The Best Anti-Inflammatory Spices to Add to Your Daily Meals

36. Caraway Seeds: Digestive Comfort & Spice

Famous for flavouring rye bread and sauerkraut, caraway seeds offer more than just their distinctive licorice-anise taste. They are traditionally prized for easing digestive discomfort like gas and bloating, thanks to compounds like carvone which relax intestinal muscles. These compounds also exhibit antioxidant and anti-inflammatory potential. Use whole or ground seeds in baking, cabbage dishes, goulash, cheese spreads, or sprinkle over pork dishes for a touch of Central European flavour and digestive support.

37. Juniper Berries: Gin's Flavorful Foundation

These small, dark berries (technically cones) give gin its characteristic piney flavour but also boast health benefits. Rich in aromatic monoterpenes like alpha-pinene, juniper berries possess antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory properties. Traditionally used as a diuretic and to soothe arthritis or gout symptoms, they add complexity to marinades (especially for game meats), sauerkraut, stews, and pickling brines. Crush them lightly before use to release their potent flavour and beneficial oils.