Spices and aromatic herbs : what benefits for our health ?

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Used for pleasure, spices and culinary herbs provided by our environment also have amazing nutritional qualities that contribute to human health. Their fragrant and strong-tasting compounds often participate in the defence of the plant that produces them against environmental damage. Ingested in our food, they largely keep their bioactive properties: for example, they have antioxidant properties useful to our health. They reduce the risk of so-called civilizational diseases such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and, as very recently demonstrated, they promote the growth of the “good” bacteria of our microbiota. In addition, spices reduce the amount of fat, salt and sugar in our cooking thanks to the intensity of their aromas and flavours.

1. Discovering herbs and spices

1.1. Spices and civilization

noces paysannes - brueghel
Figure 1. Peasant weddings. Pieter Brueghel the Younger (1564-1638). [Source: Pieter Breughel the Younger [Public domain]]
The term “spices” comes from the Latin “species”, from which also comes “grocer”, the seller of spices. Originating from faraway countries, a symbol of luxury, or rather “paying in cash”, and of refinement, spices have, over the centuries, been the source of struggles and violence to gain a monopoly on their trade. Their history is the history of civilizations [1]. The use of spices is found more than 6,000 years ago in Northern Europe, and then, appreciated for their taste, colour and aroma, or for their power to preserve food, in ancient times, in Mesopotamia as in ancient Egypt. The increase in trade with Magna Graecia and the conquests of the Roman Empire then brought spices to Europe (Read Focus – The Spice Route, the first fruits of globalization).

Until the 20th century, the use of spices remained essentially hedonistic (flavour, perfume) in contrast to herbs whose medicinal virtues have been known in Europe since the Middle Ages (Figure 1).

1.2. Herbs, spices, a subject of interest in Public Health

It is only recently that we have had scientific studies that report the potential public health benefits of herbs and spices. This work focuses on three main areas:

  • the analytical aspect and the identification of bioactive compounds in spices and herbs;
  • the behavioural aspect with their role in following the nutritional recommendations of the High Council of Public Health (HCSP) [2]: less salt, fat, sugars, more vegetables and legumes;
  • the biological and clinical aspect with studies demonstrating their ability to prevent or alleviate diseases.

1.3. What is a spice or an aromatic herb?

herbes aromatiques - spices - herbs
Figure 2. Main aromatic herbs. [Source : AM Roussel]
Spices and herbs are all plant origin [3]. In general, we distinguish between spices (spices in English-speaking countries), derived from the non-chlorophyllous parts of plants, and herbs (grasses), of which the green parts are used.

Often found in vegetable gardens or market garden stalls, aromatic herbs are used for their aromatic, condiment or medicinal qualities, sometimes combined in aromatic mixtures (Figure 2). Their active ingredients are present in the leaves (parsley, bay leaf sauce, chives, …) or bulbs (garlic, shallot, onions). In cooking, the bouquet garni is used to flavour a stewed dish. Composed of various herbs, it usually contains bay leaves, thyme and parsley.

eipces - organes vegetaux epices - spices - herbs
Figure 3. Main plant organs source of spices. [Source : AM Roussel]
Spices are used in small quantities in cooking, mainly to perfume and season dishes, sometimes to give them colour or to help preserve them. In spices, the bioactive compounds may be present in the flower (saffron), bud (clove), bark (cinnamon), root, fruit (pepper, dill, mustard), rhizomes (ginger) or seeds (fennel, coriander, nutmeg) of the plant (Figure 3).

It should be noted that spices stimulate our senses not only thanks to the fragrant or sapid compounds* they contain, but above all, compounds with a trigeminal* action, which distinguishes them from aromatics. They are therefore responsible for odours (orthonasal: through the nostrils; or retronasal: through the retronasal fossae, which connect the mouth to the nose), flavours, and stimulation of the trigeminal nerve (pungent, fresh…). [4]

herbes aromatiques - epices - composes bioactifs herbes - herbs - spices
Figure 4. Diversity of bioactive compounds in herbs and spices. [Source: AM Roussel]
Herbs and spices have no nutritional value but are rich in bioactive compounds, polyphenols, alkaloids, terpenes and carotenoids [5], all of which have properties that allow the plant to adapt to its environment (Figure 4).

Their secondary metabolites within the plant, have a protective role against thermal, bacterial or viral stress. For example, the curcuminoids in turmeric powder, of which curcumin is the best known to the public, are first of all protectors of the plant which, when exposed to aggression, change its cellular signalling and induce antioxidant and anti-inflammatory defences. This mechanism is common in the plant kingdom and, by incorporating spices into our food, we benefit from these properties.

1.4. Herbs and spices, sources of dietary antioxidants

epices - herbes aromatiques - herbes antioxydants - epices antioxydants - spices - herbs
Figure 5. Herbs and spices are rich in antioxidants. [Source: AM Roussel]
The antioxidant power [6] of herbs and spices is high [7] (Figure 5). As an example, 1 teaspoon of dried oregano is equal, in antioxidant power, to 80g of grapes and a teaspoon of cinnamon to 250ml of pomegranate juice. A mixture of herbs and spices, added to the meat before cooking, prevents the production of fat oxidation derivatives, which are harmful to our cells [8], and the presence of aromatic herbs in the dressing of a salad doubles its antioxidant power [9]. It should be pointed out that, unlike vitamins, the polyphenols present in herbs and spices are resistant to desiccation and heat treatment.

2. Herbs and spices for less salt, less sugar, less fat, more vegetables

Poor food choices increase the risk of nutrition-related diseases such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, inflammatory diseases, cancers or more recently studied, alterations of the intestinal microbiota (Read Human Microbiota: Allies for our Health) and dysbioses*.

