It's that time of year again--pumpkin spice will be showing up all over the place.
Well, if you’re someone who likes everything from your coffee to your bagels to your pretzels to taste like they came from a pumpkin patch, you probably already know that pumpkin spice generally contains cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and allspice. But you might not have known that these spices actually come with some health benefits. Now, drinking a pumpkin spice latte probably won’t cure a cold, but these classic pumpkin spice flavors have some health benefits, so let’s focus on the positive.
Cinnamon - A study on this tasty pantry staple found cassia cinnamon may help with controlling blood sugar levels.
Nutmeg - According to WebMD, people have used nutmeg to treat all kinds of things, from stomach issues to kidney disease. But WebMD also points out that there’s not enough evidence to support this spice being used as a medicine.
Ginger - Some use it to treat nausea and morning sickness and science backs that up. A study finds that “ginger is an effective and inexpensive treatment for nausea and vomiting and is safe.”
Allspice - Research has found allspice contains compounds that “collectively possess antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, cancer-fighting, sedative, antiseptic, antiviral, and antifungal properties.”
Pumpkin - Not all pumpkin spice lattes contain actual pumpkin, but Starbucks added it to theirs back in 2015, so it makes this list. WebMD reports pumpkins are high in vitamin A, which is good for eyes, skin, and fighting infections.