Cinnamon enhances food with its aromatic and health-promoting qualities.
Spices impart color and taste, in addition to adding aroma to foods. In some cases, they prevent or modulate medical conditions. Although you often need to consume large amounts of spices to enhance health, daily use of a variety of spices may have a synergistic effect of producing good health. For example, cumin is said to aid memory and hot spices are said to relieve blocked sinuses. Understanding the chemistry of the spices in the food you eat helps you make the best choices about your diet.
Volatile Oils
Volatile oils impart aroma to spices and are classified into groups such as alcohols, aldehydes, amines and esters. In addition, terpenes are a class of chemical compounds that give pepper its spicy aroma. According to a paper edited by V.A. Parasarathy, et al., ginger contains two classifications of compounds: steam-volatile oil (which provides flavor and aroma) and non-steam-volatile oil components called gingerols (which determines strength, or pungency).
Capsaicin-Based Spices
The "heat" in hot peppers comes from capsaicin. It also is present in small quantities in oregano and cilantro. Capsaicin's burning effect comes from a hydrocarbon chain that binds to different spots in the digestive system. For example, some peppers burn immediately upon contacting the tongue while others don't burn until swallowed. The reason that drinking milk soothes the burn and drinking water does not is because capsaicin is soluble in oil but not in water. In large does, capsaicin can destroy nerve cells; it is used in self-defense products such as pepper sprays.
Antioxidant Properties
Antioxidants eliminate free radicals in the body (oxygen fragments from metabolism) before they can damage cells. Ginger, like capsaicin, derives its distinctive flavor from zingerone. Zingerone contains hydrocarbons but also has a carbon-oxygen group (carbonyl) that forms attachments to water molecules, making it soluble in water as well as in oils. Ginger is thought to have antioxidant properties and is used as a skin cream to prevent cancer. The oleoresins (mixture of oil and resin extracted from plants) in rosemary and sage are powerful antioxidants.
Other Medicinal Properties
Tumeric, part of the ginger family, is known for its antiseptic and digestive aid properties. The active compound is curcumin, which is classified as a polyphenol (an alcohol with at least one hydroxyl (OH) group attached). Cinnamon is known to reduce triglycerides (fatty acids), resulting in beneficial effects for those suffering from diabetes, high cholesterol and heart disease. According to the Encyclopedia of Spices, the active ingredient in cinnamon is MHCP (Methyl Hydroxy Chalcone Polymer). It regulates blood glucose levels by its insulin-like effects.
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