Inflammation is at the root of most health problems, including the health of your brain. You see, the inflammatory response generates free radicals, which over time can lead to oxidative stress and damage your cells. “Age-related diseases are often associated with inflammation,” mbg Yufan Lin, MD, an integrative medicine specialist at the Cleveland Clinic, previously said.

However, antioxidants can neutralize these free radicals and, as a result, stop inflammation. So fueling your body with antioxidant-rich anti-inflammatory ingredients seems like a good idea, and according to the aforementioned study, you can’t do better than turmeric, ginger, and cardamom (also known as Zingiberovi family).

Each of these spices contains bioactive compounds that have an anti-inflammatory effect. For example, research claims that ginger can inhibit tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha), a powerful inflammatory chemical, as well as COX-2, an inflammatory enzyme; In addition, it has a protective effect against amyloid-β, the key protein of Alzheimer’s.

Curcumin (which is the main bioactive ingredient in turmeric) has been found to block NF-kB, a molecule that can enter your cells and turn on genes that lead to inflammation. Finally, according to the study, cardamom promotes the production of certain antioxidants in the body, such as glutathione, and prevents the formation of Aβ42 (a biomarker associated with Alzheimer’s disease).