7 Powerful Spices that Help You Fight Cancer

Amy Taylor June 23, 2014

Cancer remains to be one of the biggest health threats in the world. It brings fear and anxiety to almost everyone who hears it. This debilitating illness can affect anyone, regardless of age, gender or socioeconomic status. Whilst some people survive, most do not. And even those who survived still face a significant risk of developing the disease again.

Fortunately, the nature has given us plenty of options to protect ourselves from cancer. And they include the following spices. Make sure you have them in your kitchen and use them more frequently!

Oregano

The warm, balsamic and aromatic flavour of oregano makes it a perfect addition to Mediterranean and Mexican cuisines. The chemicals that give the herb its unique and pleasant smell are thymol, pinene, limonene, carvacrol, ocimene, and caryophyllene. This popular spice, which is commonly used in pasta sauces, has anticancer properties. Just one teaspoon of oregano has the potential to stop the growth of malignant cancerous cells such as those that cause prostate cancer. Oregano also contains fibre, iron, manganese, vitamin E, iron, calcium, omega fatty acids, manganese, and typtophan.

Saffron

Saffron contains crocetin – a carotenoid that helps stop cancer progression. What’s more, this powerful compound has been shown to be able to reduce the size of cancerous tumours by 50 per cent. Though it is expensive, its benefits can be enjoyed by ingesting only a few of its threads.

Cinnamon

This favourite spice of bakers does have cancer-fighting properties too. Only half of a teaspoon of cinnamon is needed each day to enjoy its cancer-reducing benefits. Cinnamon is known to inhibit the formation of new vessels within the body as well as reduce the growth of tumours.

Fennel

Fennel is a flowering plant species in the celery family that you either hate or love due to its strong aniseed flavour. This spice, however, contains anethole which has the ability to resist the invasive and adhesive qualities of cancer cells. Fennel does this by suppressing those activities that are regulated by enzymes and that encourage cancerous cells to multiply. This spice also contains a plethora of other antioxidants and phytonutrients.

Ginger

Ginger has long been known for its healing abilities. Aside from its ability to lower cholesterol, ginger can also boost metabolism. Research also shows that ginger may actually kill cells that cause cancer.

Cumin

Cumin is a powerful antioxidant that aids in digestion and has cancer-preventing qualities. It has thymoquinone – the compound helps reduce the spread of the cells that can cause colon cancer.

Turmeric

This basic ingredient for curry dishes contains curcumin which has anticancer effects. A 2007 American study that combined curcumin with chemotherapy to treat bowel cancer cells in a laboratory showed that the combined treatment killed more cancer cells than the chemotherapy alone. Scientists say curcumin effectively targets on breast, bowel cancer, stomach and skin cancer cells.