spices you may expect to see in this article.

A good example here is ginger. It has been used to aid digestion for over 2000 years. The best part is that modern science proves it works! We all know how frustrating it can be to deal with an upset stomach before or during exercise and how detrimental it can be to performance. Adding a pinch of ginger to your chicken or cake mix is so easy, it indisputably earns a place in the spice cupboard.

It's surprising how a simple addition to our food can offer such benefits. The performance benefits of herbs and spices are not to be ignored! This article, Herbs and Spices to Enhance Your Teen Athletes’ Performance - A Parents’ Guide, illustrates the herbs and spices which have significant and desirable evidence that may improve your teen athletes’ performance (including some of my favourite ways to consume them!)

Turmeric

First and foremost, let’s begin with turmeric, one of the more prominent spices associated with health and exercise benefits. Originating from Southeast Asia, ancient medicine and culinary practices have used turmeric for thousands of years. Now, with modern scientific research, we can appreciate some of the numerous health and exercise benefits of this wonderful plant.

Turmeric's anti-inflammatory properties aid muscle repair after exercise

Turmeric possesses anti-inflammatory properties through its primary bioactive compound, curcumin. In a recent review, these properties have been proven to reduce exercise-induced responses: inflammation, oxidative stress and muscle pain and damage (1), there is also evidence that it may help the maintenance of joint health and mobility (2).

Turmeric can reduce the risk of overtraining injuries

Including turmeric in your diet can significantly improve antioxidant activity (3), which reduces exercise-induced oxidative damage (1) and may help reduce the risk of chronic diseases associated with oxidative stress (4).

Combined with its anti-inflammatory properties, turmeric supplementation has shown superior muscle recovery times and performance after exercise (1). Consequently, this can reduce the risk of overtraining injuries.

Turmeric has the potential to improve mood and cognitive functions

Curcumin supplementation has been shown to improve mood and working memory in adults in 12 weeks (5). However, the current research on the effects of turmeric on mood and cognitive function is inconclusive. Further studies are necessary to establish a stronger conclusion (6).

Adding turmeric to your diet

Here are some of my favourite ways to incorporate turmeric- savoury and sweet!

Tip - For optimal effectiveness, consume turmeric with black pepper, as this can increase the body’s ability to absorb curcumin by an astounding 2000% (8).

Ginger

Moving on to ginger, just like turmeric, ginger is native to Southeast Asia and has been used for culinary, medicinal and aromatic purposes for centuries. Ginger is a very versatile ingredient. It is used fresh or dried (ground) in savoury and sweet dishes, juiced or as stem ginger in syrup which is often used in biscuits and cakes. But first, let's take a closer look into the many ways ginger can boost your performance.

Ginger improves digestive function and alleviates nausea symptoms

Throughout research, ginger consumption has been shown to improve digestive function, which may reduce symptoms such as bloating, indigestion, and nausea (9).

Ginger can relieve or prevent constipation by speeding up the passage of food through the stomach (10).

Thus, one way of using ginger is to consume it before exercising to reduce nausea symptoms and soothe the stomach during physical activity.

Ginger has potential benefits for both pain relief and boosting the immune system

Ginger contains bioactive compounds, such as gingerol (the most active ingredient in ginger), having potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties which:

Support exercise-induced muscle soreness and inflammation, leading to quicker recovery times (11).

May enhance your immune system (12), potentially lessening the risk of infection and illnesses.

Another study found 2g of ginger post-exercise decreases muscle soreness by an astounding 25% (13).

How to incorporate ginger in your diet

Cinnamon

Once again, cinnamon is a Southeast Asian spice used for culinary and medicinal purposes. It is known for its sweet and comforting aroma, whether in cinnamon rolls or sprinkled on top of hot chocolate. We can confidently admit that cinnamon has earned its place in our spice cupboard, but I’m curious: what does science have to say about it now?

