Cinnamon Powder, organic, half pound

Cinnamon is,of course, a wonderfully aromatic and exciting spice, but it has potent medicinal value as well. In Ayurveda, it is used to kindle digestive fire and remove toxins from the gastrointestinal tract. It is an important ingredient in Chyawanprash, usually being added towards the end of preparation. It is used to promote deep assimilation of nutrients as well as to nourish the reproductive systems of both men and women. It is antibacterial and antiviral as well as antifungal.

Ingredients: certified organic Cinnamomum cassia bark powder.

Banyan Botanicals, $

Coriander Seeds, whole, half pound

Coriander is used in many cuisines from around the world. It promotes digestion without aggravating the piita dosha. It is cooling and aids both the liver and kidneys. It is also one the favored herbs during menopause when hot flashes are a well known and unwelcome symptom of the change of life. It can be used whole or ground and is suitable for cooking, use in tea, and planting in the garden. There it will give rise to the famed cilantro leaf.

Ingredients: certified organic Coriandrum sativum seeds.

Banyan Botanicals, $

Ginger Root Powder, organic, half pound

Ginger is both a culinary spice and medicine. It is most famous as the herb of choice for motion sickness and most types of nausea, including morning sickness and reactions to chemotherapeutic drugs. It is pacifying to vata and removes excess kapha and is therefore an excellent tonic for the lungs. It is an appetite and circulatory stimulant and is used in most joint formulas because of its anti-inflammatory effects. It is an inhibitor of platelet aggregation and prostaglandins.

Ingredients: certified organic Zingiber officinale root powder.

Banyan Botanicals, $

Turmeric Powder, organic, half pound

Turmeric is what gives curry its yellow color. It is a member of the ginger family and grows throughout the tropics. It aids digestion, especially the metabolism of fats which it also protects from oxidation and rancidity. Turmeric is a blood cleanser and is antitumoral and antiscarring. It is also hepatoprotective and provides moderate relief from pain by depleting pain receptors on nerve endings. Curcuma longa is the source of curcumin. Its action is enhanced when combined with long pepper.

Ingredients: certified organic Curcuma longa root powder.

Banyan Botanicals, $