Certain herbs and foods associated with traditional Thanksgiving dinners have also been studied for their possible effects on health conditions. Below are just a few from our Herbs list:

• Cranberry has a history of traditional use in dyes, food, and medicine among Native Americans and later European settlers. Cranberry products may decrease the overall risk of recurrent urinary tract infections (UTIs) in women who have had previous UTIs; however, it isn’t recommended as a treatment for existing UTIs. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration allows claims about this potential benefit to appear on labels of cranberry dietary supplements and cranberry juice beverages.  

• Sage has a long history of use as a spice and for health purposes. There have been a few studies of this herb for sore throat, mood, memory, diabetes, and blood cholesterol levels, but the findings are preliminary, and some of the research is of poor quality. Sage has not been clearly shown to be helpful for any health condition. 

• Cinnamon has a long history of use in traditional medicine and cuisine in many parts of the world. Currently, cinnamon is promoted for a variety of health conditions, particularly diabetes and weight loss. However, the results of the research on cinnamon are hard to interpret because it’s often unclear which species or part of the cinnamon plant was tested.
  
  

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