Correcting our food choices is, therefore, a real Public Health issue. This goal is difficult to achieve. In spite of the PNNS (National Nutrition and Health Plan) programmes that succeeded one another from 2001 to 2017, and many nutritional information campaigns aimed at the general public, the latest food consumption surveys show that the vast majority of us continue to eat too few vegetables, to eat too much fat, too much salt and too much sugar.

However, human intervention studies teach us that using herbs and spices regularly helps to correct these dietary errors.

2.1. Herbs and spices to reduce salt intake

sel - exces de sel - mauvais effets sel - trop de sel - salt
Figure 6. Less salt!

Excess salt (Figure 6) is recognized as a major factor in high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, and stomach cancer. Reducing salt intake has been a key objective of successive National Nutrition and Health Programmes (PNNS). PNNS 3 (2011-2015) has thus set a target of 8 g/d of salt for men and 6.5 g/d for women and children, i.e. a 20% reduction in salt consumption compared to the average consumption of the French population.

Recently published work shows that the use of herbs and spices in a salt-reduced diet is an effective way to reduce salt consumption. When herbs and spices are included in the diet on a daily basis, there is a significant decrease in the amount of salt consumed and a decrease in urinary sodium excretion after 6 months [10]. In another trial, the perception of salty taste by the subjects enrolled in the study was modified by spicy flavours, allowing them to reduce their salt consumption while maintaining their taste pleasure. Clinically, this benefit is accompanied by a significant decrease in the participants’ blood pressure [11]. Finally, a recent English publication reports that the addition of herbs and spices to a soup with 53% less salt increases the acceptance and even palatability of the soup compared to an industrially salted soup [12].

Eating “high in taste” helps a wide audience to reduce salt intake, maintains palatability despite salt reduction, and prevents high blood pressure.

2.2. Herbs and spices to eat more vegetables

legumes - sante legumes - legumes - manger plus que de legumes - vegetables
Figure 7. More vegetables!

Increasing the consumption of fruits and vegetables is a key focus of nutrition recommendations (Figure 7). Consumption is stagnating in France despite repeated information campaigns. Taste is the primary motivation for choosing vegetables, with health or weight control generally being less of a priority. In an intervention trial conducted in overweight subjects who were small vegetable consumers (< 3 servings/d), eating spicy foods and using culinary herbs increased vegetable consumption, with the best results observed in subjects who were usually less fond of vegetables and who had a 91% increase in their consumption [13].

Important for the nutritional education of young subjects, several studies in children [14] and high school students [15], point out that adding herbs and spices to foods helps to consume unloved vegetables (celery and squash) and to get healthy food choices.

2.3. Herbs and spices to make it easier to eat lower-fat, lower-sweet foods

gras - sucres - effets sante gras sucre
Figure 8. Less fat! Less sugar!

The epidemic of overweight and obesity is largely due to excessive consumption of fats and sugars, especially soft drinks (Figure 8). Two American studies, conducted in overweight volunteers, show that the palatability for lower-fat and less sweet foods seasoned with herbs and spices is increased, whereas it is decreased when the same food does not contain herbs and spices [16], [17].

3. Herbs and spices, our allies in preventing nutritional diseases

epices - herbes - prevention pathologies - spices - herbs
Figure 9. Spices, herbs and prevention of pathologies. [Source: AM Roussel]
In view of the increasing incidence of diseases with a nutritional aspect, the potential biological and clinical benefits of herbs and spices are the subject of very active research [3,4] (Figure 9). Much of this research focuses on the impact of spices and herbs in obesity, cardiovascular disease, inflammatory diseases and dysbiosis.

3.1. Herbs, spices and obesity

Certain spices, used regularly and in nutritional doses, take part in weight control through a triple mechanism: increased energy expenditure, increased thermogenesis and activation of fat-burning metabolisms.

The most frequently mentioned spices are cayenne pepper, rich in capsain [18] and ginger, rich in gingerols and shoagols [19]. It must be stressed that it is dangerous to exceed hedonic nutritional doses, i.e. those that provide gustatory pleasure, as excess capsinoids can lead to intestinal and gastric aggression with a burning sensation and an alteration of intestinal permeability leading to dysbiosis.

3. Herbs, Spices and Insulin Resistance: From Metabolic Syndrome to Type 2 Diabetes

cardamome - cannelle - bienfaits cardamome - bienfaits cannelle - spices - cardamom - cinnamom
Figure 10. Cardamom and Cinnamon. [Source: Left: Didier Descouens [CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], right: Simon A. Eugster [CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)]
The metabolic syndrome, which affects more than one in five French people, is a pre-diabetic condition characterized by abdominal obesity, high blood pressure, too much cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood, high blood sugar and insulin resistance[20]. The metabolic syndrome exposes people to a high risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and early cognitive decline.

It is scientifically established that several spices (cinnamon, turmeric, cumin, cloves, and recently cardamom, Figure 10) and Mediterranean herbs (laurel, tarragon, rosemary) regulate blood glucose, increase insulin sensitivity and improve biological markers of metabolic syndrome [21], [22], [23]. Let us give a special mention to cinnamon powder, of which 1g per day is enough to reduce the blood sugar levels of subjects with metabolic syndrome to physiological values [24].

