Common herbs and spices may help protect against certain chronic
conditions, such as cancer, diabetes,
and heart
disease. Herbs, including basil and parsley, are from plants and plant
parts. Spices often come from the seeds, berries, bark, or roots of plants.
Seasonings, such as cinnamon,
often lead lists of commonly eaten foods with the highest levels of measured
antioxidant activity. “Studies show that many different herbs and spices offer
health benefits,” says David Heber, MD, PhD, professor of medicine, and
director of the UCLA Center for Human Nutrition. Most of the
evidence exists for cinnamon, chili peppers, turmeric, garlic, oregano, basil,
thyme, and rosemary, Heber tells WebMD. Polyphenols, a type of plant compound,
provide one of the main health benefits associated with herbs and spices.
Polyphenols are also abundant in certain fruits
and vegetables, tea, and red wine. Certain herbs and spices curb
inflammation in the body, which may give rise to heart
disease and cancer.
For example, antioxidants in
cinnamon have been linked to lower inflammation, as well as reductions in blood
glucose concentrations in people with diabetes.