Cinnamon can reduce muscle soreness after exercise

Cinnamon consumption is associated with an increased antioxidant capacity in the blood and reduced inflammation markers (16), and it is an effective anti-inflammatory (17).

This potentially reduces oxidative stress and aids recovery after exercise, specifically tightness and soreness in muscles and joints.

Cinnamon can helps stabilise energy levels

Cinnamon can help maintain stable blood sugar levels by controlling blood glucose (18).

Consequently, it may help sustain energy levels during exercise and can prevent sugar spikes and crashes into fatigue caused by meals and snacks.

Ways to include cinnamon in your diet

Cayenne Pepper

Cayenne pepper’s popularity in natural medicine has stood the test of time. It has been used topically in creams or ointments to alleviate pain and as a natural remedy. Cayenne is commonly known for its burning sensation and punchy kick in dishes. Let's explore how it can benefit our performance.

Cayenne pepper helps stimulate blood flow to muscles during exercise

Cayenne pepper’s main active ingredient is capsaicin, which stimulates vasodilators, expanding blood vessels to promote blood flow to muscles (21).

Capsaicin supplementation 45 minutes pre-exercise successfully significantly reduced the rate of perceived exertion (of exercise) (20), potentially helping you push harder during exercise.

Cayenne pepper aids digestion

Cayenne has been shown to strengthen the stomach by stimulating its nerves (22, 23), potentially relieving the stomach from pain and infections. It further stimulates saliva production (24), which can ease the digestion of food for the stomach.

Regularly consuming hot peppers may improve overall health

Ultimately, just like most on this list, cayenne is full of antioxidants (25), therefore there is potential to gain from the benefits previously mentioned. In fact, general hot red chilli pepper consumption

has shown promising benefits- it's associated with longer lifespans (26) and lower risk of all-cause mortality (27).

Eating chilli peppers every day doesn't guarantee protection against all diseases but these associations between chilli pepper consumption and health benefits are encouraging.

It is important to note, excessive consumption can potentially lead to discomfort and irritation in some people.

Ways to include cayenne pepper into your diet

Basil

A classic addition to your pasta sauce and homemade pizza toppings. Originating from Southeast Asia, basils versatile uses in both Italian and Southeast Asian cooking, make it an easy addition to mealtimes. However, are there any health benefits of basil? Basil comes in many different varieties, for example: sweet basil, holy basil, Thai basil or a supersized lettuce leaf basil. This herb is certainly easy to grow on a sunny windowsill or warm spot in the garden! Let's investigate the potential contributions to our health this herb has to offer!

Basil is high in antioxidants and essential oils

Basil is rich in many antioxidants, such as catechin and rosmarinic acid (28). These have been linked with supporting the body’s defense systems against chronic diseases. This is due to their active compounds having anti-viral, antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties (29). These effects are also attributed to the essential oils basil is composed of (30, 29).

Holy Basil (Ocimum Tenuiflorum)

There has been a focus on the health benefits of holy basil (Ocimum basilicum)

A review on 24 studies testing the consumption of holy basil showed positive results to health in every outcome (31). Specifically, holy basil improved cognitive functions like memory and attention (33) and reduced stress levels (32, 34).

Here is a simple way to add basil to your mealtime!

Garlic

Without a doubt, garlic's health benefits and distinct flavour have been cherished for thousands of years. Garlic has been used for medicinal purposes around the world in many ancient cultures, from Greece to Egypt and across to Asia. For example, in ancient Rome, garlic was used to treat gastrointestinal tract disorders and joint disease. Let’s consider what the latest science has found out about this impressive plant.

Garlic may decrease inflammation and relive joint pain

It has been found that consuming garlic before exercising can enhance running performance, as reported in one study (36). However, another more recent study showed no significant improvement in performance after four weeks of garlic supplementation before a 40km cycling session (37). Nevertheless, the markers for oxidative inflammation did show a significant decrease in this study (37).

