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easonings
are known as improvers of the taste of the viands and other more food prepared
daily. They are one of the essential parts of the kitchen that gives beauty in
the place. Other than that, seasonings have also characteristics that
contribute to medical field. Such
examples are the peppers, vinegars and salts.
PEPPER
Medicinal uses
§
Peppers have been
used therapeutically in dentistry as an antiseptic for tooth-decay and gum
swellings.
§
Peppercorns are
also being used as traditional medicines in treating flatulence and
indigestion; however, there is little or no data to support these claims in
modern medicine.
Health benefits
§
Peppercorns
contain an impressive list of plant derived chemical compounds that are known
to have disease preventing and health promoting properties. Peppers have been
in use since centuries for its anti-inflammatory, carminative, anti-flatulent
properties.
§
Peppercorns are
composed of health benefiting essential oils such as piperine, an amine alkaloid, which gives strong spicy
pungent character to the pepper. It also contains numerous monoterpenes
hydrocarbons such as sabinene, pinene,
terpenene, limonene, mercene, etc., which altogether gives aromatic property to the
pepper.The above-mentioned active principles in the pepper may increase the gut
motility as well as the digestion power by increasing gastro-intestinal enzyme
secretions. It has also been found that piperine can increase absorption of
selenium, B-complex vitamins, beta-carotene, as well as other nutrients from
the food.
§
Black peppercorns
contain a good amount of minerals like potassium, calcium, zinc, manganese,
iron, and magnesium. Potassium is an important component of cell and body
fluids that helps controlling heart rate and blood pressure. Manganese is used by the body as a co-factor for the antioxidant
enzyme,superoxide dismutase. Iron is essential for cellular respiration and blood cell
production.
§
They are also an
excellent source of many vital B-complex groups of vitamins such as Pyridoxine,
riboflavin, thiamin and niacin.
§
Peppercorns are a
good source of many anti-oxidant vitamins such as vitamin-C and vitamin-A. They are also rich in flavonoid
polyphenolic anti-oxidants like carotenes, cryptoxanthin, zea-xanthin and
lycopene. These compounds help the body removes harmful free radicals and helps
protect from cancers and diseases.
Peppercorns are also being used as traditional medicines in treating flatulence and indigestion; however, there is little or no data to support these claims in modern medicine.
Peppercorns are also being used as traditional medicines in treating flatulence and indigestion; however, there is little or no data to support these claims in modern medicine.
VINEGAR
Medicinal uses
Anti-infective Properties
The
use of vinegar to fight infections and other acute conditions dates back to
Hippocrates, who recommended a vinegar preparation for cleaning ulcerations and
for the treatment of sores. Oxymel, a popular ancient medicine composed of
honey and vinegar, was prescribed for persistent coughs by Hippocrates and his
contemporaries, and by physicians up to modern day.
Recent scientific investigations
clearly demonstrate the antimicrobial properties of vinegar, but mainly in the
context of food preparation experts advised against using vinegar preparations for treating wounds.At
concentrations nontoxic to fibroblasts and keratinocytes, acetic acid solutions
were ineffective at inhibiting the growth of Escherichia coli, group D Enterococcus, or Bacteroides fragilis bacteria, and only slightly effective at inhibiting
the growth of Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria. Similarly, experts caution against using
vinegar as a household disinfectant against human pathogens because chemical
disinfectants are more effective.However, undiluted vinegar may be used
effectively for cleaning dentures, and, unlike bleach solutions, vinegar
residues left on dentures were not associated with mucosal damage.
In the popular media, vinegar is
commonly recommended for treating nail fungus, head lice, and warts, yet
scientific support for these treatment strategies is lacking. Although not a
treatment modality, vinegar washes are used by midwives in remote, poorly
resourced location to screen women for the human papilloma virus infection. Contact with acetic acid causes visual alterations of
the viral lesions permitting rapid detection of infection with 77% sensitivity and the option of immediate treatment with cryotherapy.
Cardiovascular Effects
Kondo
and colleagues reported a significant reduction in systolic blood pressure in
spontaneously hypertensive (SHR) rats fed a standard laboratory diet mixed with
either vinegar or an acetic acid solution as compared with SHR rats fed the
same diet mixed with deionized water. These observed reductions in systolic
blood pressure were associated with reductions in both plasma renin activity
and plasma aldosterone concentrations. Others have reported that vinegar
administrationinhibited the renin-angiotensin system in nonhypertensive
Sprague-Dawley rats.
Trials investigating the effects of
vinegar ingestion on the renin-angiotensin system have not been conducted in
humans, and there is no scientific evidence that vinegar ingestion alters blood
pressure in humans.
