Savoring the Secrets in Seasonings

The use of spice can be traced as long ago as 3500 BC, they are treasured by their flavors and medicinal benefits. But have you noticed that you can even find them in a can of drink you grab from a local store?

That’s right! Spices are increasingly finding their way into packaged foods and drinks, adding exciting flavors and health benefits!

But adding spices to CPG products is not easy, before you start, you gotta know their health benefits, efficacy, dosage size, physical and chemical properties, etc.

Also, due to many limitations, spice extracts instead of dried spices are typically used. Most of the time, you can still find the characteristic flavors from the extracts, depending on specific applications and expectations, you may want to keep the flavors or mask them. Grains of paradise, turmeric, cinnamon, black pepper, cloves, and saffron are commonly used spices with amazing health benefits. Let’s what they can do.

Grains of Paradise - Weight Management

Originating from West Africa, grains of paradise are not just an ordinary spice. They possess a unique compound called 6-paradol, which has been found to increase calorie expenditure and potentially aid in weight management. Clinical studies have also shown that 40mg of GP extract lead to 5X increase in calories burned over 2 hours compared to placebo. You can easily find dietary supplements with CaloriBurn GP (grains of paradise extract, 6-paradol) in weight management category.

Turmeric - Anti-inflammation

Known as the "golden spice," turmeric has been revered for centuries in Ayurveda and traditional medicine. Its active compound, curcumin, exhibits potent anti-inflammatory properties. Curcumin has been widely used in CPG products, from dietary supplements, functional drinks even to snacks. The symbolic yellow color stains your hands, or clothes and everything, but it’s so eye-catching and often highlighted in the final products.

Cinnamon - Blood Sugar Management

Beyond its warm and comforting flavor, cinnamon offers remarkable health benefits in regulating blood sugar levels and improve insulin sensitivity, making it a valuable spice for individuals seeking to maintain stable blood sugar levels. It is an excellent addition to tea, healthy snacks, and also dietary supplements for blood sugar management.

Black Pepper - Bioavailability Enhancer

Often used alongside salt, black pepper is more than just a seasoning. Piperine, the active compound in black pepper, enhances nutrient absorption and exhibits antioxidant properties. Orally, it is used to increase absorption of various water- and fat-soluble nutrients, including curcumin, vitamin B6, β-carotene, selenomethionine, coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), resveratrol, and others.

Saffron - Mood

One of the most valuable spices in the world, saffron not only adds a vibrant color to dishes but also offers numerous health benefits. As an adaptogen, it’s been traditionally used in alleviating symptoms of depression and anxiety, quite a few supplements use saffron as key active ingredients for mood support.

There is so much more to explore with functional spices in dietary supplements and functional foods, flavor innovation as one thing, functional and diversified applications as another, combined with consumers’?demand for more natural options when making a decision, the market of functional spices is going to expand further more.