While Starbucks' pumpkin spice lattes might have a reputation for typically being high in added sugar, pumpkin spice itself should be receiving nothing but praise, according to an expert.
“Pumpkin spice is everywhere in the fall. It has some really important spices with health benefits,” Kanchan Koya, Ph.D., said in an interview withEatingWell. “It has cinnamon, it has nutmeg, clove and ginger. All of these spices are being studied for their health benefits.”
EatingWell
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First, Koya broke down the benefits of each featured spice in the blend, starting with cinnamon.
“Cinnamon has powerful properties that can potentially lower blood sugar and stabilize blood sugar, and that’s really important because many people are struggling with good blood sugar control and metabolic health,” she said. There’s plenty of research that supports cinnamon’s role in steadying blood sugar levels, includinga 2020 studypublished in theJournal of the Endocrine Society.
“Ginger has anti-inflammatory compounds and digestion-boosting compounds, so it’s really helping to reduce things like gas, bloating, but also to bring down systemic chronic inflammation,” Koya explained. She goes more in depth about howginger can help reduce bloating in this recent article.
Finally, the other two spices typically included in pumpkin spice are nutmeg and cloves, and Koya goes on to explain their beneficial effects.
“Nutmeg has some really interesting calming compounds, so it’s great to promote feelings of relaxation, help with things like anxiety, mood and also anti-inflammatory effects,” she stated. “And, of course, cloves have compounds like eugenol—I’m actually sucking on a clove right now because I’m just recovering from a sore throat—and it can help with topical pain relief, but also with inflammation in the body.”
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The Bottom Line
All in all, it’s clear that each ingredient in pumpkin spice seasoning has healthy qualities.
“I would say the overarching health benefits of pumpkin spice are controlling chronic low levels of inflammation, and also some other effects like blood sugar balance,” Koya concluded in the interview.
We fully support including more pumpkin spice into your routine this fall, and for seasons beyond, whether that be adding some intoyour morning cup of coffeeor enjoying it in a savory setting, like thisPumpkin Spice Butternut Squash Soup.
For another savory, spice-forward recipe, Koya helped develop aPumpkin Spice Saladrecipe with Little Leaf Farms featuring fiber-packed veggies and, of course, our favorite anti-inflammatory spice blend.
“We created this Pumpkin Spice Salad with the Little Leaf Farms lettuce, which I’m really excited about because one, it has the pumpkin spice blend with the anti-inflammatory compounds, but it also has anti-inflammatory produce in the salad,” Koya said. “All of these vegetables also have fiber, which is going to help your gut microbiome, which is going to help manage inflammation.” OK, we’re making this autumnal side salad as soon as possible!
Up next:The #1 Tip for Keeping Your Meal-Prep Salads Fresh, According to Kanchan Koya, Ph.D.
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