Garlic and its sulfur-containing compounds exert anti-inflammatory properties. Daily garlic consumption has shown to reduce stiffness and pain symptoms in women with knee osteoarthritis (35).

Garlic can boost the immune response to the common cold

It is important to note that the current evidence is criticized for its quality of studies regarding testing garlic on colds (38), however let's look closer as to why garlic could be beneficial to your immune system.

During a 3-month study, 146 healthy volunteers were given garlic supplements or a placebo. Those in the garlic group had a 63% lower risk of catching a cold (38).

Another study found colds were significantly shorter when consuming aged garlic extract daily during cold and flu season, compared to a placebo group (39). The group consuming garlic showed that their colds were also less severe (39).

A review on garlic use in a clinical setting shows a potential to reduce symptoms and chances of getting a virus, which illustrates garlic’s anti-viral properties (40).

An interesting fact: when crushing or chewing garlic before consumption, the main active ingredient alliin turns into allicin, the unstable properties in allicin make it turn quickly into sulphur- the medicinal property of garlic (41, 42). So don’t swallow them whole!

Author 

Theo Sanderson, BSc LinkedIn

References

1. - Suhett, L. G., de Miranda Monteiro Santos, R., Silveira, B. K. S., Leal, A. C. G., de Brito, A. D. M., de Novaes, J. F., & Lucia, C. M. D. (2021). Effects of curcumin supplementation on sport and physical exercise: a systematic review. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, 61(6), 946–958.
2. - Daily, J. W., Yang, M., & Park, S. (2021). Efficacy of turmeric extracts and curcumin for alleviating the symptoms of joint arthritis: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials. Journal of Medicinal Food, 19(8), 717-729.
3. - Dehzad, M. J., Ghalandari, H., Nouri, M., & Askarpour. (2023). Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of curcumin/turmeric supplementation in adults: A GRADE-assessed systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Cytokine, 164.
4. - He, Y., Yue, Y., Zheng, X., Zhang, K., Chen, S., & Du, Z. (2015). Curcumin, inflammation, and chronic diseases: How are they linked? Molecules, 20(5), 9183-9213.
5. - Cox, K. H. M., White, D. J., Pipingas, A., Poorun, K., & Scholey, A. (2020). Further evidence of benefits to mood and working memory from lipidated curcumin in healthy older people: A 12-week, double-blind, placebo-controlled, partial replication study. Nutrients, 12(6), 1678.
6. - Tsai, I-C., Hsu, C-W., Chang, C-H., Tseng, P-T., Chang, K-V. (2021). The effect of curcumin differs on individual cognitive domains across different patient populations: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland), 14(12), 1235.
7. - WHO | JECFA. (n.d.). Apps.who.int. https://apps.who.int/food-additives-contaminants-jecfa-database/Home/Chemical/638

8- Shoba, G., Joy, D., Joseph, T., Majeed, M., Rajendran, R., & Srinivas, P. S. (1998). Influence of piperine on the pharmacokinetics of curcumin in animals and human volunteers. Planta medica, 64(4), 353–356.

9- Anh, N.H., Kim, S.J., Long, N.P., Min, J.E., Yoon, Y.C., Lee, E.G., Kim, M., Kim, T.J., Yang, Y.Y., Son, E.Y., Yoon, S. J., Diem, N. C., Kim, H. M., & Kwon, S. W. (2020). Ginger on human health: A comprehensive systematic review of 109 randomized controlled trials. Nutrients 12(1), 157.

10- Nikkhah Bodagh, M., Maleki, I., & Hekmatdoost, A. (2018). Ginger in gastrointestinal disorders: A systematic review of clinical trials. Food Science & Nutrition, 7(1), 96–108.

11- Mashhadi, N. S., Ghiasvand, R., Askari, G., Hariri, M., Darvishi, L., & Mofid, M. R. (2013). Anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory effects of ginger in health and physical activity: Review of current evidence. International Journal of Preventive Medicine, 4(1), S36-S42.

