Combining These Spices Multiplies Their Anti-Inflammatory Benefits, New Research Shows

Four years ago I started a new habit that totally revolutionized my meals, the way I viewed food, and ultimately, how my body felt. I started eating at least 30 different types of plants a week, based on research indicating that was the threshold for unlocking some serious gut health benefits. Every Monday, I’d refresh my notes app and start a new list, tracking all the different foods I was eating. 

It was so fun. It forced me to get creative with my cooking or what I ordered when eating out. I started viewing food as something to add, rather than take away. It wasn’t before long that I started to feel the benefits: I had more energy, my digestion improved, I didn’t get as sick as often, and I just felt more capable in my body. 

What really was a game changer for me was when I started getting playful with herbs and spices. I drank tea blends, made complex marinades with loads of spices, and finished dishes with fresh herbs. It made everything taste better, yes, but it also felt like I was doing something deeper for my health.

A recent study published in Nutrients1 found that pairing certain plant compounds doesn’t just add benefits—it can dramatically amplify them.

Researchers discovered that when specific compounds found in herbs and spices were combined, their anti-inflammatory effects increased—sometimes by “several hundred-fold”— compared to when those same compounds were used individually.

Individually, some compounds showed modest anti-inflammatory effects. Capsaicin, for example, had the strongest anti-inflammatory effect on its own. But even that paled in comparison to what they found when they combined it. 

When capsaicin was paired with menthol or cineole, the anti-inflammatory response increased dramatically—by several hundred times compared to individual use.

"When capsaicin and menthol or 1,8-cineole were used together, their anti-inflammatory effect increased several hundred-fold compared to when each compound was used alone," Arimura explained in a press release.

Each compound works through different biological pathways.

Menthol and cineole influence inflammation through TRP channels and calcium signaling, while capsaicin appears to act through a different pathway entirely. When you activate multiple pathways at once, the effects become greater than the sum of its parts. 

"We demonstrated that this synergistic effect is not a coincidence, but is based on a novel mode of action resulting from the simultaneous activation of different intracellular signaling pathways," says Arimura. "This provides clear molecular-level evidence for the empirically known effects of combining food ingredients."

Think of your spice rack as a team, not a lineup of solo players. These results suggest that mixtures of plant compounds can produce meaningful biological effects even at the lower levels typically consumed in a normal diet. 

You don't need mega-doses of any single "superfood." You need variety.

This research reinforces a core principle of whole-food eating: health benefits often come not from isolated compounds, but from how everything works together. While more studies in humans are needed to confirm these effects, the findings offer a compelling reason to embrace variety in your cooking. Not for nothing, it will likely mean your meals become more interesting, dynamic, and delicious too. That’s a win-win, no?