Spices and herbs may not only enhance the taste of your food but also boost your health by reducing sodium, calorie and fat intake, researchers have found.
Researcher Margriet Westerterp-Plantenga from Maastricht University in the Netherlands reviewed research showing that culinary amounts of red pepper increased energy expenditure and satiety in healthy adults.
Red pepper may assist individuals who are trying to manage their weight, she said.
Another research conducted at Johns Hopkins University in US found that adding spices and herbs to food resulted in lower sodium intake when compared to those who did not have behavioural intervention.
Participants using spices and herbs consumed an average of 966 mg/day of sodium less than the group that did not receive the intervention.
"We now understand that spices and herbs have a meaningful role to play in bringing flavor to the forefront of today's health and wellness conversations," said Johanna Dwyer, professor of medicine and community health at Tufts University School of Medicine.
Adding spices and herbs to reduced-fat meals (lean meats, vegetables and pasta) helped make them more appealing. In fact, some reduced fat dishes with added herbs and spices were rated just as high as the full-fat version, according to James O Hill, from the University of Colorado.
Sheila West from The Pennsylvania State University provided an overview of research that found a spice blend added to a high-fat meal decreased post-meal insulin and triglyceride levels compared to the same meal without added spices.
The research was published in the journal Nutrition Today.
