Is Your Pumpkin Spice Addiction Healthy?

The fall brings some cozy and comforting treats, particularly those involving pumpkin flavors and spices. You’ve undoubtedly seen ads for pumpkin spice lattes (PSLs), in addition to pumpkin bread, pumpkin cookies, and pumpkin pies in stores. Now, we are in no way prepared to say that those items are beneficial to your health. What we can say is that pumpkin spice itself may not be as bad as you think.

Pumpkin spice blends typically contain cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves, all of which offer beneficial antioxidants and antimicrobial properties. Even pumpkins themselves provide lots of beta-carotene, fiber, and other vitamins and minerals that benefit overall health.

Is Pumpkin Spice Healthy?

Both cinnamon and nutmeg have the highest concentration of salicylic acid, which is an integral compound for reducing inflammation. Cinnamon has also proven to be effective at lowering blood sugar and LDL (bad) cholesterol and raising HDL (good) cholesterol in people with type 2 diabetes. Ginger works to soothe nausea and has antibacterial properties. It has also proven effective at alleviating menstrual cramps and osteoarthritis pain.

Does Pumpkin Spice Benefit Mental Health?

We can agree that pumpkin spice is comforting during the fall. Many people feel warmed by the spice, but does the spice blend exhibit mental health benefits? In the United States, there is a recurring pumpkin spice theme during the fall. You can see it in coffee shops, grocery stores, and other establishments that anticipate the holidays. Some psychological experts believe that the anticipation of the holidays rekindles past experiences and builds community. There is even a link between smell and memories. For most people, pumpkin spice brings up warm and fond memories. There is no direct link between pumpkin spice and better mental health, but it is possible to evoke positive emotions.

Pumpkin Spice Recipes

We could not publish an article about pumpkin spice without including a few recipes. These are not your calorically dense PSLs; rather, they are healthier recipes that embrace the classic fall spice. We hope you enjoy them.

Pumpkin Spice Date Energy Balls

Have you been on the lookout for a healthy pumpkin spice treat? Well, you found it in these raw vegan date energy balls.