Healing Spices of Christmas: Frankincense, Cinnamon, and Clove
ESTIMATED READ TIME: 9 minutesI’ve always loved this time of year: the smell of cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and nutmeg drifting from the kitchen, warm tea steeping on the stove, and the comforting rhythm of gathering around food and family.
But these days, I see the season a little differently. When I sprinkle cinnamon into my morning smoothie or stir cloves and nutmeg into warm milk, I’m not just thinking about flavor. I’m thinking about healing.
I’ve learned that the very spices that make Christmas taste and smell so good are also some of the most powerful, antioxidant-rich plants on Earth. They help support the immune system, balance blood sugar, calm inflammation, and even improve mood and digestion.
Below, I'll share how these ancient, aromatic spices were once valued as medicine as much as flavor, and how you can use them today to bring warmth, balance, and healing to your holiday season (without the sugar crash).
Why We Gain Weight During the Holidays
It’s no surprise that most people gain a few pounds between Thanksgiving and New Year’s. Studies show the average adult puts on 1 to 2 pounds during the holiday season, and that this weight often doesn’t come off afterward, sometimes despite their best efforts.
Why? Because festive meals often include lots of sugar, refined flour, and heavy oils (not to mention alcohol), all ingredients that spike blood sugar, stress the liver, and store easily as fat. Holiday foods can be very easy to overeat, yet lack the nutrients your body needs to stay energized, balanced, and metabolically steady.
But here’s something most people don’t realize: the traditional flavors of Christmas, like gingerbread, eggnog, pumpkin pie, and spiced cider, originally featured warming spices that were far more than just flavoring agents.
Ancient cultures prized these spices as medicines, including for digestion, circulation, and immunity. For instance, clove was used as a natural antimicrobial, cinnamon was valued for blood sugar balance, and ginger was a go-to remedy for nausea and inflammation. These spices didn’t just make food taste richer; they helped the body stay resilient through winter.
The Most Powerful Spices of the Season
Cinnamon: The Blood Sugar Balancer
Cinnamon is one of the oldest known spices, mentioned in Exodus 30:23 as part of the holy anointing oil. Beyond its warm, sweet flavor, cinnamon is also one of the most studied spices for metabolic health, particularly for managing blood sugar (glucose).
Cinnamon contains beneficial compounds, including cinnamaldehyde and polyphenols, that:
Help cells respond better to insulin
Slow down glucose absorption
Improve lipid (fat) metabolism
One meta-analysis found that consuming as little as ½ teaspoon daily can significantly reduce fasting blood glucose and cholesterol levels. Another study demonstrated that cinnamon has beneficial effects against cardiovascular disease, including by protecting the endothelium (cells that line the inside of the heart and all blood and lymphatic vessels) and regulating immune responses, inflammation, and oxidative stress.
Ways to use cinnamon: Sprinkle cinnamon on oatmeal, yogurt, baked apples, or in your morning coffee. I also love adding a pinch to protein smoothies or homemade nut butter.
When buying cinnamon, look for true Ceylon cinnamon, also called "true cinnamon."
Ceylon is among the healthiest and least processed forms of cinnamon, with a lighter color, mild flavor, and the closest chemical makeup to cinnamon’s original botanical form.
Unlike the more common Cassia cinnamon, Ceylon has lower levels of coumarin—a natural compound that can strain the liver in large amounts—and it contains high concentrations of delicate, antioxidant-rich polyphenols.
Clove: The Antioxidant Powerhouse
Clove might be the most potent antioxidant spice on the planet. It contains eugenol, a compound with antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and analgesic (pain-reducing) properties.
In fact, clove ranks among the highest ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity) foods ever tested, including higher than foods like blueberries or pomegranates.
Research suggests that clove (and clove extract or oil) can help:
Support liver detoxification
Reduce blood sugar spikes after meals
Inhibit bacterial growth in the mouth and gut
Ideas for using clove: Brew whole cloves in hot water to make spiced tea, mix ground clove into chili or curries, or add a pinch to smoothies and baked goods. Its strong flavor goes a long way, so keep in mind that a tiny bit is usually enough.
Ginger: The Digestive and Immune Ally
Ginger is another Biblical-era spice prized for its ability to “warm the body” and calm the stomach. The compound called gingerol is responsible for ginger's signature bite and delivers numerous benefits, especially for digestive health.