3.3. Herbs, spices and cardiovascular disease

clous girofle - bienfaits clous girofle - cloves - spices - herbs
Figure 11. Cloves. [Source: Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported]
The first cause of mortality in France, cardiovascular diseases often have a nutritional origin (excess of salt, sugars, saturated fats) which is accompanied by hypercholesterolemia, hypertriglyceridemia, oxidized low density lipoproteins (LDL) and therefore atherogenic, hypertension and vascular dysfunction.

In terms of cardiovascular prevention, the most significant results are obtained with garlic in relation to its richness in organo-sulfur compounds [25]. Regular consumption of garlic in powder (600 mg/d) or clove (2.7 g/d) reduces cholesterol levels, decreases platelet aggregation, and has a hypotensive effect [26].

Cardamom, coriander, turmeric, ginger and cloves (Figure 11), consumed regularly, also help to prevent cardiovascular disease because these spices, as described in the previous paragraph, counteract the metabolic syndrome and its vascular consequences through their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects.

Moreover, the emerging role of turmeric in protecting the vascular endothelium seems to be due not only to its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties but also to the induction of the production of NO, a vasodilator and hypoaggregant [27].

3.4. Turmeric, Ginger and Inflammatory Diseases

gingembre
Figure 12. Drawing representing a ginger plant and rhizomes. [Source: McCormick and company [Public domain]]
Turmeric and ginger block the activity of pro-inflammatory cellular transcription factors and the production of lipid mediators of inflammation.

Ginger (Figure 12), rich in gingerols and shoagols, used in the form of rhizome powder at 2g/d for 3 weeks, significantly reduces chronic muscle pain [28].

Turmeric (Figure 13) and its active ingredient curcumin are powerful anti-inflammatory drugs that have been recognized for centuries by Ayurvedic Medicine [29]. However, the very poor bioavailability [30] of turmeric powder reduces its effectiveness and high doses, of the order of 10gr/d, are necessary. The properties of curcumin are validated by numerous international studies. Curcumin has been shown to be as effective as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) in treating joint inflammation at 500mg/d [31].

curcuma - bienfaits curcuma
Figure 13. Rhizome, slices and turmeric powder. Source: Simon A. Eugster [CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)]

3.5. Herbs, spices and microbiota: the future

This research area is very promising. Diet is the main factor influencing the composition of the intestinal microbiota and so our health.

Several recent works, in vitro, in vivo, show that dietary polyphenols influence the abundance and nature of the intestinal bacterial flora. Dietary sources of polyphenols (tea, cocoa, fruit) reduce the number of pathogenic bacteria, and increase the number of beneficial bifidobacteria and lactobacilli. In this context, the prebiotic-like effect of a mixture of 7 spices and herbs (oregano, rosemary, turmeric, black pepper, cayenne pepper, cinnamon, ginger) has just been published and opens promising perspectives in the prevention and treatment of dysbiosis and intestinal permeability disorders [32].

4. Herbs, Spices and Health: Benefits and Limitations

Profits. Based on validated scientific studies, it appears that the regular consumption of aromatic herbs and spices brings many benefits to our Health. Aromatic herbs and spices :

  • increase the nutritional quality of our food by protecting it from oxidation and the formation of carcinogenic compounds
  • help develop healthy eating habits: less salt, sugars, fats and more vegetables
  • take part, thanks to their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and insulin-potentiating properties, in the prevention of :
  • overweight,
  • cardiovascular disease,
  • of metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes,
  • inflammatory diseases
  • and recently demonstrated, intestinal dysbiosis.

The limits

  • Effective daily doses with no side effects remain empirical and further intervention studies are needed to better define them
  • The risk of contamination by pesticides and heavy metals should not be underestimated. It can be dangerous to consume imported herbs and spices without traceability in accordance with European legislation.

As a rule, the cultivation of spices requires few pesticides and herbicides. It is their storage that can represent a risk of toxicity with contamination by bacteria or microorganisms. Control of growing conditions, storage conditions and analytical quality are therefore essential.

These limits do not call into question the interest of the consumption of aromatic herbs and spices for human health, but they underline the dangers of not providing information in the field of nutrition as well as in the more general framework of our environment.

5. Messages to remember

  • The regular use of culinary herbs and spices goes far beyond the simple search for taste pleasure, because introducing them into our eating habits, allows us to acquire healthy eating habits and participates in the nutritional prevention of non-communicable diseases with a nutritional component.
  • However, clinical research still needs to progress as the optimal doses of herbs and spices in the prevention of pathologies and the mechanisms of action are not yet fully known.

Notes and References

Cover image. Spice market.

[1] Bruno Jarry, Spices. Hachette Pratique Publisher, 2007

2] HCSP: Pour une politique nutritionnelle de Santé Publique en France (PNNS 2017-2021). September 2017.

3] Hubert Richard, Spices and Aromatic Herbs, Planet-Vie, Wednesday, April 30, 2008, https://planet-vie.ens.fr/article/2061/epices-herbes-aromatiques

[4] http://www.reseau-education-gout.org/association-reseau-gout/IMG/pdf/dossier-mecanismes-degustation-jan12.pdf

[5] Opara E.L. & Chohan M., 2014, Culinary herbs and spices: their bioactive properties, the contribution of polyphenols and the challenges in deducing their true health benefits. Int. Mol. Sci. 15(10):19183-202.

[6] Oxidative stress corresponds to an aggression of the cells of our organism by species reactive to oxygen such as free radicals. Lifestyle, environmental factors and diet are the main risk factors for exposure to oxidative stress that attacks our cells. Several phytonutrients found in spices and herbs are antioxidants and have the property of preventing harmful chain reactions caused by free radicals.

