Spices are a mainstay in many kitchens. Some cuisines, like Indian cuisine, actually need a whole kitchen of spices to produce the rich flavors that the rest of the world has come to enjoy too. Well, that is an exaggeration, but their masala dabba or spice box is pretty much the same thing.

One thing the Indians know for a fact is that spices can heal. They not only make food exciting and a real treat to eat, but they also act as medicines. Some are known for their antioxidant qualities while others are anti-inflammatory.

 Cayenne Pepper

The medicinal qualities of these spices are the focus of IndiaFest 2015, an annual event sponsored by the Indo-American Association of Delaware. Pooja D’Souza, one of the event organizers, says to go check what you have in the kitchen first before popping pills from a bottle.

Delaware Online reports that phytochemicals, the compounds in spices which contain these healing properties, can “ease chronic inflammation and stress.” This point is also stressed by Sharon Collison, nutritionist and professor at the University of Delaware.

 Cardamom Seeds

Phytochemicals help the body produce less inflammatory markers. When tissue gets damaged or infected, these markers multiply. In a very real way, spices that have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties function very similarly to Advil or Motrin.

“Since long-term use of [non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications] can cause harmful side effects, natural anti-inflammatory agents are a hot topic,” Collison said.

 Turmeric

Sippi Sharma, another IndiaFest organizer, looks back at the history of spices. “Spices used to be more expensive than gold,” she says. And you do not need a lot of it to make a difference.

Some good examples of spices which heal are ground cayenne pepper for allergies, boiled cardamom seeds for digestion and nausea, and turmeric which can be turned into a cream for cuts and bruises.

Of course, there is such a thing as over spicing. For instance, nutmeg. Sharma says to be wary as “more than two tablespoons give you hallucinations.”