Molecular biologist Kanchan Koya discusses the health benefits of spices, focusing on their role in controlling blood sugar, anti-inflammatory benefits, and practical tips for using spices in daily cooking. Topics include the wonders of ginger, spiced cooking tips, incorporating spices into meals and snacks, and creating spiced drinks like chai and golden milk.

Kanchan Koya grew up in a house filled with wonderful fragrances from the spices simmering on her grandmother’s stove. In India, it was a common belief that spices were more than just pleasant tastes. Ancient wisdom said they had medicinal properties, and it was common for household medicine cabinets to store dried spices, not pills.Kanchan grew up to become a molecular biologist, studying in the US at Harvard Medical School. When her lab began to investigate turmeric’s healing properties, the ancient wisdom from her childhood met the scientific inquiry of her adult life - beginning a lifelong obsession with the health benefits of spice.  In today’s episode, Kanchan and regular guest Tim Spector help us understand whether there is any scientific evidence to support the health benefits of spices, the easiest way to add spice to our diet, and which ones to choose. Kanchan Koya is the founder of SpiceSpiceBaby and The Radical Vitality Podcast with a Ph.D. in Biomedicine from Harvard University and training from the Institute of Integrative Nutrition. Tim Spector is a co-founder at ZOE and one of the top 100 most cited scientists in the world. Download our FREE guide — Top 10 Tips to Live Healthier: https://zoe.com/freeguide Timecodes:00:00 - Intro00:10 - Topic introduction01:19 - Quickfire questions02:17 - What is a spice04:23 - How did Kanchan’s passion for spices begin?06:56 - What do we know about how spices affect our health?12:16 - The latest science on spices17:07 - Which spices are best?24:46 - How to start using spices?27:56 - Hacks to start using spices for the best health benefits possible30:55 - Quality of spices 35:45 - Storage of spices36:53 - Summary37:53 - Goodbyes38:47 - OutroEpisode transcripts are available here.Read ZOE’s PREDICT Studies here.Know more about the 5 spices you should embrace here.Follow Kanchan: https://www.instagram.com/chiefspicemamaFollow ZOE on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zoe/This podcast was produced by Fascinate Productions.

Kanchan Koya, an expert on the health benefits of spices, shares her passion for enhancing meals through flavor and nutrition. She highlights the incredible anti-inflammatory properties of spices and offers practical tips for incorporating them into everyday cooking. Discover how everyday spices like cumin and coriander can stabilize blood sugar and promote a healthy microbiome. Koya also shares creative snack ideas, like spiced yogurt and popcorn, making healthy eating fun and accessible for everyone!