[7] Yashin A., Yashin Y., Xia X. & Nemzer B., 2017, Antioxidant activity of spices and their impact on human health: A review. Antioxidants (Basel) 6(3).pii:E70; doi:10.3390/antiox6030070.Review.

[8] Li Z., Henning S.M., Zhang Y., Zerlin A., Li L., Gao K., Lee R.P., Karp H., Thames G., Bowerman S. & Heber D., 2010, Antioxidant-rich spice added to hamburger meat during cooking results in reduced meat, plasma, and urine malondialdehyde concentrations. Am..J Clin. Nutr. 91:1180-4

[9] Ninfali P., Mea G., Giorgini S., Rocchi M. & Bacchiocca M., 2005, Antioxidant capacity of vegetables, spices, and dressings relevant to nutrition. Br. J. Nutr. 93(2):257-266

[10] Anderson CA, Cobb LK, Miller ER, Woodward M, Hottenstein A, Chang AR, Mongraw-Chaffin M, White K, Charleston J, Tanaka T, Thomas L, Appel LJ. Effects of a behavioral intervention that emphasizes spices and herbs on adherence to recommended sodium intake: results of the SPICE randomized clinical trial. Am J Clin Nutr. 2015; 102(3):671-9

[11] Li Q, Cui Y. Enjoyment of spicy flavor enhances central salty-taste perception and reduces salt intake and blood pressure. Hypertension. 2017; 70(6):1291-9.

[12] Ghawi SK, Rowland I, Methven L. enhancing consumer liking of low salt tomato soup over repeated exposure by herbs and spice seasonings. Appetite. 2014; 81:20-29

[13] Li Z. et al, Food and Nutrition Sciences, 2015, 6,437-444

[14] Savage JS, Peterson J, Marini M, Bordi PL, Birch LL. The addition of a plain or herb-flavored reduced-fat dip is associated with improved preschooler’s intake of vegetables. J Acad Nutr Diet. 2013; 113(8):1090-5

[15] D’Adamo CR, Mc Ardle PF, Balick L, Peisach E, Ferguson T, Diehl A, Bustad K, Bowden B, Pierce BA, Berman BM. Spice my plate: nutrition education focusing upon spices and herbs improved diet quality and attitudes among urban high school students. Am J Health Promot.2016; 30(5):346-56

[16] Peters JC, Polsky S, Stark R, Zhaoxing P, Hill JO. The influence of herbs and spices on overall liking of reduced fat food. Appetite 2014; 79:183-8

[17] Alcaire F, Antunez L, Vidal L, Gimenez A, Ares G. Aroma-related cross-modal interactions for sugar reduction in milk desserts: influence of consumer perception. Food Res Int. 2017; 97:45-50.

[18] Varghese S., Kubatka P. & Rodrigo L., 2016, Chili pepper as a body weight- loss food. Int J Food Sci Nutr. Nov29: 1-10

[19] Wang J., Ke W., Bao R. & Chen F., 2017, Beneficial effect of ginger Zingiber officinale Roscoe on obesity and metabolic syndrome. Ann NY Acad Sci. 1398(1):83-89

[20] Insulin resistance: decreased sensitivity to insulin. As liver, muscle and fat cells become resistant to insulin, higher and higher amounts of insulin are needed to ensure that glucose enters the insulin-dependent cells, less glucose enters these cells and remains in the blood.

[21] Bi X., Lim J. & Henry C.J., 2017, Spices in the management of diabetes mellitus. Food Chem 217:281-93;

Fatemeh Y., Siassi F., Rahimi A., Koohdani F., Doostan F., Qorbani M. & Sotoudeh G., 2017, The effect of cardamom supplementation on serum-lipids, glycemic indices,and blood pressure in overweight and obese pre-diabetic women: a randomized controlled trial. J Diabetes Metab. Disord. Seven 29:16-40.

[22] Bower A., Marquez S. & de Mejia E.G., 2016, The health benefits of selected culinary herbs and spices found in the traditional mediterranean diet. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 56(16:2728-46)

[23] Akilen R., Tsiami A., Devendra D. & Robinson N., 2012, Cinnamon in glycaemic control: systematic review and metaanalysis. Clin Nutr. 31(5):609-15.

[24] Bradley J.M., Organ C.L & Lefer D.J., 2016, Garlic-derived organic polysulfides and myocardial protection. J Nutr. 146(2):403S-409S

[25] Warshney R. & Budoff M.J., 2016, Garlic and heart diseases J Nutr. 146(2), 416S-421S

[26] Rastogi S., Pandey M.M. & Rawat AKS. 2017, Spices: Therapeutic potential in cardiovascular health. Curr Pharm Des. 23(7):989-998

[27] Campbell MS & Fleenor BS, 2017, The emerging role of curcumin for improving vascular dysfunction: a review. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. doi 10.1080/10408398-2017.1341865

[28] -Nahaim A, Jahan R & Rahmatullah M., 2014, Zingiber officinale: a potential plant against rheumatoid arthritis. Arthritis 159089.doi 10.1155/2014/159089

[29] Basnet P & Skalko-Basnet N., 2011, Curcumin: An anti-inflammatory molecule from a curry spice from inflammatory pathologies to cancer. Molecules 16(6):4567-98

[30] Bioavailability is defined as the fraction of the administered dose of active ingredient that reaches the systemic circulation and the rate at which it reaches the systemic circulation.

[31] Chin KY, 2016, The spice for joint inflammation: anti-inflammatory role of curcumin in treating osteoarthritis. Drug Des Develop Ther. Seven 20. 10:3029-3042.

