The Best “WINTER” Spice for Your Gut
I’m not a cinnamon dolce latte kind of guy.
In fact, you won’t catch me sipping on ANY of those trendy (and expensive!) winter drinks.
But I do love cinnamon. The spice adds a welcome warm flavor to whatever it’s used in.
It’s downright delicious when swirled into baked goods, mixed into oatmeal, or sprinkled on top of French toast.
But it turns out that cinnamon and a handful of other popular spices—ALSO have some surprising health benefits.
And when you find out what they are, I bet you’ll be using them to add a little extra “oomph” to your own favorite meals all winter long.
Boosting your gut health doesn’t have to mean eating a bland diet. In fact, some of the most flavorful foods are also the BEST ones for your microbiome.
A recent study revealed that a handful of delicious spices can increase the levels of a beneficial bacteria called Ruminococcaceae in the gut.
This benefit was found in folks who ate about 1 to 2 daily teaspoons of certain specific spices, including:
- cinnamon
- ginger
- cumin
- turmeric
- rosemary
- oregano
- basil
- thyme
Ruminococcaceae is beneficial because it increases bacteria that produce butyrate, a short-chain fatty acid that improves appetite, energy balance, and blood glucose levels.
Those who ate the most spices had the highest levels of the beneficial bacteria.
A second study showed that eating approximately one handful of peanuts as an evening snack ALSO boosted Ruminococcaceae levels.
As with the spices, the more peanuts folks ate, the higher their beneficial bacteria levels rose. Eating peanuts was also tied to a higher amount of Roseburia, a bacterium linked to weight loss and reduced glucose intolerance.
Plus, don’t forget peanuts are ALSO an excellent source of fiber, which is essential for feeding gut bacteria.
P.S. – Boosting your gut health should be high on your priority list. Eating gut-friendly spices and taking a quality probiotic is a great start. But there’s another surprising superstar that can keep your gut healthy. Click here for the details.
SOURCES:
“Herbs and Spices Modulate Gut Bacterial Composition in Adults at Risk for CVD: Results of a Prespecified Exploratory Analysis from a Randomized, Crossover, Controlled-Feeding Study,” The Journal of Nutrition, Volume 152, Issue 11, November 2022, Pages 2461–2470
“Peanuts as a nighttime snack enrich butyrate-producing bacteria compared to an isocaloric lower-fat higher-carbohydrate snack in adults with elevated fasting glucose: A randomized crossover trial,” Clinical Nutrition, Volume 41, Issue 10, October 2022, Pages 2169-2177
