Health Benefits of Pumpkin Spice

I always love it when the end of August rolls around, and suddenly the grocery stores and restaurants are filled with pumpkin spice goodies. It’s a reminder to me that autumn is almost here…and that means the holiday season is not far behind! This seasoning combination has been wildly popular for several years. And die-hard fans need little excuse to consume pumpkin spice in their favorite products whenever they can. But did you know that there are some great health benefits of pumpkin spice too? That’s right! While many store-bought pumpkin spice products may not be the healthiest, when you use pumpkin spice to make your own recipes, it can give your health a boost! Let’s start by taking a look at the herbs commonly found in pumpkin spice seasoning. Typically, it contains cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, allspice, and clove. This spice combination actually packs a punch when it comes to health benefits! Especially during the fall and winter months.

Health benefits of pumpkin spice

Cinnamon

As one of the most popular culinary herbs, cinnamon is full of amazing health benefits! It is rich in antioxidants and has the power to help lower blood sugar levels, aid with digestion, and improve immunity. Cinnamon is anti-inflammatory and helps to protect the heart and brain function.  It has natural antibiotic and antiviral properties, so it can help to fight viruses and infections. Cinnamon can also help to fight fungal infections, including Candida.

Nutmeg

One important benefit of nutmeg is its ability to reduce pain and inflammation. It also helps with digestion, helps to naturally detoxify the body, improves insomnia, and improves brain health and blood pressure.

Ginger

One of the best and well-known benefits of ginger is for nausea and digestive issues. But that is not all that ginger can help with! Ginger can also help to fight colds and flu, can help reduce muscle pain, can fight inflammation, can lower blood sugar, and can help reduce heart disease risk. It may also help to lower cholesterol levels and could potentially be a cancer fighter! Finally, ginger is a potent infection fighter.

Allspice

This spice is sometimes mistakenly thought to be a mixture of other spices. But Allspice is a standalone spice that comes from the dried, unripe berries of the Jamaican Pimento tree, which is found in Mexico, parts of the Caribbean, and Central America. Allspice has strong anti-inflammatory properties and can reduce pain. It also benefits digestion and can eliminate diarrhea and constipation.  It is a strong antioxidant and has antibiotic and antiviral properties, which help the body fight viruses and infections.  Allspice can improve circulation and help to boost heart health as well.

Cloves

They may be tiny, but they pack some good benefits for your health! Cloves can help with a toothache or even teething pain. They also help to relieve upper respiratory infections. Cloves hold powerful anti-inflammatory properties and can also help reduce pain. They are great for treating scrapes and bruises and can help to improve digestion. With so many of these amazing culinary herbs able to help boost immune system function and fight viruses and infections, it is probably no surprise that this seasoning blend is popular in the fall…just at the start of cold and flu season! And you can harness the power of these herbs to help yourself to stay healthy this fall and winter season as well. But you must use pumpkin spice in the right way to reap the health benefits!  There are plenty of pumpkin spice products on the market that are less than healthy for you. But you can use these in your homemade goodies to make them healthier than store-bought options.  I’m actually drinking a homemade pumpkin spice latte that I have sweetened with stevia. It’s SO good…and so much less expensive than the well-known coffee chain’s version. And if you don’t want to use a store-bought pumpkin spice seasoning, you can make your own.  I’ve included a simple recipe below that you can whip up in about 5 minutes! Making your own pumpkin spice treats is a great way to be assured that you are getting real spices that contain the real benefits…and not imitation flavoring!