[32] Lu QY, Summanen PH, Lee RP, Huang J, Henning SM, Heber D, Finegold SM & Li J., 2017, Prebiotic potential and chemical composition of seven culinary spice extracts. J Food Sci. Jul 5. Doi:10:1111/1750-3841;13792


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To cite this article: ROUSSEL Anne-Marie (April 20, 2020), Spices and aromatic herbs : what benefits for our health ?, Encyclopedia of the Environment, Accessed December 9, 2024 [online ISSN 2555-0950] url : https://www.encyclopedie-environnement.org/en/health/spices-aromatic-herbs-benefits-health/.

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香料和香草:对我们的健康有什么好处?

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  烹饪中添加香料和香草可以增加进食的愉悦感,同时也能带来丰富的营养,有助于人体健康。产生香料和香草独特风味或刺激性气味的化合物往往参与植物的防御,以免其受环境破坏。 添加到食物中的香料和香草在被人体摄入后,仍然能在很大程度上保持生物活性:例如,它们的抗氧化特性对人体健康有益。香料和香草可以降低“文明病”的风险,例如肥胖、 而且近期研究证实香料和香草还可以促进人体微生物群中“有益”菌的生长。此外,由于强烈的芳香和风味 ,香料能够减少烹饪中脂肪、盐和糖的含量。

1. 香草和香料的发现

1.1. 香料与文明

环境百科全书-香料-农民的婚礼
图1. 农民的婚礼。小彼得·布鲁盖尔(1564-1638)。[资料来源:pieter Breughel the Younger[公共领域]。

  “香料”一词来源于拉丁语中的“物种”,而“物种”又来源于“杂货商”,即香料的销售商 。在西方人的眼中,香料起源于象征着奢华的遥远国度,或者更确切地说象征着“用现金支付”,象征着精致。几个世纪以来, 为了垄断香料贸易,斗争和暴力源源不断。香料的历史就是一部文明史[1]。早在6000 多年前的北欧,就已发现了香料的使用。 随后 ,在美索不达米亚和古埃及,香料因其色香味独到,亦或具备食物保存的能力而备受人们喜爱 。随着大希腊地区的贸易增长和罗马帝国的扩张 ,香料又被带到了欧洲(阅读焦点——香料之路,全球化的第一批果实 )。

  中世纪以来,在欧洲,香草的药用价值就已广为人知。但直到20世纪,香料的使用本质上仍然是享乐主义的(气味和芳香)(图 1)。

1.2 香草,香料–公共健康感兴趣的话题

  直到最近,才有科学研究报道 香草和香料对公共健康具有潜在的益处。其集中体现在三个领域:

  • 香料和香草中生物活性化合物的分析与鉴定;
  • 在遵循公共卫生高级委员会(HCSP)营养建议方面,香料和香草的实际行为效用[2]:减少盐、脂肪与糖,增加蔬菜与豆类的摄入;
  • 生物和临床研究证实,香料和香草有预防或缓解 疾病的能力。

1.3 什么是香料?什么是香草?

环境百科全书-香料-主要的香草
图2. 主要的香草。[来源:AM Roussel]
叶类:thym百里香、origan牛至、romarin迷迭香、laurier sauce豆豉、persil香芹、ciboulette小葱、estragon香菜、menthe薄荷、menthe poivree薄荷、menthe douce甜薄荷、sauge鼠尾草、basilic罗勒、marjolaine马郁兰、citronnelle柠檬草、aneth莳萝
球茎类:ail大蒜、echalotte葱

  香料和香草都来源于植物[3]。通常,香料(英语国家所言的香料 )来自于植物不含叶绿素的部分,而香草是使用植物绿色的部分,以此来区分两者。

  香草经常出现在菜园或菜市场的摊位上,基于其芳香 、调味或药用的品质,有时混合在芳香混合物中 (图2)。它们的活性成分存在于叶子(欧芹、月桂叶、 …)或鳞茎(大蒜、葱 、洋葱)中。在烹饪中,香料包用来给炖菜调味。香料包由各种香草组成,通常含有月桂叶、百里香和欧芹。

环境百科全书-香料-主要植物器官来源
图3. 香料的主要植物器官来源。[来源:AM Roussel]
Safran番红花fleurs花朵clou de girofle丁香 bourgeons芽 cannelle肉桂 ecorces皮 gingembre生姜 curcuma姜黄 reglisse甘草 racines fruit果实 poivre piment paprika coriander genievre vanilla Graines种子 cumin孜然 noix de坚果 muscade肉豆蔻 fenouil 茴香celery芹菜 fenugrec胡芦巴 cardamone豆蔻 moutarde芥末

  烹饪中香料的用量很少,主要用于给菜肴增香和调味,有时也用于上色或保藏。在香料中,生物活性物质可能存在于植物的花(藏红花)、芽(丁香)、树皮(肉桂)、根、果实(胡椒、莳萝、芥菜)、根茎(姜)或种子(茴香、香菜、肉豆蔻)(图3)。

  香料之所以能刺激我们的感官,不仅是因为它们含有芳香或刺激性的化合物,更重要的是它们具有刺激三叉神经冲动的化合物,使它们有别于其他具有芳香风味的物质。因此,它们具备气味(鼻前:通过鼻孔;或者鼻后:通过连接嘴鼻的鼻后窝)、风味,以及刺激三叉神经(辛辣,新鲜…)。[4]

环境百科全书-香料-多样性
图4. 香草和香料中生物活性物质的多样性。[来源:AM Roussel]

