6 Herbs and Spices to Add to Your Daily Diet

Start with the meal you want to change

For a savory dish, try garlic or turmeric with black pepper. For oatmeal or yogurt, try cinnamon. For an unsweetened drink, consider ginger with lemongrass. Honey is optional and still adds sugar.

These suggestions are for adults using food ingredients. If you are pregnant, breastfeeding or taking medicines, check with your clinician before using herbal teas regularly or taking concentrated herbal products.

Sources: FDA · NCCIH · NCCIH

1. Star Anise + Cloves

These aromatic spices add warmth and depth to soups and other dishes. They can also flavor a drink without added sugar; their aroma is a reason to use them, without expecting a medicinal effect.

Choose a food product identified as Chinese star anise (Illicium verum). Japanese star anise is toxic. If the species is uncertain, do not use it to brew tea.

Sources: Health Canada

2. Garlic

Garlic brings bold flavor to everyday meals. Try it in cooked vegetables, beans or soup.

Some studies of garlic supplements suggest small cholesterol reductions in people with high cholesterol. That does not establish the same effect for ordinary meals, and garlic water is not a proven treatment.

Sources: NCCIH

3. Ginger + Lemongrass

This refreshing combination works well in teas and soups. Ginger brings warmth, while lemongrass adds a bright, citrusy flavor.

Ginger may help with pregnancy-related nausea, but most studies tested supplements rather than food. That evidence does not show that ginger and lemongrass tea treats nausea; check pregnancy use with your clinician.

Sources: NCCIH

4. Cinnamon + Honey

Cinnamon adds a sweet aroma and warmth to oatmeal, yogurt and tea. Honey can sweeten a drink, but it still counts as added sugar. Try the cinnamon first and decide whether you need the honey.

Cinnamon is not an established treatment for diabetes, and this combination does not replace blood sugar management. Stick to culinary amounts: prolonged use of cassia cinnamon may be a concern for people with liver disease.

Sources: NCCIH · FDA

Continue reading: Check carbohydrate and sugar on a label

5. Turmeric + Black Pepper

Turmeric contains curcumin, a compound studied for possible health effects, including effects on inflammation. Try turmeric with black pepper in a vegetable or bean dish for color and flavor.

Piperine from black pepper can increase curcumin absorption in formulated products. This does not establish a health benefit from the amounts used in everyday cooking.

Concentrated curcumin products are different from food. Liver injury has been reported with some formulations designed to increase absorption; do not turn a seasoning idea into a high-dose supplement routine.

Sources: NCCIH

6. Moringa Leaf Tea

Moringa leaf tea is another option if you enjoy its flavor. Do not assume that a cup of strained tea provides the same nutrients as eating the leaves.

A small, short-term trial of moringa leaf capsules found no significant improvement in blood sugar control. It did not test tea. Such research cannot establish that moringa tea reliably controls blood sugar.

Sources: Taweerutchana et al. (2017)

A simple breakfast example

Suppose you usually sweeten plain oatmeal before tasting it. Cook your usual oatmeal, stir in cinnamon, then taste it before deciding whether to add honey. If you do, count the honey as added sugar.

This is an example of using the list, not a tested recipe or a prescribed portion. If you manage diabetes, keep the oats, milk, fruit and any honey within your usual carbohydrate plan.

Sources: FDA

Continue reading: Plan oatmeal portions and toppings

Small Ingredients, Better Eating Habits

No herb or spice in this list is a proven way to detox your liver or cure disease. None replaces a balanced diet. Their everyday value is making nutritious meals more enjoyable.

Start by adding variety to your plate, choosing vegetables, fruit, beans and whole grains more often, and limiting excess added sugar and foods high in salt or unhealthy fats.

Sources: NCCIH · WHO

Continue reading: Build a practical everyday meal