We’re getting closer toChristmas and nearly every bakery isoffering adelicious seasonal treat— crunchy, mouth-watering gingerbread cookies. Ifyou waited the whole year tofinally try them, wehave good news for you. Gingerbread cookies contain lots ofhealthy spices, such ascloves, cinnamon, and ginger, and ifyou enjoy them inmoderation, they can actually benefit your health inmany surprising ways.
WeatBright Side often crave delicious gingerbread cookies during the holiday season. And wedecided tofind out how the spices they contain can help you eat your way tobetter health.
1. Itmight ease menstrual cramps.
Inaddition tosimply being delicious, gingerbread cookies may serve asanatural way tosoothe painful menstrual cramps. Cinnamon ingingerbread has been proven torelieve period pain and other unpleasant symptoms ofmenstruation, such asnausea and fatigue. Gingerbread cookies also contain ginger, which can bevery effective against period pain when you take itatthe beginning ofyour period.
2. Itmay help your liver work better.
It’s hard not toovereat tasty gingerbread, but when you enjoy itinmoderate amounts, certain compounds initcan benefit your health. Cloves, for example, isanother herb ingingerbread that can relieve liver pain. Itcontains eugenol that promotes liver function and helps reduce signs offatty liver disease.
3. Itmight help with indigestion.
Ifyou’ve ever felt discomfort inthe upper part ofyour stomach, you might besuffering from indigestion. This unpleasant condition can becaused byvarious things, and one ofthem isthe delayed emptying ofthe stomach. Ginger has been shown tospeed upthis process and can help you ease the symptoms ofstomach discomfort.
4. Itmay benefit your skin.
People who regularly eat cinnamon have fewer chances oftheir skin aging prematurely. Because itcontains lots ofantioxidants, cinnamon protects skin against harmful free radicals that damage skin cells and cause the skin tolose its elasticity. There are many ways toincorporate cinnamon into your diet, and enjoying afew gingerbread cookies during the holiday season isone ofthem.
5. Itmight improve brain function.
Apart from keeping your skin smoother for longer, antioxidants can also help your brain tostay younger. Oxidative stress and constant inflammation can speed upthe brain aging process and are believed tobeamong the main reasons behind Alzheimer’s disease. Ginger has been shown toimprove memory and brain function and protect brain cells against age-related decline.
6. It’s good for your bones.
Cloves give gingerbread its warm and slightly spicy taste, and inaddition tobeing delicious, this healthy herb has powerful anti-inflammatory properties. Itcan reduce the risk ofarthritis, and because it’s rich inthe mineral manganese, ithelps your body tomanage enzymes that repair your bones.
Doyou like gingerbread cookies? Doyou prefer tocook them yourself orbuy them atthe grocery store?
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