While no herb or spice is a cure or a magic pill for weight loss, they do contain antioxidants and natural anti-inflammatory properties that can improve your overall health and help increase your metabolic rate. Plus, they add delicious flavor to your meals!
Weight loss experts suggest sprinkling these spices on your favorite dishes, blending them in smoothies, stirring them into your coffees and teas, and generally augmented your healthy diet and physical lifestyle to slim down your waistline:
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Ginger
Studies have verified that ginger can help you stay fuller for longer, in turn preventing over-eating and excess snacking. Plus, ginger contains a chemical compound called gingerols, which stabilizes blood sugar levels and can in turn aid in weight loss.
"Ginger is unique to weight loss in that it contains compounds known as gingerols and shogaols," registered dietitian Trista Best of Balance One tells us. "These compounds create an antioxidant effect in the body that reduces free radical damage in the body. This damage leads to an increase in oxidative stress that can both cause and exacerbate obesity. This damage occurs at a cellular level and once those damaged cells replicate the body's natural processes that maintain homeostasis can become disrupted leading to decreased metabolism, energy, and more."
"Ginger reduced the body mass index (BMI) of obese women in one study after they ate two grams (approximately 1/2 teaspoon) of ginger powder per day," board certified physician nutrition specialist and author of "Spice Up, Live Long: A Guide to Using Herbs & Spices To Live A Longer, Healthier And More Vibrant Life," Dr. Melina says. "It slightly increases the number of calories we burn, helps with satiety (fullness) as it reduces the amount of food we eat, and improves the health of the gut microbiome."
Cumin
Research has shown that cumin powder may help boost weight loss, decrease body fat and improve heart health.
Dr. Lina Velikova, MD, Ph.D., a medical advisor at Supplements101, tells us that "cumin’s levels of thymoquinone can increase insulin sensitivity, thus lowering blood sugar level."
Cayenne
"Spicy foods tend to be beneficial to inflammation and metabolism, which is why cayenne pepper is a great seasoning for weight loss," Trista Best explains. "It speeds up the metabolism, aids in digestion and reduces hunger. You can use this pepper in anything, and it is particularly good in chili dishes."
"Capsaicin (in Cayenne Pepper, Chili Peppers, Chili Powder, Curry Powder, Paprika,and Red Pepper Flakes) has not only been found to suppress inflammation caused by obesity, but it has the potential to decrease food intake, burn more fat, lower body fat stores, increase metabolism, and reduce appetite," Dr. Melina agrees. "Chili peppers and Cayenne in particular can help us burn more calories by about 5 percent."
Turmeric
Turmeric is a plant that produces curcumin, and research has found that curcumin contains anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antimicrobial and pain-relieving properties. Additional studies reviewed by Healthline confirmed that in 21 studies in over 1,600 people, curcumin intake was linked to a reduced weight, BMI and waist circumference.
Turmeric "shouldn’t be strictly relied upon for weight loss, but it CAN make an excellent addition to an existing weight loss regimen," Best explains.
