Traditionally, spices have been added to a meal to improve taste and, perhaps, make them more palatable. Now, reinforcing their numerous health benefits, a new research study has found that a blend of spices in your meal may help lower inflammation in our bodies.
A randomised, controlled feeding study was conducted by researchers from Penn State University the results of which were published in the Journal of Nutrition. The study reports that participants who ate a meal high in fat and carbohydrates with six grams of a spice blend added, displayed lower inflammation markers in comparison with those who ate with less or no spices.
According to Prof Connie Rogers, the lead author of this study, other researchers have linked a variety of different spices, like ginger and turmeric, with anti-inflammatory properties. Recent studies have also found that inflammation can spike after a person eats a meal high in fat or sugar. While it is not clear whether these short bursts of acute inflammations, can cause chronic inflammation, Prof Rogers suspects that they play a factor, especially in obese or overweight people.
"Ultimately the gold standard would be to get people eating more healthfully and to lose weight and exercise, but those behavioural changes are difficult and take time. So in the interim, we wanted to explore whether a combination of spices that people are already familiar with and could fit in a single meal could have a positive effect,” explained Prof Rogers.
For the study, researchers recruited 12 men between the ages of 40 and 65, who were either overweight or obese, and had at least one risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Prof Rogers explained that such a sample was chosen because people in these demographics tend to be at a higher risk for developing poorer health outcomes. For the purposes of their study, the researchers devised a blend of spices that included basil, bay leaf, black pepper, cinnamon, coriander, cumin, ginger, oregano, parsley, red pepper, rosemary, thyme and turmeric.
In a randomised order, each participant ate three versions of a meal high in saturated fat and carbohydrates on three separate days: one with no spices, one with two grams of the spice blend, and one with six grams of the slice blend. A blood sample was drawn before and after each meal, hourly for four hours to measure inflammatory markers.
"Additionally, we cultured the white blood cells and stimulated them to get the cells to respond to an inflammatory stimulus, similar to what would happen while your body is fighting an infection. We think that's important because it's representative of what would happen in the body. Cells would encounter a pathogen and produce inflammatory cytokines,” said Prof Rogers.
Upon analysis of the data, researchers found that inflammatory cytokines were reduced following a meal containing six grams of spices, compared to the meal containing two grams of spices or no spices. Prof Rogers explained that six grams roughly translates to a measure of between one teaspoon and one tablespoon, depending on how the spices are dehydrated.
While the researchers are not certain which spice or spices were contributing to the effect, or the precise mechanism in which the effect is created, Prof Rogers said that the results suggested that spices have anti-inflammatory properties which help offset inflammation caused by the high-carb and high-fat meal.
Furthermore, a supplementary study conducted by other Penn State University researchers has found that six grams of spices resulted in a smaller post-meal reduction of ‘flow mediated dilation’ in the blood vessels—a measure of blood vessel flexibility and marker of blood vessel health.
Prof Rogers is hoping to work in collaboration with other researchers to further determine the affects of spices in diet across periods of time and in a more diverse population.
proved and more effective and safer than antibiotics!