Herbs and Spices Found to be Good Soldiers in War on
Aging and Diabetes
Season food liberally with herbs and spices to double
or even triple the medicinal value of your meal without increasing the
caloric content
Aug.
6, 2008 Herbs and spices low in calories and relatively inexpensive
could be a good choice for senior citizens battling aging and
diabetes. University of Georgia researchers have found they are potent
inhibitors of tissue damage and inflammation caused by high levels of
blood sugar.
Researchers, whose results appear in the current
issue of the Journal of Medicinal Food, tested extracts from 24 common
herbs and spices. In addition to finding high levels of antioxidant-rich
compounds known as phenols, they revealed a direct correlation between
phenol content and the ability of the extracts to block the formation of
compounds that contribute to damage caused by diabetes and aging.
Because herbs and spices have a very low calorie
content and are relatively inexpensive, theyre a great way to get a lot
of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory power into your diet, said study
co-author James Hargrove, associate professor of foods and nutrition in
the UGA College of Family and Consumer Sciences.
Hargrove explained that when blood sugar levels are
high, a process known as protein glycation occurs in which the sugar
bonds with proteins to eventually form what are known as advanced
glycation end products, also known as AGE compounds. The acronym is
fitting because these compounds activate the immune system, resulting in
the inflammation and tissue damage associated with aging and diabetes.
The researchers found a strong and direct
correlation between the phenol content of common herbs and spices and
their ability to inhibit the formation of AGE compounds.
Spices such as cloves and cinnamon had phenol
levels that were 30 percent and 18 percent of dry weight, respectively,
while herbs such as oregano and sage were eight and six percent phenol
by dry weight, respectively.
For comparison, blueberries which are widely
touted for their antioxidant capabilities contain roughly five percent
phenol by dry weight.
Study co-author Diane Hartle, associate professor
in the UGA College of Pharmacy, said various phenols are absorbed
differently by the body and have different mechanisms of action, so its
likely that a variety of spices will provide maximum benefit.
If you set up a good herb and spice cabinet and
season your food liberally, you could double or even triple the
medicinal value of your meal without increasing the caloric content,
she said.
She added that controlling blood sugar and the
formation of AGE compounds can also decrease the risk of cardiovascular
damage associated with diabetes and aging. She explained that high blood
sugar accelerates heart disease partly because AGE compounds form in the
blood and in the walls of blood vessels. The AGE compounds aggravate
atherosclerosis, which produces cholesterol plaques.
The UGA researchers tested for the ability to block
AGE compounds in a test tube, but animal studies conducted on the health
benefits of spices lend support to their argument. Cinnamon and cinnamon
extracts, for example, have been shown to lower blood sugar in mice.
Interestingly, cinnamon lowers blood sugar by acting on several
different levels, Hargrove said. It slows the emptying of the stomach to
reduce sharp rises in blood sugar following meals and improves the
effectiveness, or sensitivity, of insulin. It also enhances antioxidant
defenses.
Hargrove said their findings suggest its likely
that the herbs and spices they studied will provide similar benefits in
animal tests. He points out that because humans have been consuming
herbs and spices for thousands of years, they come without the risk of
possible side effects that accompany medications.
Culinary herbs and spices are all generally
recognized as safe and have been time-tested in the diet, he said.
Indeed, some of spices and herbals are now sold as food supplements
because of their recognized health benefits.
Study co-author Phillip Greenspan, associate
professor in the College of Pharmacy, noted that most people dont get
their recommended five to nine servings of fruits and vegetables a day.
Rather than seasoning their food with salt which provides no
beneficial phenols and has been linked to high blood pressure he
recommends that people use a variety of herbs and spices to help boost
the nutritional quality of their meals.
When you add herbs and spices to food, you
definitely provide yourself with additional benefits besides taste,
Greenspan said.
Aug.
6, 2008 Herbs and spices low in calories and relatively inexpensive
could be a good choice for senior citizens battling aging and
diabetes. University of Georgia researchers have found they are potent
inhibitors of tissue damage and inflammation caused by high levels of
blood sugar.