Spice up your life - and health

Garlic and oregano are among herbs and spices being promoted by researchers not just to make food tasty, but as potential allies to fight heart disease and cancer.

Herbs and spices have not figured large in the traditional New Zealand kitchen, although this is changing through the effects of immigration and global travel.

Nor do they feature in official food guidelines of New Zealand or many other countries, apart from Greece, which promotes the health-giving properties of basil, thyme and the like.

Now there is pressure for change. Food researchers say in a supplement to this week's Medical Journal of Australia that explicit recommendations about herbs and spices should be considered.

Wollongong University dietitian Professor Linda Tapsell, who oversaw the supplement - financed by a herb producer but subject to the same scientific scrutiny as other journal articles - said that herbs and spices were high in antioxidants.

The supplement found evidence that garlic was linked to reducing both total and "bad" cholesterol. "Studies suggest that an intake of between half and one garlic clove per day can reduce cholesterol by 9 per cent."

An American study cited in the supplement found that ingredients like dried oregano, peppermint and cinnamon contained "very high concentrations" of antioxidants and may contribute significantly to intake of plant antioxidants in a normal diet.

Antioxidants are thought to reduce the oxidation of bad cholesterol that can lead to heart disease and stroke.

The supplement highlights a study that found Australians who had migrated from Greece had a 35 per cent lower death rate from cardiovascular disease and cancer than people born in Australia, despite having much higher rates of obesity, diabetes, inactivity and smoking.

Diet was the likely cause, the study said.

"Greek migrants appear to have retained high intakes of vegetables, especially those high in antioxidants, such as leafy greens, tomato, capsicum, onions, garlic and herbs ... [and] legumes and fish."

The supplement suggests herbs and spices may also have a role in fighting cancer, but says evidence is limited to laboratory and animal studies.

And it notes the healthy substitution role herbs and spices can play in recipes by reducing the need for salt, fat and sugar, making potentially plain dishes like wholegrains or vegetables more appealing.

Otago University senior nutrition lecturer Winsome Parnell agreed about this "important" spicing-up role, like adding chives to low-fat cottage cheese, but said most nutritionists did not see herbs and spices as nutrient sources because only tiny amounts were used.

How healthy

* Weight for weight, cinnamon contained 68 times more of a certain antioxidant than granny smith apples.

* A 150g serving of the apple had just over twice the amount of the antioxidant found in 1g of cinnamon.

Source: Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry