Views: 20 Author: golden horizon biologics Publish Time: 2019-11-06 Origin: Site
Ginger and garlic are great herbs often found in many recipes. They not only offer flavor but also are known for their health benefits.
As fall comes on, now is a good time to include these herbs in your cooking to give your immune system a little extra support. And if you’re looking for something a little unusual to throw into your cooking rotation, why not give eggplant a try?
Let’s take a look at each food and its benefits.
Ginger is particularly helpful in digestive health and promoting a healthy inflammatory response, says Lani Jacobs-Banner, a web nutritional health coach at Natural Grocers.
Ginger is such a warming herb. It’s used as a spice and a variety of different cooking styles. But when it comes to the healthy benefits of ginger, it really promotes a healthy inflammatory response. It also has a really great traditional history of being used to support the digestive system.
Ginger’s benefits on inflammation are important, she says.
When we’re inflamed our body can’t do what it’s supposed to do to function normally, so by supporting a healthy inflammatory response, ginger can be supportive in a variety of different areas,Jacobs-Banner says. It can be supportive of the inflammatory reaction in the joints, even in your muscles. When we have a healthy inflammatory response, that can promote a balanced pain response in the body as well. It’s also an immune booster, promoting bacterial balance in the body.
Jacobs-Banner says ginger doesn’t have to be consumed in large amounts to fully take advantage of its benefits.
Katie Buchs, nutrition and health education specialist for University Missouri Extension, says ginger is native to southeastern Asia and was historically treasured for its aromatic, culinary and medicinal properties. Ginger aids gastrointestinal distress by relieving gas and preventing or reducing motion sickness. It also may help those suffering from arthritis.
Garlic is a member of the onion family, Jacobs-Banner says.
The whole family has these really potent chemicals in them, including sulfur. These sulfur-containing chemicals that are naturally occurring in garlic, are where we get a huge amount of the health supportive affects, she says. Sulfur is a necessary compound in our body to help us make all the enzymes for detoxification, also supporting liver health.
Garlic can support cardiovascular health by helping keep a healthy blood pressure. It also is a source of selenium, which is an antioxidant mineral that many people don’t get a enough of, Jacobs-Banner says.
She says to get the most out of your garlic it’s best to chop, smash or press it, giving it a few minutes to sit before adding it to what you’re cooking. What happens is during that time the enzymes in the plant are released, allowing sulfur compounds to become bio-available to us.
Garlic supports a healthy bacterial balance in the body and the immune system, similar to the way that ginger does. Working them together is a good idea.
Buchs says eggplant may have antioxidant and anti-aging benefits as well as helping with memory and urinary tract health and reducing cancer risks.
One of the coolest parts about eggplant is it’s really not hard for you to grow it at home, Jacobs-Banner says. It’s like tomato plants that way. Eggplants are a member of the night shade vegetables, which also includes tomatoes, bell peppers and potatoes. They grow like tomatoes off of a vine-style plant.
The color of eggplant makes it unique, Jacobs-Banner says.
There aren’t a lot of vegetables that have that specific color. The colors come from the anthocyanins and phytonutrients, and these specific nutrients are really supportive of health, she says. They’re unique in the way that you can’t get them from any kind of vitamin supplement. You really have to eat the whole food, and it’s that color, that unique color, that really provides the benefit in terms of health.
