Dr. Steven Gundry [00:04]

Welcome to the Dr. Gundry Podcast. I’m going to talk about something that’s going to spice up your life today. I love to introduce you to ingredients that, if you use them, make people say, “Wait, what is that?” Well, today I’ve got seven spices almost nobody in this country has heard of, even though they’ve been used in kitchens and in medicine cabinets around the world for literally thousands of years.

And the research on these seven is finally catching up to why they’ve been used.

Spice 1: Grains of Paradise

Dr. Gundry: [01:31]

Well, let’s start with one that I already use in my kitchen every day instead of black pepper. And that’s grains of paradise.

Grains of paradise is named that because, back in the Middle Ages, pepper became so expensive (pepper came from the Spice Islands) that a cheaper alternative was introduced from the coast of Africa. It was not a pepper at all, but it was called grains of paradise, since the Spice Islands were paradise.

The great thing is, grains of paradise are a seed that’s a cousin of ginger, but it tastes pretty doggone close to black pepper. It’s also sold as alligator pepper, and it’s been used medicinally in Africa for literally thousands of years.

It reduces inflammation via COX-2 inhibition, the same system that ibuprofen uses, but it actually doesn’t cause damage to the gut wall as ibuprofen does. The great thing is, in animal studies, it calms the brain’s immune cells and eases neuroinflammation. And if you’ve been following me and my friends like Dr. David Perlmutter or Dr. Dale Bredesen, you know that neuroinflammation is the real mischief maker in your brain, causing dementia and Parkinson’s. So anything that fights that is a great idea.

Also, I became interested in it because its active ingredient is a potent mitochondrial uncoupler. And who wouldn’t want to uncouple their mitochondria? If you’re really interested in that, The Energy Paradox, Unlocking the Keto Code, and Gut Check all go into uncoupling mitochondria and why that’s probably a good idea.

So swap it out in your own cooking. You can actually buy grinders that have grains of paradise already loaded in, and it’s just an easy, fun way to get a new, important spice that protects your brain and uncouples your mitochondria.

Spice 2: Black Cumin

Dr. Gundry: [03:02] 

Okay, how about number two: black cumin, sometimes called black seed. This has been called the cure for everything for a very long time.

Black cumin comes from Nigella sativa, which was native to the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia. It was actually found buried along with King Tut in his tomb. That’s how far back this goes.

A randomized trial shows that it drops fasting blood sugar and LDL cholesterol. And in the same trial, it actually raised HDL, the cholesterol you want more of.

The active compound, thymoquinone, calms and protects mitochondria, and calms inflammation. You can take it as a supplement, you can take it as an oil, but it’s something that really ought to be in your armamentarium.

Spice 3: Sumac

Dr. Gundry: [05:19]

All right, here’s one that I see all the time when I travel in the Middle East. It’s at almost every Middle Eastern dinner. It’s sprinkled on hummus, it’s in salads, and that is sumac.

Growing up in the Midwest, I was surrounded by sumac plants. And believe it or not, we made sumac tea. Sumac comes from the dried, ground berry of a Mediterranean shrub, but as I said, we grew it in the Midwest. It’s got a really tart kick, and it’s classically found in za’atar blends. Again, it’s been around forever.

Gram for gram, sumac packs more polyphenols than oregano. This is the same polyphenol story I’ve been telling you for years, just a different spice. And it’s really interesting when you look back for eons, for centuries, that so many of these spices in all of these native cuisines are polyphenol-based.

More good news: studies link sumac use to lower cholesterol numbers and improved blood sugar control. So, want to try a fun thing? Swap your table salt out for sumac, sprinkle it on, and see what you taste. You’ll be surprised.

Spice 4: Fermented Long Pepper

Dr. Gundry: [08:24] 

Now, the next one I’ve been taking for years as a longevity supplement, and it might be one of the most obscure ingredients in this whole list. Number four: fermented long pepper.

This is the fermented spice that traditional Chinese medicine swears by. It’s so old, and nobody knows why it got into all these mixes, but fermented long pepper is one of the most effective natural ways to lower blood pressure.

Like other peppers, like black pepper, it’s loaded with piperine, the same compound sold as BioPerine in supplements. The good news is, as you know, fermenting peppers, which do have lectins, destroys the lectins. So you want to look for fermented long pepper. It’s available as a supplement, and fermenting makes the polyphenols in long pepper far more bioavailable. Again, anytime you ferment something, you make the polyphenols far more bioavailable. So think about adding that to your longevity stack.

