Commonly Used Spices In India And Their Nutritional And Medicinal Properties

In India wide varieties of spices are used in cooking, the cooking tradition of the country is such that every dish has its own set of spices which are necessarily used to get proper taste. Wide variety of spices which are available in fresh form is largely due to the fact that India has diverse climate and soil. Almost all type of spices can grow in this country; different regions with different cultures have innovated their own style of cooking and have invented different cuisines suitable to the climate and eating habits of the people. This has added to the variety of dishes and also use of spices in these dishes. The list of spices very commonly used in India, almost in regular day to day cooking, is pretty long, in any normal Indian kitchen one can find numerous spices and herbs which are used in cooking.

Commonly used spices in India can be a challenge to memorize. Few out of the list are Aniseeds, Cumin seeds, Asafetida, Turmeric, Ginger, Garlic, Onion, Coriander, Fennel, Caraway, Licorice, Red pepper, Black pepper, Green cardamom, Black Cardamom, Indian Bay leaf, Charoli, Celery, Cinnamon, Carom seeds, Curry leaf, Cubeb, Fenugreek, Cloves, Long pepper, Indian gooseberry, Black salt, Nigella seeds, Mustard seeds, Mango powder, Nutmeg, Holy Basil, Mace, Tamarind, Star Anise and many more. These spices improve the taste of food and provide nutrition in most palatable way. The use of spices is not just to satisfy taste, it also complies very well and logically with climatic conditions and type of nourishment person needs to survive healthily in the given climate.

Indian spices are well known for their nutritional as well as medicinal properties. These spices are good sources of nutrients like vitamins and minerals. These spices possess unmatchable nutritive properties like anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic and anti-anemic. These spices when mixed with food not only enhance its taste and aroma but also improve its nutritional value. Most of the spices are supportive for healthy digestion and improve excretion of waste matter. Although excessive use of spices is prohibited but intelligent and proper use of these in food can prevent minor to major illnesses easily. Some of the spices are boon for preventing serious diseases like Cancer, Alzheimer, Arthritis, Heart diseases, Kidney problems etc. Eight out of above mentioned spices are well known for their cancer fighting abilities, seven have been classified as wonder spices by food experts and spices like Asafetida and Turmeric are recommended as healthiest food on the planet by medical experts.

Read about Indian Spice Tea Masala Chai. Also know Darjeeling Organic Green Tea Loose Leaf.

Alton Patrick is a passionate writer who has written numerous articles on topics concerning ayurvedic remedies for men health and women health. He writes informative articles on health-related issues and the use of natural health supplements.