Spicing Up Your Meals to Build Your Gut Health

Adding about 1 teaspoon of herbs and spices to your meals daily led to improvements in the gut microbiome after just four weeks Africa Studio/Shutterstock

Adding about 1 teaspoon of herbs and spices to your daily meals is all it takes to give your gut microbiome a healthy boost. It’s just one of many lifestyle factors that influence your gut health.

STORY AT-A-GLANCE

• Adding about 1 teaspoon of herbs and spices to your meals daily led to improvements in the gut microbiome after just four weeks, research from Penn State revealed
• The blend of blend of herbs and spices evaluated included cinnamon, ginger, cumin, turmeric, rosemary, oregano, basil and thyme
• After four weeks of consuming herbs and spices, diversity of gut bacteria increased in the study participants, particularly after three-fourths teaspoon- or 1.5-teaspoon daily doses
• Decreased diversity in the gut microbiome is considered unhealthy and has been linked to chronic conditions such as obesity and Type 2 diabetes
• Consuming a diet high in herbs and spices, including basil, thyme, cinnamon and turmeric, for four weeks was previously found to lower systolic blood pressure

Trillions of microorganisms live in your intestinal tract. Their makeup plays a profound role in your health, affecting everything from mental health¹ and heart disease² to obesity³ and sleep problems.⁴ What you eat is a key player in the health of your gut microbiome. A healthy diet helps create an optimal environment for beneficial gut bacteria, while decreasing pathogenic or disease-causing bacteria, fungi and yeast.