Anti-Fungal Spices

Spices have been used for centuries for both culinary and medicinal purposes. Today spices are commonly used in food preparation. For food preparation, the term "spice" is often used interchangeably with the term "herb," although spices and herbs are different. While herbs come from aromatic plants in temperate zones, spices come from tropical plants. Additionally, unlike herbs, from which it is usually the leaves that are used, spices are made from many parts of the plant, such as the roots, seeds, bark, berries and flowers. Used for medicinal purposes, different spices have different benefits, including anti-fungal properties, according to the University of Delaware.

Turmeric

Turmeric is an anti-fungal spice made from the underground roots of the Curcuma longa plant. Turmeric is a tropical plant and is a member of the ginger family. At the end of the growing season the roots are harvested, sun-dried and crushed into ground turmeric powder. The curcumin in turmeric is a natural pigment that gives turmeric its yellow color; it also gives turmeric its anti-fungal properties. The anti-fungal benefits of turmeric are helpful in healing skin problems, such as athlete's foot.

Cloves

Clove (Eugenia caryophyllus) is extremely effective as an anti-fungal spice. The spice can be taken internally or applied topically for its beneficial properties. Cloves are used to treat fungal infections of the fingernail and the toenail. As a dietary treatment, cloves are also beneficial for curing yeast (Candida albicans) infections.

Barberry

Barberry (Berberis vulgaris) is a spice made from all parts of the tropical plant and is used for a variety of medicinal remedies. Barberry contains berberine, which is beneficial because of its potent anti-fungal properties. The spice has been shown to have significant anti-fungal properties when used in the treamtment of Candida albicans infections.

Allspice

Allspice (Pimenta dioica), is the dried berry of an evergreen tree native to Central and South America. The spice contains eugenol, which is an agent that provides resistance to bacteria, viruses and fungi. Historically allspice has been used for its anti-fungal benefits, as well as its antibacterial and anti-microbial properties.