Antitumor
Activity
In vitro, sugar cane vinegar (Kibizu)
induced apoptosis in human leukemia cells, and traditional Japanese rice vinegar (Kurosu)
inhibited the proliferation of human cancer cells in a dose-dependent manner. An ethyl acetate extract of Kurosu added to drinking
water significantly inhibited the
incidence and multiplicity of azoxymethane-induced colon carcinogenesis in male
F344 rats when compared with the same markers in control animals.
Good Glucose Control
The antiglycemic effect of vinegar was
first reported by Ebihara and Nakajima in
1988. In rats, the blood glucose response to a 10% corn starch load was
significantly reduced when co-administered with a 2% acetic acid solution. Several years later, Brighenti and colleagues demonstrated in normoglycemic subjects that 20 mL
white vinegar as a salad dressing ingredient reduced the glycemic response to a
mixed meal by over 30%. Salad dressings made from neutralized vinegar,
formulated by adding 1.5 g sodium bicarbonate to 20 mL white vinegar, or a salt
solutiondid not significantly affect the glycemic response to the mixed meal. Separate placebo-controlled trials have corroborated
the meal-time, antiglycemic effects of 20 g vinegar in healthy adults.
Recently, the antiglycemic property of
vinegar was demonstrated to extend to individuals with marked insulin
resistance or type 2 diabetes. In this crossover
trial, individuals with insulin resistance or with diagnosed type 2 diabetes
consumed a vinegar test drink or placebo immediately before the consumption of
a mixed meal. In the insulin-resistant subjects, vinegar ingestion reduced
postprandial glycemia 64% as compared with placebo values and improved
postprandial insulin sensitivity by 34%. In individuals with type 2 diabetes, vinegar
ingestion was less effective at reducing mealtime glycemia; however, vinegar
ingestion was associated with a slight improvement in postprandial insulin
sensitivity in these subjects.
In healthy subjects, Ostman and
colleagues
demonstrated that acetic acid had a
dose-response effect on postprandial glycemia and insulinemia. Subjects
consumed white bread alone or with 3 portions of vinegar containing 1.1, 1.4,
or 1.7 g acetic acid. At 30 minutes post-meal, blood glucose concentrations
were significantly reduced by all concentrations of acetic acid as compared
with the control value, and a negative.
SALT
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Sore Throat: The simplest remedy for minor sore throat pain is a warm
saltwater gargle. Just add 1 teaspoon salt to 8 ounces warm water, and gargle
several times a day. See a physician if the sore throat persists longer than 3
days or is accompanied by a high fever.
Burns or Injuries: A severe burn in your mouth from eating something very
hot can be relieved by rinsing with saltwater every hour or so. Use 1/2 teaspoon salt in 8 ounces warm water.
Biting the tongue or cheek can result in
a large amount of blood but is rarely serious. To help ease the pain, rinse
mouth with 1 teaspoon salt in 1 cup warm water.
Gums: Swish with 1 teaspoon salt in 4 ounces warm water when
gums are painful. If you have an abscess, the salt will draw out some of the
infection. Any gum pain should be treated by a dentist as soon as possible.
Toothaches: As a temporary remedy for a toothache before going to
the dentist, rinse your mouth with a mixture of 4 ounces warm water, 2
tablespoons vinegar, and 1 tablespoon salt.
Add 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon
baking soda to 8 ounces warm water. Gargle with the mixture 3 times a day to
ease your sore throat. If pain persists longer than 3 days, contact a physician.
Nose: Make your own saline nose
drops to use for controlling annoying postnasal drip. People with sleep apnea,
a condition that involves a dangerous interruption of breathing while asleep,
may also want to try these drops to help keep nasal passages open.
Bee stings and bug bites: Work a
mixture of salt and water into a paste that will stick to a bee sting or bug
bite. Apply the paste, and let sit until dry. This should relieve any itch or
pain. Combine equal parts baking soda and salt, then brush onto a sting or bite
area to help relieve itch.
Treat
a mosquito bite by soaking it for a few minutes in saltwater, then applying an
ointment made of salt and lard.
Poison
ivy and poison oak: Help poison ivy clear up more quickly by soaking
irritated skin in hot saltwater.
Allergies: Irrigating
the nostrils and sinuses with saltwater is an excellent way to control
persistent, annoying allergy symptoms.
Dissolve 1/2 teaspoon salt in 8 ounces
room temperature water. Draw mixture into a nose dropper, and inhale liquid
through your nostrils. Repeat several times for each nostril, using 2 or 3
drops of the solution each time. When you are through, blow your nose until no
discharge remains.
Indeed, seasonings are not only for
food but it is also for everyone’s health. So what are you waiting for? Go to
your kitchen and discover the magic beyond those seasonings.
Sources:
http://www.nutrition-and-you.com/black_pepper.html
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