Studies, along with hundreds of years of anecdotal evidence, suggest that ginger helps:
Relieve nausea and improve digestion
Enhance circulation
Reduce inflammation
Support immunity
Enhance metabolic health and blood sugar control
A Food and Nutrition Research review found that ginger supplementation significantly lowered CRP (a marker of inflammation) and improved insulin sensitivity.
Research also shows that ginger’s powerful compounds—like 6-shogaol, zingerone, and∂ gingerol—have strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects that help reduce symptoms of conditions like Crohn's disease, arthritis, lupus, and psoriasis, offer protective benefits against cancer, and ease nausea, including during pregnancy and chemotherapy.
How to use ginger: Add fresh ginger to hot water with lemon and honey to make a calming beverage, blend a little into smoothies, or grate it into soups and stir-fries. Dried ginger powder also pairs well with turmeric and cinnamon in warm drinks or baked goods.
Nutmeg & Pumpkin Pie Spice: Calming and Restorative
Nutmeg, a key component of pumpkin pie spice, has a signature aroma that many people love, along with loads of protective compounds—like sabinene and myristicin—that have been shown to support relaxation, digestion, and even brain function.
Evidence suggests that nutmeg can help:
Calm anxiety and promote restful sleep
Reduce gas and bloating
Support detox pathways in the liver
According to one Food Science and Nutrition review, nutmeg has shown strong antioxidant potential and enzyme inhibitory properties, which can improve insulin sensitivity, reduce oxidative stress, and support neurocognitive function by inhibiting inflammatory cytokines.
Ways to use nutmeg: Add a dash to warm raw milk with honey at bedtime, sprinkle over baked squash or yogurt, or use in homemade grain-free granola (made with coconut, nuts, and seeds) for a cozy flavor and digestive comfort.
Frankincense: The Sacred Resin of Renewal
While most people don't cook with frankincense, we can’t talk about healing extracts or Christmas without mentioning it, since it's one of the gifts brought to Jesus at His birth.
Frankincense, derived from the resin of the Boswellia tree, has been used for thousands of years in both worship and medicine. It contains concentrated amounts of boswellic acids, which are its main active compounds that have powerful anti-inflammatory and immune-modulating effects.
Studies have found that Boswellia extracts can:
Reduce inflammation and pain, including from conditions like arthritis and asthma
Support gut health by soothing the intestinal lining
Promote mental calm through aromatic compounds that affect the limbic system
How to use frankincense: Add a few drops of food-grade frankincense extract to warm tea or use frankincense essential oil in a diffuser or rubbed into the skin (with a carrier oil) for relaxation and respiratory support.
How to Choose the Best Quality Spices
Like all foods, the quality of your spices determines their healing power.
Unfortunately, many store-bought spice blends are diluted, irradiated, or mixed with artificial flavorings, which means they've lost much of their potency and benefits. In other words, if you're buying inexpensive, mass-produced cinnamon in grocery stores, it might not be providing much in terms of metabolic support.
Here’s how to get the most from these healing spices:
Buy organic, non-irradiated spices (look for USDA Organic or equivalent certification)
Check the ingredient list and look for only the spice name, but no added sugar or “natural flavors"
Store spices properly in airtight glass containers, away from light, moisture, and heat
Replace spices yearly, since ground spices lose potency over time
Simple (& Festive) Ways to Add Healing Spices to Your Day
In addition to the recipe ideas mentioned above, here are some simple ways to enjoy these warm spices both during the holidays and more regularly throughout the year:
Add cinnamon and clove to your morning coffee or tea
Stir ginger and nutmeg into oatmeal or chia pudding
Mix pumpkin pie spice into homemade coconut or almond milk or smoothies
Diffuse frankincense essential oil during prayer or journaling for calm and clarity
Final Thoughts on Healing Through Holy Flavor
This Christmas, remember that the same spices that once filled temples and trade routes can fill your home with warmth and healing.
God designed these plants not just for pleasure, but for purpose, including to support our bodies, sharpen our minds, and lift our spirits. Flavoring your meals with cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, and other warm spices helps you cut sugar and additives, boost the flavor, and consume many beneficial compounds, all at once.
References:
https://www.jandonline.org/article/S2212-2672(13)01415-9/abstract
https://biblehub.com/commentaries/exodus/30-23.htm
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3767714/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34752593/
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5093315/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36364048/
https://draxe.com/nutrition/ceylon-tea/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25182278/
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2841576/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33810416/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36557312/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40790655/