Food has been used throughout the history for healing and to help us in maintaining high levels of wellbeing. Getting all the goodness we need from food can be difficult, especially in this age of processed, homogenized, irradiated and genetically modified food. Generally speaking, the most important point is to enjoy a balanced diet comprising fresh, whole and organic foods. Further than this, foods have particular nutritional properties and so may be used as targeted health tonics. Herbs and spices are no exception and can be added to various dishes easily, mixed into teas, or infused with oils or vinegars (e.g. rice wine or apple cider).
Herbs and spices are very much well known to everyone in the world and are used all over the world. In many cultures for various food preparations as well as in many different medicinal preparations by various cultures. Many of the spices and herbs used today have been valued for their antimicrobial effects and medicinal powers in addition to their flavor and fragrance qualities. Most of the food-borne bacterial pathogens examined were sensitive to extracts from plants such as cinnamon, clove, garlic, mustard, onion and oregano. The antimicrobial compounds in spices and herbs are mostly in the essential oil fraction. Herbs and spices are plant products used in flavoring foods and beverages. For thousands of years, aromatic plant materials have been used in food preparation and preservation, as well as for embalming, in areas where the plants are native.
A spice may be available in several forms: fresh, whole dried, or pre-ground dried. Generally, spices are dried. A whole dried spice has the longest shelf life, so it can be purchased and stored in larger amounts, making it cheaper on a per-serving basis. Some spices are not always available either fresh or whole, for example turmeric, and often must be purchased in ground form. Small seeds, such as fennel and mustard seeds, are often used both whole and in powder form.
The flavor of a spice is derived in part from compounds (volatile oils) that oxidize or evaporate when exposed to air. Grinding a spice greatly increases its surface area and so increases the rates of oxidation and evaporation. Thus, flavor is maximized by storing a spice whole and grinding when needed. The shelf life of a whole dry spice is roughly two years; of a ground spice roughly six months. The “flavor life” of a ground spice can be much shorter. Ground spices are better stored away from light. To grind a whole spice, the classic tool is mortar and pestle. Less labor-intensive tools are more common now: a microplane or fine grater can be used to grind small amounts; a coffee grinder is useful for larger amounts. A frequently used spice such as black pepper may merit storage in its own hand grinder or mill.
Some flavor elements in spices are soluble in water; many are soluble in oil or fat. As a general rule, the flavors from a spice take time to infuse into the food so spices are added early in preparation of food. Because they tend to have strong flavors and are used in small quantities, spices tend to add few calories to food, even though many spices, especially those made from seeds, contain high portions of fat, protein, and carbohydrate by weight. Many spices, however, can contribute significant portions of micronutrients to the diet. For example, a teaspoon of paprika contains about 1133 IU of Vitamin A, which is over 20 per cent of the recommended daily allowance specified by the US FDA. When used in larger quantity, spices can also contribute a substantial amount of minerals, including iron, magnesium, calcium, and many others, to the diet.
Most herbs and spices have substantial antioxidant activity, owing primarily to phenolic compounds, especially flavonoids, which influence nutrition through many pathways, including affecting the absorption of other nutrients. One study found cumin and fresh ginger to be highest in antioxidant activity. These antioxidants can also act as natural preservatives, preventing or slowing the spoilage of food, leading to a higher nutritional content in stored food.
Today, spices are increasingly revered not only for their culinary properties but also for their potential health benefits. Although the health attributes associated with spice use may arise from their antioxidant properties, their biological effects may arise from their ability to induce changes in a number of cellular processes, including those involved with drug metabolism, cell division, apoptosis, differentiation and immunocompetence.
There is little doubt that nutrition and health are intimately linked. For generations, people have claimed that foods provide greater benefits than simply supplying energy. Beliefs in the medicinal properties of foods have surfaced in many early writings of man. Hippocrates is frequently quoted as having said, “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food”. Today, claims about the ability of foods, including spices, to lower disease risk or to enhance the quality of life continue to captivate our lives. Additional information about the amounts of specific spices required to bring about a response (effect) and the interactions of spices with other constituents of the diet, microbes in the gastrointestinal tract, environmental exposures, and human genetics (susceptibility factors) will be needed to unravel the true benefits of adding spices to the diet. Herbs and spices add some pep to any meal, and many come with proven heart healthy benefits and can even ease pain, including post-workout soreness. Herbs and spices also have antibacterial and antiviral properties, and most are high in B-vitamins and trace minerals. In fact, most contain more disease-fighting antioxidants than some fruits and vegetables. Herbs and spices are also an inexpensive way to add flavor to food without the extra fat, calories, sodium or cholesterol.
Herbs and spices can transform dull, bland food into a delicious dish, but many also come with some unexpected health benefits. Beyond adding complex flavor to a variety of ingredients, many herbs and spices pack a plethora of health perks. Provide certain benefits including possible protection against some of the deadliest chronic conditions, like cancer, diabetes, and heart disease. They can also be used in place of other flavor boosting substances. A little extra spice can remove the need for excess salt, and limiting your sodium intake is essential to preventing high blood pressure.
Common herbs and spices may help protect against certain chronic conditions, such as cancer, diabetes, and heart disease. 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.
The writers are associated with the National Institute of Food Science and Technology, University of Agriculture Faisalabad.