- ALLERGY, RESPIRATORY
- Using Music and Sports to Improve Kids' Asthma
- Herbal Remedy Could Halt Peanut Allergy
- Overweight Moms More Likely to Have Asthmatic Kids
- ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE
- Yoga May Bring Calm to Breast Cancer Treatment
- Should Your Child Be Seeing a Chiropractor?
- Animals Respond to Acupuncture's Healing Touch
- ANIMAL CARE
- Beware of Dog Bites
- Animals Respond to Acupuncture's Healing Touch
- Separation Anxiety, Canine-Style
- BONES & JOINTS
- Bone Loss Stable on Restricted Calorie Diet
- Cane Use May Cut Progression of Knee Osteoarthritis
- Arthritis Hits More Than Half of Diabetics
- CANCER
- Vitamin C Shows Promise as Cancer Treatment
- Supplements Might Reduce Breast Cancer Risk
- Sharing Cancer Info May Be Empowering
- CAREGIVING
- Diabetes Epidemic Now Poses Challenges for Nursing Homes
- Study Casts Doubt on Influential Hospital Safety Survey
- Falls Are Top Cause of Injury, Death Among Elderly
- CIRCULATORY SYSTEM
- Common Antioxidant Might Slow Parkinson's
- Laughter Can Boost Heart Health
- Review Confirms Links Between Diet, Heart Health
- COSMETIC
- Contact Lenses Boost Kids' Self-Image
- Science May Banish Bad Hair Days
- Wrinkle Fillers Need Better Label Warnings: FDA Panel
- DENTAL, ORAL
- Study Links Osteoporosis Drugs to Jaw Trouble
- Hormones May Be to Blame for Women's Cavity Rates
- Mom's Vitamin D Levels Affect Baby's Dental Health
- DIABETES
- Older Diabetics With Depression Face Higher Death Rate
- Laughter May Lower Heart Attack Risk in Diabetics
- Abnormal Heart Rhythm Boosts Death Risk for Diabetics
- DIET, NUTRITION
- Diet, Exercise May Slow Kidney Disease Progression
- Many Cancer Survivors Don't Adopt Healthy Lifestyle
- Memory Loss Help from Brain Supplement Prevagen
- DISABILITIES
- Review Finds Marijuana May Help MS Patients
- Could Your Cell Phone Help Shield You From Alzheimer's?
- ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH
- Are Medical Meetings Environmentally Unfriendly?
- Greener Neighborhoods Mean Slimmer Children
- Household Insecticides May Be Linked to Autoimmune Diseases
- EYE CARE, VISION
- Blood Sugar Control Helps Diabetics Preserve Sight
- 'Blind' Man Navigates Obstacle Course Without Error
- Eye Test Could Spot Diabetes Vision Trouble Early
- FITNESS
- Good Warm-Ups Could Halve Sports Injuries
- Mom and Baby Alike May Benefit From Exercise
- Many Cancer Survivors Don't Adopt Healthy Lifestyle
- GASTROINTESTINAL PROBLEMS
- Gum Chewing May Speed Colon Surgery Recovery
- Olive Oil May Protect Against Bowel Disease
- New Yogurt May Ease Stomach Ulcers
- GENERAL HEALTH
- Parents Influence Sex Decisions, Hispanic Teens Say
- Autumn Chores Often Hazardous
- Surgical Masks Could Prevent Flu, Maybe
- HEAD & NECK
- Ski Helmets Encouraged for All
- Many Children Will Outgrow Headaches
- Zen May Thicken Brain, Thwart Pain
- HEALTH & TECHNOLOGY
- Airport Full Body Scanners Pose No Health Threat: Experts
- 'Comfort Dogs' Come to Emotional Rescue
- Magnet Therapy May Ease Hard-to-Treat Depression
- HEART & CARDIOVASCULAR
- Too Much Red Meat May Shorten Life Span
- Fish Oil Supplements Help With Heart Failure
- Laughter Can Boost Heart Health
- INFECTIOUS DISEASE
- Swine Flu Loves a Crowd
- More Medicinal Uses for Pomegranate
- Grapefruit Compound Inhibits Hepatitis C Virus
- KID'S HEALTH
- Traffic, Dust Linked to Asthma in Kids
- Stomach Germ May Protect Against Asthma
- Exercise in Adolescence May Cut Risk of Deadly Brain Tumor
- MEN'S HEALTH
- Physical Activity May Prolong Survival After Colon Cancer
- More Vitamin C May Mean Less Chance of Gout
- Lots of Sex May Prevent Erectile Dysfunction
- MENTAL HEALTH
- Common Social Groups and Race, Seem to Help People Relate
- Have a Goal in Life? You Might Live Longer
- Optimism May Boost Immune System
- PREGNANCY
- Alternative Treatments May Boost IVF Success
- Exercise As Well As Acupuncture, May Ease Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome
- Woman in America Are Delaying Motherhood, Study Says
- SENIORS
- Healthy Diet Could Cut Alzheimer's Disease Risk
- For a Healthier Retirement, Work a Little
- Living Alone Increases Odds of Developing Dementia
Spices, Herbs Boost Health for Diabetics
By eHolistic.com Published: 10/17/2008
By Randy Dotinga
HealthDay Reporter
FRIDAY, Oct. 17 (HealthDay News) -- Spices may do more than flavor your food: New research suggests a shake of this and a pinch of that could also boost the health of diabetics.
Researchers bought 24 herbs and spices and found that many appear to have the power to inhibit tissue damage and inflammation brought on by high blood-sugar levels in the body.
The study didn't examine the direct effects of spices on diabetics. Also, spices are typically used in small amounts, making it unclear if those who eat them would get much benefit.
Still, "this gives people a tool to work with in terms of keeping their health as they want it to be," said study co-author James Hargrove, an associate professor at the University of Georgia.
Hargrove and his colleagues were intrigued by spices because they're rich in antioxidants, which are thought to protect cells from damage. "One can put a lot of antioxidant power into meals by using spices" without making people fatter, he said. "Because of the way they're prepared, herbs and spices tend to have low calorie contents."
In addition, spices are cheaper than many other food products, he said.
The researchers decided to look into the anti-inflammatory properties of spices. "We said, 'Let's just go to Wal-Mart, get all the McCormick brand spices we can find, and check those. That was as complicated as our study design was."
The findings appear in a recent issue of the Journal of Medicinal Food.
In laboratory tests, the researchers found that many of the spices and extracts appeared to inhibit a process known as glycation, which has been linked to inflammation and tissue damage in diabetics.
The spices that seemed most likely to help diabetics included cloves, cinnamon (previously pegged as a possible blood-sugar reducer), allspice, apple pie spice and pumpkin pie spice, Hargrove said. Top herbs included marjoram, sage and thyme.
Other spices and herbs were "still rich compared to other foods" when it comes to the effect, he said.
Lona Sandon, national spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association, said that while research does suggest that spices are high in antioxidants and may reduce blood-sugar levels, it's difficult to make recommendations about how much to use.
Even so, "I say add as much herbs and spices as your taste buds and tummy can take," she said. "They add flavor and fun to foods without adding calories or fat. Their potential for promoting health outweighs any risks, unless, of course, you have an allergy to a particular spice."
More information
Learn about the history of spices from the University of California at Los Angeles.
SOURCES: James Hargrove, Ph.D., associate professor, Department of Foods and Nutrition, The University of Georgia, Athens; Lona Sandon, ME.d., R.D., assistant professor, University of Texas Southwestern, Dallas, and national spokeswoman, American Dietetic Association, Dallas; June 2008, Journal of Medicinal Food
Last Updated: Oct. 17, 2008
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