Lime might seem an obvious substitute since sumac tastes like lemon juice, however, it’s probably easier to get your hands on lemons than limes, that’s why this substitute didn’t make the top of our list. Sumacs are flowering trees and shrubs used in landscaping gardens due to their beautiful autumn foliage It is believed that breast cancer protects healthy cells during treatment. As a result, sumac has been regarded as a promising chemotherapeutic agent for cancer chemotherapy. Staghorn sumac ( Rhus typhina) is a small flowering tree or large shrub with large pinnate leaves, greenish-white flowers, and bright red clusters of drupes. Staghorn sumacs grow between 15 and 25 ft. (4.5 – 7.6 m) tall and up to 30 ft. (9 m) wide. The small tree has an open, spreading crown.

It comes from a flowering plant in the same family as cashew and mango ( Anacardiaceae). This shrub or small tree produces conical clusters of bright purple-red berries. These are dried and ground to make sumac, also known as summaq in Arabic-English translations. Ground sumac comes from the berries that grow on the shrub of the same name, and although there’s a variety of this plant that is poisonous (white sumac), the tree that produces these red berries is non-poisonous and the berries are completely safe to eat. Sumac stems also have a soft pith in the center that is easily removed to make them useful in traditional Native American pipemaking. They were commonly used as pipe stems in the northern United States. [34] A 2004 chemical analysis of fresh sumac fruit found that over 14% of it is made up of fiber, a nutrient that supports digestive health ( 1, 4).

While it shows promise for cholesterol, sumac is also thought to help with insulin levels and diabetes. Turkey has used sumac as a natural diabetes remedy for many years, another natural remedy confirmed by research. Sumac’s flavonoid content holds promise for brain health due to itsanti-inflammatory effects. The researchers found sumac reduced brain and nervous system inflammation. They concluded sumac may help fight against degenerative nervous system disease. When the sumac dosage was 300 mg/mL and above, the benefit was as good as orlistat (Alli, Xenical) which is a medication used for obesity. It works by inhibiting pancreatic lipase, which is an enzyme secreted by the pancreas that helps breaks down fats for digestion. When fats are not fully broken down, fewer calories from them get absorbed.

Dried sumac wood fluoresces under long-wave ultraviolet radiation. [35] Toxicity and control [ edit ]Sumac can even help with muscle pain after workouts. A randomized trial in Physiology International gave one group sumac juice daily. The sumac group had less pain and better workout recovery compared to their non-juicing counterparts.Researchers found sumac reduced inflammation and helped with pain. Some research shows that sumac may help maintain normal blood sugar levels. In one study, 41 people with diabetes were given either three grams of sumac spice or a placebo daily for a three-month period. At the end of the study, sumac spice was found to decrease blood sugar levels by 13 percent and even led to an improvement in overall blood sugar control. ( 1) Adverse side effects of sumac spice consumption are very rare but possible. It also belongs to the same family of plants as cashews and mango, so you may want to consult with your doctor before trying sumac spice if you have a food allergy to either of these ingredients. If you experience any negative symptoms like itching, swelling or hives after eating sumac, discontinue use and talk to a trusted health care practitioner. Despite its name, amchoor is just the powder made from the flesh of the mango fruit. You could call it dry mango powder , or raw mango powder. Mangos are cut into slices, and these slices are left to dry for a few days before being ground into powder.

When stored correctly, the ground spice can keep for several months. Whole dried berries will keep for over a year! Be sure to store sumac (ground or whole) in an airtight container, away from light and heat – an unheated pantry would do nicely.

Supplements

Another similar study asked a group of 41 people with diabetes to take a 3-gram dose of sumac powder every day for 3 months ( 7).