603 LIVING / HEALTH
Spice Up Your Life Not only does it add flavor, it’s good for you BY KAREN A. JAMROG / ILLUSTRATION BY MADELINE McMAHON
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hat’s in your spice cabinet? It is a worthwhile question to consider, given all the goodness packed in the little jars that line your spice rack. Not only can spices and herbs elevate a dish from dull to delightful, but they also come with a bounty of health benefits. From China to India and ancient Greece, people in some parts of the world have long used spices and herbs for medicinal as well as culinary purposes, but now mounting research that highlights the health-boosting properties of spices and herbs is gaining 102
nhmagazine.com | December 2021
the attention of more people in the U.S. Among their benefits, spices and herbs are loaded with phytonutrients (also known as phytochemicals), which are compounds
in plants that may lower the risk of heart disease, diabetes and hypertension; reduce inflammation and protect the body’s cells from damage that could lead to cancer; and support the immune system. “There is overwhelming evidence to show that high-quality spices and herbs ... have phytonutrients, and that they contain phytonutrients that you can’t get anywhere else,” says Sarah Jacobson, R.D.N., L.D., a registered dietitian at Dartmouth-Hitchcock’s Weight and Wellness Center in Bedford. “So even if you’re eating all your fruits and vegetables, there are specific phytonutrients and antioxidants that herbs and spices and alliums [such as onion, garlic and scallions] have on their own.” Individual spices and herbs have been studied to varying degrees, Jacobson says, “but as a group, it’s very clear that they have health benefits.” Scientists are still learning about how spices and herbs might be used to treat certain diseases, but in the meantime, we can take advantage of the cumulative health perks associated with frequent use of spices and herbs — especially because, in addition to the phytochemicals and other benefits that spices and herbs deliver directly, people who routinely use herbs and spices in the kitchen typically reduce their intake of sugar, fat and salt, Jacobson says, “and by doing that, you’re improving blood sugar and blood pressure and all of those other chronic diseases that we worry about.” Typically, the average healthy American adult who eats a varied diet should aim to cook with herbs and spices rather than pop a related supplement or two. “There is a benefit to getting [phytonutrients] from whole foods or getting them from the entire spice or herb itself versus just isolating those phytonutrients,” Jacobson says. “The body always has more of a benefit when you’re eating the food itself.” With so many spices and herbs to choose
“This is a way to shift how people are cooking and a way to shift the foods that they’re being exposed to on a regular basis.” — Sarah Jacobson, R.D.N., L.D., Dartmouth-Hitchcock’s Weight and Wellness Center
