This wonderful photograph is by Aliasghar Honarmand. It looks like the top spice is turmeric.

A spice extensively used in Indian cuisine. It has antibacterial properties and more than three thousand years ago it was used to treat obesity. This spice turns every thing yellow. It has a very slight bitter, vaguely gingery taste, this is a hard one to describe.

Turmeric has a beneficial effect on the liver, stimulating the flow of bile and the breakdown of fats. In Asia turmeric was used to treat stomach disorders, menstrual problems, blood clots and liver-related problems like jaundice.

Modern research shows that turmeric protects the liver against gall bladder disease and can be used as an effective treatment for it. Turmeric has some powerful properties, being a potent anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, tissue healer and rejuvenator, used for pain and swelling in such conditions as arthritis.

1 ounce a day would make a great tonic for anti-inflammatory. Or take in a supplement form as capsules or tablets.

In cooking this spice is often used in Indian dishes in powder form.

For healthy tasty cooking in general I recommend a good Indian cook book, recipes call for lots of healthy ingredients – garlic, onions, turmeric, ginger, chili, beans, lentil, natural yogurt, substitute white basmati rice or brown basmati rice, plus lamb, chicken etc all very interestingly flavored foods.