  香草和香料没有营养价值 ,但富含生物活性化合物 、多酚、生物碱、萜类和类胡萝卜素[5]。所有这些物质都具有让植物更好适应环境的特性(图4)。

  这些植物内部的次级代谢物,对热、细菌或病毒应激具有保护作用。例如,姜黄粉中的姜黄素类化合物,以姜黄素最广为人知,其是当植物受到侵犯,改变信号通路并诱导抗氧化和抗炎防御的首要保护。这一机制普遍存在于植物界。通过将香料添加到食物中,我们也可以从这些特性中获益。

1.4 香草和香料–膳食抗氧化物质的来源

环境百科全书-香料-富含抗氧化剂
图5. 香草和香料富含抗氧化物质。[来源:AM Roussel]
一茶匙牛至;80g葡萄;一茶匙肉桂;250ml石榴汁;

  香草和香料的抗氧化能力[6]很高[7](图5)。例如,一茶匙干牛至的抗氧化能力相当于80克葡萄,而一茶匙肉桂的抗氧化能力相当于250毫升石榴汁。烹饪前在肉中加入香草和香料的混合物,可以防止对人体细胞有害的脂肪氧化衍生物[8]的产生。沙拉调料中含有的香草可以使食物抗氧化能力提高一倍[9]。需要指出的是,与维生素不同,香草和香料中的多酚类物质具有抗干燥和耐热的特性。

2. 香草和香料可减少盐、糖和脂肪,并增加蔬菜的摄入

  选择不健康的食物会增加罹患营养相关性疾病的风险,如肥胖、II型糖尿病、高血压、炎症、癌症或最近研究发现的肠道菌群改变和失调(阅读 人类微生物群:我们健康的盟友)。

  因此,正确选择食物是公众健康问题的关键, 然而这一目标很难达到。尽管国家营养与健康计划(PNNS)在2001年至2017年间相继开展了众多针对普通大众的营养宣传活动,最新食品消费调查显示绝大多数人的蔬菜摄入量仍然太少,而脂肪、盐和糖的摄入过多。

  然而,人为干预研究告诉我们,定期食用香草和香料有助于纠正这些饮食错误 。

2.1 香草和香料可以减少盐的摄入

环境百科全书-香料-减盐
图6. 少吃盐!

  过量的盐(图6)是导致高血压、心血管疾病和胃癌的罪魁祸首。降低盐的摄入量一直是国家营养和健康计划(PNNS)的重点 目标。因此,第三期国家营养和健康计划(2011-2015)制定了食盐摄入量指标:男性8克/天、女性和儿童6.5克/天,比法国人均食盐摄入量降低20%。

  最近发表的研究表明,使用香草和香料能有效减少盐的摄入量。在每日饮食中加入香草和香料6个月后,盐的摄入量和尿钠排泄量会显著减少[10]。另一项试验中,参与研究的受试者对咸味的感知受到了辣味的影响 ,使他们在保持味蕾愉悦的同时减少了盐的摄入量。临床上,参与者 血压也显著降低[11]。最后,一份最近的英文报告显示 ,与工业生产的咸味汤[12]相比,在含盐量少53%的汤中添加香草和香料能够提高汤的接受度和可口性。

  吃“味道丰富”的食物有助于广大读者减少盐的摄入,仍然能保证可口性,还能预防高血压。

2.2 香草和香料可以增加蔬菜的摄入

环境百科全书-香料-更多蔬菜
图7. 多吃蔬菜!

  增加水果和蔬菜的摄入是营养推荐 的重点(图7)。尽管法国进行了多次的 宣传活动,但水果和蔬菜的消费量仍然停滞不前。口味是人们选择蔬菜的首要动机,而健康或控制 体重通常并非首选。在一项针对超重者的干预试验中,这些受试者的蔬菜摄入量很少( 但吃辛辣 食物和使用烹饪香草会增加他们的蔬菜摄入量;对平时不喜欢吃蔬菜的受试者最明显,他们的蔬菜摄入量增加了91%[13]

  对年轻受试者的营养教育很重要,几项针对儿童[14]和高中生[15]的研究表明,在食物中添加香草和香料有助于他们食用不喜欢的蔬菜(芹菜和南瓜)并选择健康的食物

2.3 香草和香料使人们更容易吃低脂、低糖食物

环境百科全书-香料-降脂减糖
图8. 少吃脂肪!少吃糖!

  超重和肥胖的流行 主要归因于过量的脂肪和糖的摄入量,尤其是大量饮用软饮料 (图8)。对美国超重志愿者进行的两项研究表明,用草药 和香料调味的低脂、低糖食品的可口性更好,而如果不在相同的食品中添加香草和香料,其可口性变差[16][17]

3. 香草和香料–预防营养性疾病的盟友

环境百科全书-香料-疾病预防
图9. 香料,草药和疾病的预防。[来源:AM Roussel]
Neuroprotection神经保护;Protection cardiovasculaire心血管保护;Cancers癌症;Microbiote微生物群;Inflammation炎症;Insuline regulation du glucose胰岛素调节葡萄糖;Controle du poids控制体重;Epices et herbes香料和香草

  鉴于营养性疾病的发病率不断增加,香草和香料的潜在生物学和临床学收益成为非常活跃的研究焦点[3,4](图9)。大部分这类研究聚焦于评估香料和香草对肥胖、心血管疾病、炎症疾病以及营养不良的影响。

