There Are Some Health Benefits With Pumpkin Spice

Pumpkin spice season is upon us, and that comes with some surprising health benefits; but we’re curious if they’re actually good for us.

By nowproducerdave on August 29, 2018
(Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

Love it or hate it, the Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte is here to stay. For a little while, since it’s a seasonal drink of course. But did you know that there are some actual health benefits to the spice that some people love, and others despise?

It isn’t the actual pumpkin spice itself, and no, it’s not going to be some miracle cure. And we’re also not saying that the PSL is healthy. Certainly that isn’t the case. What we’re saying is that the individual spices that make up the pumpkin spice have inherent health qualities, in small amounts. Cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, allspice, and pumpkin all make up “pumpkin spice.”

Cinnamon has been known to help control blood sugar levels. At least according to some researchers initial findings, anyway. It’s an antioxidant, but doctors say that too much can be a bad thing as well. Nutmeg has been used to treat stomach issues and kidney disease. It’s also been used in some cancer treatments and as a pain reliever. Though they say too much can be a hallucinogen. Oops. Ginger is very useful as a treatment for nausea. Though if you think you’re going to throw up, I wouldn’t drink a PSL or have a slice of pie, just a warning.

Cloves have been used to treat toothaches, but there seems to be some medical arguing going on about the actual effectiveness of that. Shrug. Allspice has been used to treat gas, vomiting, diarrhea, etc. WebMD doesn’t think it’s super effective, but it’s still one of those “good old treatments” I guess. If it works, it works, you know? And now pumpkin – there’s a lot of fiber in those little guys. Also, vitamin A, which is good for a lot of things. Your vision, skin, and infection fighting power.

But let’s be real here, with 240mg of sodium, 50g of sugar, and all the other stuff that’s in a PSL, any of these tiny health benefits are probably long tossed out of the window. But, now you know exactly what’s in a pumpkin spice latte, and how it’s sort of not actually all that bad for you?

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