When it comes to cooking at home, you’re probably familiar with the basic standards of what’s healthy and what’s not. Cooking with lots of sugar, butter and white flour is not ideal, while fruits, vegetables and whole grains are healthier options. But there’s more to it than that– some of the foods you probably have in your kitchen right now can make a big difference in your health. Many of the most common household ingredients have been used as natural health remedies for centuries– do you know which ones they are?
Read on to learn about 2 ingredients you should keep in the house and cook with on a regular basis. The health benefits your family can experience may surprise you.
#1: Garlic
It’s probably hard to imagine your favorite Italian, Asian or French dishes without garlic. The flavorful vegetable plays a major role in popular cuisines around the world. What you may not realize is that garlic has been used as medicine for years, as far back as 2600 B.C.
The superfood garlic is said to have healing powers. According to Paul Bergner, Director of The North American Institute of Herbal Medicine, “it’s antibacterial, antifungal, antiparasitic, antiprotozoan and antiviral.” Results from several tests have found that raw garlic is more powerful than both tetracycline and penicillin, with less side effects. Additional health benefits of garlic include…
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Stimulate the immune system: The active ingredient in garlic, allicin, is released when garlic is crushed and is responsible for dramatically increasing immune system power.
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Prevent cancer and shrinks tumors: It’s recognized by the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Institute as an alternative natural cancer remedy and is said to be especially effective with stomach, colon, breast and prostate cancers.
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Promote cardiovascular health: Garlic dilates blood vessels to lower blood pressure and dissolve internal clots, among other things.
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Alleviates symptoms associated with the common cold: Garlic is sometimes prescribed as a decongestant, expectorant and mucus regulator.
#2: Cayenne Pepper
Add some heat to your at-home menu with the health benefits of hot, spicy cayenne pepper! The widely used pepper contains capsaicin, vitamin A, beta-carotene and antioxidants, which result in a plethora of health benefits. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, cayenne pepper has been used as a medicine for over 9,000 years. Cayenne pepper has been associated with the following health benefits…
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Fight inflammation and reduce pain: The hotter the pepper, the more capsaicin it contains. Capsaicin is thought to treat sensory nerve fiber disorders such as arthritis and psoriasis, as well as pain related to headaches and osteoarthritis pain.
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Help maintain cardiovascular health: Cayenne reduces blood cholesterol and increases the body’s ability to form blood clots. Cultures that freely consume hot peppers like cayenne have drastically lower rates of heart attack, stroke and pulmonary embolism.
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Relieve nasal congestion: The capsaicin in cayenne pepper helps clear mucus from your nose and lungs even quicker than similar ingredients found in many cold remedies. Adding a little cayenne to a snack or a cup of tea can provide relief for many people during cold and flu season.
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Boost immunity: Just two teaspoons of cayenne pepper contains 47% of your daily value for vitamin A, which is essential in fighting infection.
Whether you spend a lot of time cooking at home or not, it’s great to be aware of which ingredients are healthy and which ones are not. Garlic and cayenne pepper are just two of the many ingredients that have the potential to greatly impact your health for the better. If you have any questions natural health remedies and which ones are most appropriate for you, please don’t hesitate to ask us! Stop by [company_short] or give us a call at [phone_main]. We look forward to speaking with you!