While salicylic acid is ubiquitously present in fruits and vegetables, herbs and spices contain the highest concentrations.74 Chili powder, paprika, and turmeric are rich in the compound, but cumin has the most per serving. Indeed, just one teaspoon of ground cumin may be about the equivalent of a baby aspirin. This may help explain why India, with its spice-rich diets, has among the lowest worldwide rates of colorectal cancer75—the cancer that appears most sensitive to the effects of aspirin.
