The Spice Lab

Where kitchen wisdom meets the evidence.

We take a traditional practice (pepper in turmeric, soaking dal, blooming spices), look at what the science actually shows, and give you the practical takeaway. Every claim is labelled by how strong the evidence is.

The experiments

By evidence:

Experiment 01

Does black pepper make turmeric work better?

Curcumin, piperine, and the ~20× absorption boost.

Emerging · 6 min read

Experiment 02

Does soaking dal reduce bloating?

Phytates, oligosaccharides & why you must discard the soak water.

Emerging · 6 min read

Experiment 03

Bloomed vs raw: does tempering matter?

Fat-soluble aroma, nutrient absorption & the science of the tadka.

Strong · 6 min read

Experiment 04

Fermentation: what idli batter does overnight

Probiotics, B-vitamins, phytate & why steamed idli is not probiotic.

Strong · 7 min read

Experiment 05

Ghee vs oil: the smoke-point question

Heat stability, saturated fat & the real risk of reused oil.

Mixed · 7 min read

Experiment 06

Sprouting: does it really boost nutrition?

Vitamin C, mineral absorption, the protein myth & a safety caveat.

Strong · 6 min read

Experiment 07

Does lemon really help you absorb iron?

Vitamin C, plant iron, and why tannins in chai work against you.

Strong · 6 min read

Experiment 08

Why milk kills chilli heat, not water

Capsaicin, the TRPV1 receptor, and why dairy beats water.

Strong · 5 min read

Experiment 09

Does cooling rice change your blood sugar?

Resistant starch, the gut, and a rice food-safety caveat.

Emerging · 6 min read

Experiment 10

Why yogurt splits, and when to add it

Casein, heat and the besan trick behind silky kadhi.

Strong · 5 min read

Experiment 11

Jaggery vs sugar: is it really healthier?

Trace minerals, blood sugar, and an honest myth-check.

Mixed · 6 min read

Experiment 12

Does a cast-iron kadhai add iron to food?

Iron that migrates from the pan, and when it actually counts.

Strong · 6 min read

Experiment 13

Does ginger really settle nausea?

One folk remedy with genuinely solid clinical evidence.

Strong · 5 min read

Experiment 14

Is coconut oil a superfood or a villain?

Saturated fat, the MCT half-truth, and an honest verdict.

Mixed · 6 min read

Experiment 15

Does washing rice reduce arsenic?

Why the cooking method matters more than the rinse.

Strong · 6 min read

Experiment 16

Does dry-roasting spices really change them?

Maillard browning, and why every masala is roasted first.

Strong · 5 min read

Experiment 17

Does a pressure cooker destroy nutrients?

Why time and water, not heat, drive nutrient loss.

Strong · 6 min read

Experiment 18

When should you actually add salt?

Osmosis, dry-brining, and why acid (not salt) hardens beans.

Strong · 6 min read

Experiment 19

Does amla keep its vitamin C when cooked?

How its tannins protect a famously fragile nutrient.

Emerging · 5 min read

Experiment 20

Atta vs maida: how different, really?

The bran, the germ, blood sugar, and the "brown bread" trap.

Strong · 6 min read

Experiment 21

Is curd at night really bad for you?

The milk-mucus myth, and the individual exceptions.

Mixed · 5 min read

Experiment 22

Does resting the dough make better rotis?

How hydration and relaxed gluten transform a chapati.

Strong · 5 min read

Experiment 23

Brown vs white rice: is brown always better?

Three times the fibre, but also more arsenic. The nuance.

Mixed · 6 min read

Experiment 24

Does microwaving destroy nutrients?

No radiation left, and often gentler than boiling.

Strong · 5 min read

Experiment 25

Does a pinch of cooking soda wreck nutrition?

It softens beans and greens, at a real vitamin cost.

Strong · 5 min read

Experiment 26

Milk with fish, fruit after meals: myth?

Which food-combining rules survive the evidence.

Mixed · 6 min read

Experiment 27

Does the after-meal saunf aid digestion?

Carminatives, fennel, and the modest truth of the mukhwas bowl.

Emerging · 5 min read

Experiment 28

Does copper-vessel water do anything?

A real antimicrobial effect, and the overhyped tonic claims.

Emerging · 5 min read

Experiment 29

Is honey better than sugar, and is heating it toxic?

~80% sugar, the HMF scare, and the one rule that matters.

Mixed · 6 min read

Experiment 30

Non-stick vs iron: is your tawa safe?

PFOA, overheating, and which pan suits which job.

Strong · 6 min read

Experiment 31

Does drinking water with meals hurt digestion?

Why the "wait 30 minutes" rule is folklore.

Strong · 5 min read

Experiment 32

Tulsi: what does holy basil actually do?

A well-studied herb, modest help for stress and blood sugar.

Emerging · 5 min read

Experiment 33

Is it dangerous to reheat spinach?

Nitrate to nitrite, and why warm time, not the reheat, is the risk.

Mixed · 5 min read

Experiment 34

Is MSG (ajinomoto) actually bad for you?

The same umami molecule as tomatoes, and the debunked scare.

Strong · 6 min read

Experiment 35

Does eating late at night make you gain weight?

Why it is calories and sleep, not the clock.

Mixed · 5 min read

Experiment 36

Do you need to soak nuts and peel almonds?

A nice ritual with a small, real, oversold basis.

Emerging · 5 min read

Experiment 37

Do detox teas and juice cleanses work?

Your liver and kidneys already do it, for free.

Mixed · 5 min read

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