Historical and Future Perspective of Indian Spices

Abstract

Spices take an important place in common man's everyday life mainly because of their flavor, taste, and medicinal values. Spice usage grew with the increased use of processed products. India is the largest producer of spices in the world. Growth in Indian spices and spice product exports clearly show that Indian spices and spice products have a great demand in international markets. India is the land of spices and could exploit the fast-growing nutraceutical sector with its high intrinsic quality spices. The scope of spices like turmeric, ginger, fenugreek, garlic, and red pepper in the nutraceutical industry with their possible role in the control and prevention of important health disorders are examined. The demand for nutraceutical products has gone up as more people are turning to natural products for treating lifestyle diseases. This review deals with the history and origin of spices and their potential uses as well as future prospects in treatment of various diseases in a natural way.