3.1 香草、香料和肥胖

  按一定营养剂量定期使用某些香料,可以控制体重,主要通过三种机制:增加能量消耗、提高生热作用和激活脂肪燃烧代谢。

  最常提及的香料是富含辣椒素[18]的红椒粉 ,以及富含姜辣素和姜烯酚[19]的姜。必须强调的是,超过享乐的营养剂量(即提供味觉快感的营养剂量)是危险的。因为过量的类辣椒素会刺激肠胃、改变肠道渗透性,并伴有烧灼感,从而导致肠胃失调。

3.2 香草、香料和胰岛素抵抗:从代谢综合症到II型糖尿病

环境百科全书-香料-小豆蔻和肉桂
图10. 小豆蔻和肉桂。[来源: 左图: Didier Descouens [CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], 右图: Simon A. Eugster [CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)]

  在法国,超过五分之一的人患有代谢综合症,即前期糖尿病,特征包括腹部肥胖、高血压、血胆固醇和甘油三酯过高、高血糖和胰岛素抵抗[20]。代谢综合症使人们面临II型糖尿病、心血管疾病和早期认知能力下降的高风险。

  科学已证实,某些香料(肉桂、姜黄、小茴香 、丁香和小豆蔻,图10)和地中海草本植物(月桂、龙蒿、迷迭香)可以调节血糖,增加胰岛素敏感性,改善代谢综合征的生物标志物[21][22][23]。特别需要指出的是,每天食用一克肉桂粉就足以将患有代谢综合征的受试者的血糖水平降至生理值[24]

3.3 香草、香料和心血管疾病

环境百科全书-香料-丁香
File source: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:ClovesDried.jpg

  在法国,心血管疾病是导致死亡的首要原因, 往往源于营养 问题(过量摄入盐、糖以及饱和脂肪),并伴有高胆固醇血症、高甘油三酯血症、氧化型低密度脂蛋白 高血压和血管功能障碍。

  对心血管疾病的预防而言,富含有机硫化合物[25]的大蒜效果最明显。经常食用大蒜粉(600 毫克/天)或鲜蒜(2.7 克/天)可降低胆固醇水平、减少血小板聚集,起到降压作用[26]

经常食用小豆蔻、芫荽、姜黄、生姜和丁香(图11)也有助于预防心血管疾病。如上所述,这些香料可以通过抗氧化和抗炎效应抵御代谢综合症及其对血管的影响。

此外,在保护血管内皮细胞方面,姜黄的潜在作用似乎不仅限于其抗炎和抗氧化的特性,还因其能诱导具有血管扩张和降低聚集性作用的[27]

3.4 姜黄、生姜和炎症性疾病

环境百科全书-香料-生姜图画
图12. 生姜植物和根茎图。[来源:麦考密克与公司 [公共领域] ]

  姜黄和生姜能阻断促炎症细胞转录因子的激活和炎症脂质介质的产生。

  生姜中(图12)富含姜辣素和姜稀酚,连续每天食用 ,可以显著减轻慢性肌肉疼痛[28]

  姜黄(图13)及其活性成分姜黄素是强效的抗炎药,几个世纪以来一直被印度阿育吠陀医学认可[29]。然而,姜黄粉的生物利用度非常差[30],降低了其有效性,因此需要以10克/天左右的高剂量使用。姜黄素的特性已被众多国际研究证实。以500毫克/天的姜黄素治疗关节炎的效果,与非甾体类抗炎药(NSAIDs)一样有效[31]

3.5 香草、香料和微生物群:未来

  这是一个非常有前途 的研究领域。饮食是影响肠道微生物组成,以及我们健康的主要因素。

环境百科全书-香料-姜块、姜片和姜黄粉
图13. 姜块、姜片和姜黄粉。[来源:Simon A. Eugster [CCBY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)]]

  近期,一些体外和体内研究表明,膳食中的多酚类化合物会影响肠道菌群的丰度 和特性。含多酚类化合物的食物(茶、可可和水果)可以减少致病菌的数量,增加有益的双歧杆菌和乳酸杆菌的数量。在此情景下,7种香料和香草的混合物(牛至、迷迭香、姜黄、黑胡椒、辣椒、肉桂、生姜)具有类似益生元效果 ,为预防和治疗肠道失调及肠道通透性障碍 开辟了广阔的前景[32]

4. 香草、香料和健康:益处与局限

  益处:科学研究证实,定期食用香草和香料对我们的健康有诸多益处。

香草和香料:

  • 通过防止食物氧化和致癌化合物的形成来提高食物的营养品质;
  • 帮助养成健康的饮食习惯:少盐、少糖、少脂肪,多吃蔬菜;
  • 凭借其抗氧化、抗炎和增强胰岛素效用的特性,可预防:肥胖,心血管疾病,代谢综合症和II型糖尿病, 炎症性疾病,以及最近被证明的肠道失调。

  局限:

  • 无副作用的有效每日剂量仍然需要依靠经验判断 ,需要进一步的干预研究来更好地确定有效剂量;
  • 不应低估农药和重金属的污染风险。根据欧洲法律,食用不可追溯的进口草药和香料是危险的。
  • 一般来说,种植香料只需要很少的杀虫剂和除草剂。在储存过程中有可能被细菌或微生物污染,造成中毒风险 。因此,控制生长条件、贮藏条件和分析质量是必需的。

  这些局限性并没有质疑香草和香料本身对人类健康的益处,但凸显了信息不完备的危险性。

5. 要点

  • 烹饪中经常使用香料和香草不仅是为了愉悦味蕾,还可以让我们收获健康的饮食习惯,而且还能作为营养成分参与非传染性疾病的营养预防。
  • 然而,由于香草和香料在疾病预防中的最佳剂量和作用机制尚未完全清楚,仍需要开展进一步的临床研究。

参考资料及说明

封面图片:香料市场。

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[2] HCSP: Pour une politique nutritionnelle de Santé Publique en France (PNNS 2017-2021). September 2017.