Spice 5: Hing (Asafoetida)

Dr. Gundry: [08:24] 

Spice number five: asafoetida, also called hing. This is a gum that really smells awful but tastes like onion and garlic. It’s a cousin of fennel, and raw, it really smells awful. But if you cook with it in oil, it turns into an onion-garlic flavor.

A clinical trial in humans found that 81% of people with chronic indigestion improved on it, and 66% stayed symptom-free for a full month later. It’s actually been a cornerstone of Ayurvedic medicine for digestion and breathing issues for centuries. And it’s also a great swap for anyone who can’t tolerate onion or garlic.

Spice 6: Amchur (Green Mango Powder)

Dr. Gundry: [10:47] 

All right, the next one solves a problem that you might not even realize you have: amchur powder. This is a sour spice that actually cuts salt without cutting flavor. It comes from an unripe green mango that’s dried and ground into a fine powder.

You’ve heard me say before that green mango is really good for you. It’s an amazing prebiotic that our gut bacteria love. And the great thing is, early work in the lab has shown that it shifts your gut bacteria into a more favorable mix because of the prebiotic fiber.

So what if your salt shaker had a healthier, tangy alternative sitting right next to it, like this powder? In fact, it’s a classic souring agent in Indian cooking, and it usually stands in for lemon or salt. Try it on roasted vegetables in place of a squeeze of lemon.

Spice 7: Black Cardamom

Dr. Gundry: [10:47] 

All right, number seven: black cardamom. Most of you know the spice cardamom, which is green. This is a smoked cardamom pod, but it’s not a cousin of the green guy. It’s actually a totally different plant. These pods are dried over an open fire, which gives them a deep, smoky flavor.

This particular cardamom grows wild in the Himalayan foothills and shows up across Indian, Chinese, and Southeast Asian kitchens. It’s used as a traditional medicine for digestion and respiratory issues. Interestingly, in animal studies, it activated antioxidant enzymes and protected the liver. And unlike some of today’s spices, unfortunately, there aren’t any human trials yet.

Why not try tossing a whole pod into stews the way you would a bay leaf?

Spices as Medicine

Dr. Gundry: [13:03] 

All right, so that’s seven different, interesting spices that I think are well worth knowing about. Most of them you can use in your cooking. Several of them I take as a supplement, because I don’t cook with these every day of the week, and I think they’re valuable as a supplement as well.

The research into traditional Chinese medicine, and into why cultures choose to use a particular spice in their cooking, is rapidly catching up. People are not using these as spices, as flavoring. They’re using them as medicine. You’ve heard Hippocrates say, “Let food be thy medicine.” And now we know why he said that.

So those are some interesting ones. If you’ve got some that should be of interest that I didn’t mention here, please leave a comment, and we’ll look into it. And who knows, you might hear me talking about what you like next time.

Now it’s time for the question of the week. This question comes from a viewer on my YouTube video on delaying breakfast. They ask: “What is your opinion on taking a spoon of extra virgin olive oil in relation to the beginning of the eight-hour clock? I take one dose just before bed and one first thing in the morning, but I could shift the morning dose for later.”

Dr. Gundry: [14:52] 

Well, that’s a great question. The good news is that it doesn’t look like fat, like olive oil, actually breaks your fast. Much of this work was done by my friend and colleague, Dr. Valter Longo. But it does not look like olive oil will break your fast. So enjoy it right now, whenever you want.

Now it’s time for the review of the week. This review comes from a viewer on my YouTube video on why you’re still getting migraines. They said, “Fantastic explanation on a very important topic, especially for my family. Thanks so much, Dr. Gundry.”

Well, you’re welcome. I see a lot of patients with migraines in my practice, and as a former migraine sufferer, as was my father, I thought it was just heredity. Boy, was I wrong. It’s amazing how many people can shed their life of migraines by changing their diet. Thanks for that review.

Dr. Gundry: [16:27]

That’s a wrap on today’s episode. And before you go, I want to leave you with one task. If anything you heard today made you think, made you want to dig deeper, or gave you something you’re going to pass along to someone you care about, please take 15 seconds and leave a five-star rating and review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. 

I know that sounds small. But those reviews are how Apple and Spotify decide which shows to surface to new listeners, and this show only grows when people who’ve never heard of it suddenly find it. That person finding this podcast today could hear something that genuinely improves their life or the life of someone they love, maybe even saves one.

Everything I share here comes from my research when writing my next book and from my clinics, where I’ve been seeing patients six days a week for over 25 years, working with nutrition and supplements as the primary treatment. This is real-world medicine. Help me get it to more people. And thank you, truly, thank you. I’m Dr. G, and I’m always looking out for you.