12- Mahassni, S. H., & Bukhari, O. A. (2019). Beneficial effects of an aqueous ginger extract on the immune system cells and antibodies, hematology, and thyroid hormones in male smokers and non-smokers. Journal of Nutrition & Intermediary Metabolism, 15, 10-17.

13- Black, C. D., Herring, M. P., Hurley, D. J., & O'Connor, P. J. (2010). Ginger (Zingiber officinale) reduces muscle pain caused by eccentric exercise. The Journal of Pain, 11(9), 894–903.

14- Matsumura, M. D., Zavorsky, G. S., & Smoliga, J. M. (2015). The effects of pre-exercise ginger supplementation on muscle damage and delayed onset muscle soreness. Phytotherapy research: PTR, 29(6), 887–893.

15- Benefits of Ginger for Arthritis | Arthritis Foundation. (n.d.). Www.arthritis.org. https://www.arthritis.org/health-wellness/treatment/complementary-therapies/supplements-and-vitamins/health-benefits-of-ginger

16- Zhu, C., Yan, H., Zheng, Y., Santos, H. O., Macit, M. S., & Zhao, K. (2020). Impact of cinnamon supplementation on cardiometabolic biomarkers of inflammation and oxidative stress: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Complementary Therapies in Medicine, 53.

17- Shen, Y., Jia, L-N., Honma, N., Hosono, T., Ariga, T., & Seki, T. (2012). Beneficial effects of cinnamon on the metabolic syndrome, inflammation, and pain, and mechanisms underlying these effects - A review. Journal of Traditional and Complementary Medicine, 2(1), 27-32.

18- Silva, M. L., Bernardo, M. A., Singh, J., & de Mesquita, M. F. (2022). Cinnamon as a complementary therapeutic approach for dysglycemia and dyslipidemia control in type 2 diabetes mellitus and its molecular mechanism of action: A review. Nutrients, 14(13), 2773.

19- Santos, H. O., & da Silva, G. A. R. (2018). To what extent does cinnamon administration improve the glycemic and lipid profiles? Clinical nutrition ESPEN, 27, 1–9.

20- de Freitas, M. C., Cholewa, J. M., Gobbo, L. A., de Oliveira, J. V. N. S., Lira, F. S., & Rossi, F. E. (2018). Acute capsaicin supplementation improves 1,500-m running time-trial performance and rate of perceived exertion in physically active adults. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 32(2), 572–577.

21- Juturu V. (2016). Capsaicinoids modulating cardiometabolic syndrome risk factors: Current perspectives. Journal of Nutrition and Metabolism, 4986937.

22- Satyanarayana, M. N. (2006). Capsaicin and gastric ulcers. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, 46(4), 275–328. 

23- Bu, S., Kar, W., Tucker, R. M., & Comstock, S. S. (2022). Minimal influence of cayenne pepper on the human gastrointestinal microbiota and intestinal inflammation in healthy adult humans—A pilot study. Life, 12(11), 1849.

24- Kono, Y., Kubota, A., Taira, M., Katsuyama, N., & Sugimoto, K. (2018). Effects of oral stimulation with capsaicin on salivary secretion and neural activities in the autonomic system and the brain. Journal of Dental Sciences, 13(2), 116–123.

25- Cayenne pepper: Health benefits, nutrition, and tips. (n.d.). Www.medicalnewstoday.com. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/267248

26- Spiller, F., Alves, M. K., Vieira, S. M., Carvalho, T. A., Leite, C. E., Lunardelli, A., Poloni, J. A., Cunha, F. Q., & de Oliveira, J. R. (2008). Anti-inflammatory effects of red pepper (capsicum baccatum) on carrageenan- and antigen-induced inflammation. The Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, 60(4), 473–478.

27- Chopan, M., & Littenberg, B. (2017). The association of hot red chili pepper consumption and mortality: A large population-based cohort study. PLOS ONE, 12(1), e0169876.