[3] Hubert Richard, Spices and Aromatic Herbs, Planet-Vie, Wednesday, April 30, 2008, https://planet-vie.ens.fr/article/2061/epices-herbes-aromatiques

[4] http://www.reseau-education-gout.org/association-reseau-gout/IMG/pdf/dossier-mecanismes-degustation-jan12.pdf

[5] Opara E.L. & Chohan M., 2014, Culinary herbs and spices: their bioactive properties, the contribution of polyphenols and the challenges in deducing their true health benefits. Int. Mol. Sci. 15(10):19183-202.

[6] 氧化应激是与氧气产生反应的物种(例如自由基)对我们机体细胞的攻击。生活方式、环境因素和饮食是暴露于攻击我们细胞的氧化应激的主要风险因素。在香料和草药中发现的几种植物营养素是抗氧化剂,具有防止自由基引起的有害连锁反应的特性。

[7] Yashin A., Yashin Y., Xia X. & Nemzer B., 2017, Antioxidant activity of spices and their impact on human health: A review. Antioxidants (Basel) 6(3).pii:E70; doi:10.3390/antiox6030070.Review.

[8] Li Z., Henning S.M., Zhang Y., Zerlin A., Li L., Gao K., Lee R.P., Karp H., Thames G., Bowerman S. & Heber D., 2010, Antioxidant-rich spice added to hamburger meat during cooking results in reduced meat, plasma, and urine malondialdehyde concentrations. Am..J Clin. Nutr. 91:1180-4

[9] Ninfali P., Mea G., Giorgini S., Rocchi M. & Bacchiocca M., 2005, Antioxidant capacity of vegetables, spices, and dressings relevant to nutrition. Br. J. Nutr. 93(2):257-266

[10] Anderson CA, Cobb LK, Miller ER, Woodward M, Hottenstein A, Chang AR, Mongraw-Chaffin M, White K, Charleston J, Tanaka T, Thomas L, Appel LJ. Effects of a behavioral intervention that emphasizes spices and herbs on adherence to recommended sodium intake: results of the SPICE randomized clinical trial. Am J Clin Nutr. 2015; 102(3):671-9

[11] Li Q, Cui Y. Enjoyment of spicy flavor enhances central salty-taste perception and reduces salt intake and blood pressure. Hypertension. 2017; 70(6):1291-9.

[12] Ghawi SK, Rowland I, Methven L. enhancing consumer liking of low salt tomato soup over repeated exposure by herbs and spice seasonings. Appetite. 2014; 81:20-29

[13] Li Z. et al, Food and Nutrition Sciences, 2015, 6,437-444

[14] Savage JS, Peterson J, Marini M, Bordi PL, Birch LL. The addition of a plain or herb-flavored reduced-fat dip is associated with improved preschooler’s intake of vegetables. J Acad Nutr Diet. 2013; 113(8):1090-5

[15] D’Adamo CR, Mc Ardle PF, Balick L, Peisach E, Ferguson T, Diehl A, Bustad K, Bowden B, Pierce BA, Berman BM. Spice my plate: nutrition education focusing upon spices and herbs improved diet quality and attitudes among urban high school students. Am J Health Promot.2016; 30(5):346-56

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[17] Alcaire F, Antunez L, Vidal L, Gimenez A, Ares G. Aroma-related cross-modal interactions for sugar reduction in milk desserts: influence of consumer perception. Food Res Int. 2017; 97:45-50.

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[19] Wang J., Ke W., Bao R. & Chen F., 2017, Beneficial effect of ginger Zingiber officinale Roscoe on obesity and metabolic syndrome. Ann NY Acad Sci. 1398(1):83-89

[20] Insulin resistance: decreased sensitivity to insulin. As liver, muscle and fat cells become resistant to insulin, higher and higher amounts of insulin are needed to ensure that glucose enters the insulin-dependent cells, less glucose enters these cells and remains in the blood.

[21] Bi X., Lim J. & Henry C.J., 2017, Spices in the management of diabetes mellitus. Food Chem 217:281-93;

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[24] Bradley J.M., Organ C.L & Lefer D.J., 2016, Garlic-derived organic polysulfides and myocardial protection. J Nutr. 146(2):403S-409S

[25] Warshney R. & Budoff M.J., 2016, Garlic and heart diseases J Nutr. 146(2), 416S-421S

[26] Rastogi S., Pandey M.M. & Rawat AKS. 2017, Spices: Therapeutic potential in cardiovascular health. Curr Pharm Des. 23(7):989-998

[27] Campbell MS & Fleenor BS, 2017, The emerging role of curcumin for improving vascular dysfunction: a review. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. doi 10.1080/10408398-2017.1341865

[28] -Nahaim A, Jahan R & Rahmatullah M., 2014, Zingiber officinale: a potential plant against rheumatoid arthritis. Arthritis 159089.doi 10.1155/2014/159089

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[30] Bioavailability is defined as the fraction of the administered dose of active ingredient that reaches the systemic circulation and the rate at which it reaches the systemic circulation.

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To cite this article: ROUSSEL Anne-Marie (March 9, 2024), 香料和香草:对我们的健康有什么好处?, Encyclopedia of the Environment, Accessed December 9, 2024 [online ISSN 2555-0950] url : https://www.encyclopedie-environnement.org/zh/sante-zh/spices-aromatic-herbs-benefits-health/.

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