Herbs, Holiday Dishes and…Your Health?

Common Herbs in Your Holiday Dishes

This holiday season, you may be in the kitchen cooking up your favorite dishes. Some of those dishes may include the herbs below, which have also been studied for their possible health benefits! Cranberry has been studied for urinary tract infections (UTIs). There’s mixed evidence on whether it can help prevent UTIs. Cranberry hasn’t been shown to be effective in treating an existing UTI. Sage has been used for sore throat, digestive problems, memory loss, and depression, but little research has been done on it, and it hasn’t clearly been shown to be helpful for any health condition. Cinnamon has been studied for diabetes and other conditions, but studies in people don’t support its use for health purposes. Ginger has been studied mostly as a remedy for nausea, and it may indeed be helpful for nausea related to pregnancy or cancer chemotherapy. Pomegranate has been studied for a variety of health conditions, but there isn’t much strong scientific evidence on its effects. Peppermint oil has been studied for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and the results of several studies indicate that it may improve IBS symptoms. Find out more about these and other herbs from NCCIH’s Herbs At a Glance fact sheets or HerbList™ app. Find out more