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October 11, 2022    

When fall arrives, many people’s thoughts turn towards pumpkin spice, perhaps cradling a warm coffee with the flavour.

What is pumpkin spice?

Pumpkin spice is an aromatic blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger that is often used to make pumpkin pie and other baked goods such as pumpkin muffins, loaf, cake, cookies or waffles.
It can also be added to soups such as pumpkin soup, butternut squash soup, carrot soup and others.

Make Pumpkin Spice

Making your own pumpkin spice is easy. Simply combine the following ingredients and keep handy whenever you need it.

2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground cloves

Add a couple teaspoons or more to your favourite recipes when you are ready to use it.
The spices in pumpkin spice blend are healing and nourishing to the body.

Cinnamon
Cinnamon is a warming spice that is anti-viral, anti-bacterial and anti-fungal. The spice has prebiotic properties that support good gut health.
There is some evidence that cinnamon can help reduce short-term blood pressure. It is also good at lowering blood sugar as it helps lower the amount of glucose that enters the bloodstream.

Ginger
Ginger is another warming spice that is loaded with antioxidants. It is also an excellent herb that supports gut health as it relieves nausea and vomiting and can help treat indigestion.
Ginger can lower cholesterol levels, fight infection, lower blood sugar, reduce menstrual pain, help with weight loss, arthritis and improve brain function.

Nutmeg
Nutmeg is a popular warming spice that has abundant health benefits for relieving pain, soothing indigestion, detoxifying the body, nurturing the immune system, alleviating oral issues and strengthening the brain.

It can improve blood circulation, is good for blood pressure and circulation and can help treat insomnia.
One caveat is that high consumption of nutmeg can cause severe gastrointestinal reactions such as nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.  However it is mostly consumed in small amounts.

Cloves
Cloves are well known for alleviating toothache pain, yet they also have a host of other benefits.
This strong spice can regulate blood sugar levels and keep blood sugar levels in check.

Cloves also fight inflammation and are good for gut health, are anti-bacterial and heal digestive discomfort.
A promising solution for skin inflammation is by using clove essential oil. A spray bottle of diluted clove oil can help control pests in the home. Cloves should only be used in small amounts.

Now that you know the amazing benefits of pumpkin spice blend and how healing it is for the body, make sure to include it as part of your fall nutrition.

This article was first published in the Herbal Collective October’2022 issue. Find out more and sign up for our free newsletter here.