28- Nadeem, H. R., Akhtar, S., Sestili, P., Ismail, T., Neugart, S., Qamar, M., & Esatbeyoglu, T. (2022). toxicity, antioxidant activity, and phytochemicals of basil (ocimum basilicum l.) leaves cultivated in southern punjab, pakistan. Foods, 11(9), 1239.

29- Khojasteh, A., Mirjalili, M. H., Alcalde, M. A., Cusido, R. M., Eibl, R., & Palazon, J. (2020). Powerful Plant Antioxidants: A new biosustainable approach to the production of rosmarinic acid. Antioxidants, 9(12), 1273.

30- Mahmoudi, H., Marzouki, M., M’Rabet, Y., Mezni, M., Ouazzou, A. A., & Hosni, K. (2020). Enzyme pretreatment improves the recovery of bioactive phytochemicals from sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) leaves and their hydrodistilled residue by-products and potentiates their biological activities. Arabian Journal of Chemistry.

31- Jamshidi, N., & Cohen, M. M. (2017). The Clinical Efficacy and Safety of Tulsi in Humans: A Systematic Review of the Literature. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine : ECAM, 2017.

32- Saxena, R. C., Singh, R., Kumar, P., Negi, M. P., Saxena, V. S., Geetharani, P., Allan, J. J., & Venkateshwarlu, K. (2012). Efficacy of an extract of ocimum tenuiflorum (ocibest) in the management of general stress: A double-blind, placebo-controlled study. EVidence-based Complementary And Alternative Medicine : eCAM, 2012, 894509.

33- Sampath, S., Mahapatra, S. C., Padhi, M. M., Sharma, R., & Talwar, A. (2015). Holy basil (Ocimum sanctum Linn.) leaf extract enhances specific cognitive parameters in healthy adult volunteers: A placebo-controlled study. Indian Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology, 59(1), 69–77.

34- Bhattacharyya, D., Sur, T. K., Jana, U., & Debnath, P. K. (2008). Controlled programmed trial of Ocimum sanctum leaf on generalized anxiety disorders. Nepal Medical College journal : NMCJ, 10(3), 176–179.

35- Salimzadeh, A., Alipoor, E., Dehghani, S., Yaseri, M., Hosseini, M., Feinle-Bisset, C., & Hosseinzadeh-Attar, M. J. (2018). The effect of 12-week garlic supplementation on symptom relief in overweight or obese women with knee osteoarthritis. International Journal of Clinical Practice, 72(6), e13208.

36- Deniz İnal Ince. (2000). Effects of Garlic on Aerobic Performance. Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences, 30(6), 557–561.

37- Tsao, J.-P., Bernard, J. R., Tu, T.-M., Hsu, H.-C., Chang, C., Liao, S., & Cheng, I-Shiung. (2023). Garlic supplementation attenuates cycling exercise-induced oxidative inflammation but fails to improve time trial performance in healthy adults. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 20(1).

38- Lissiman, E., Bhasale, A. L., & Cohen, M. (2014). Garlic for the common cold. The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2014(11), CD006206.

39- Aged Garlic Extract Modifies Human Immunity

40- Rouf, R., Uddin, S. J., Sarker, D. K., Islam, M. T., Ali, E. S., Shilpi, J. A., Nahar, L., Tiralongo, E., & Sarker, S. D. (2020). Antiviral potential of garlic (Allium sativum) and its organosulfur compounds: A systematic update of pre-clinical and clinical data. Trends in Food Science & Technology, 104, 219–234.

41- Schäfer, G., & Kaschula, C. (2014). The Immunomodulation and Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Garlic Organosulfur Compounds in Cancer Chemoprevention. Anti-Cancer Agents in Medicinal Chemistry, 14(2), 233–240.

42- Borlinghaus, J., Albrecht, F., Gruhlke, M., Nwachukwu, I., & Slusarenko, A. (2014). Allicin: Chemistry and Biological Properties. Molecules, 19(8), 12591–12618.