Turmeric, also called curcumin
10:42 am
Herbs and spices can keep you healthy
11/30/2005 6:44 PM
By: Casey Taylor, News 14 Carolina
Several spices, including oregano and curry, have been found to contain beneficial antioxidants.
When you think of foods that contain antioxidants, fruits, vegetables or whole grains probably come to mind. But there's one food group you likely haven't heard about yet.
Herbs and spices pop up everywhere from garden centers to the candy aisle, but they can do more than add zip to your dish.
"Practically every herb and spice that's been studied has some health benefit," said dietician Marcia Herrin.
Herbs and spices pop up everywhere from garden centers to the candy aisle, but they can do more than add zip to your dish.
The Dartmouth Medical School nutritionist says herbs and spices are loaded with antioxidants, those chemicals that keep diseases in check. But we may not be getting those benefits as much as we could.
Herrin says Americans don't use many herbs and spices compared to the rest of the world. In India, curry is part of the staple diet. There, rates of Alzheimer's disease are the lowest in the world.
UCLA researcher and professor of medicine Sally Frautschy is studying curcumin, which is found in curry. She says it kills nearly every cancer cell in the lab.
"We accidentally found out that it blocks every single step in Alzheimer's pathogenesis," she said.
But if curry isn't your spice of choice, don't worry.
In India, curry is part of the staple diet. There, rates of Alzheimer's disease are the lowest in the world.
"There are 20 different herbs and spices, at least, that have research behind them as having health benefits," Herrin said.
Oregano leads the pack. It has 42 times more antioxidant activity than apples, 12 times more than oranges and four times more than blueberries.
Dill, sage, rosemary and ginger also rank high.
"I'm guessing we're going to end up with some really powerful medicines out of this," said Herrin.
You don't have to be a chef to reap the benefits. Just throwing a few herbs on soup or chicken is a good start.
Researchers say many of these herbs are only absorbed by the body when they are eaten with fat, so cooking with oil will help release the antioxidants.
Taking herbs and spices as a supplement in pill form will not do much for you because supplements are usually taken with water and your body cannot absorb them that way.
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