"Eating fatty foods too often will make the levels of triglycerides (bad cholesterol) become too much so that the risk of heart disease increases. We found that by adding spices in a high-fat diet can reduce triglycerides by about 30 percent compared to the same food but without the spices, "said Sheila West, Penn State University researchers esciencenews.com quoted as saying on Thursday (11/08/2011).
To prove this, the West and his team provide food for 2 days to 6 men aged 30-65 years who are obese but healthy. Researchers then add 2 tablespoons of culinary herbs in foods that want to study. In another group of food was added to the spice. After that the blood of the participants were taken every 30 minutes for three hours.
"In the spicy food we used rosemary, oregano, cinnamon, turmeric, black pepper, clove, garlic powder and paprika. We chose these herbs because they have strong antioxidant activity," said Ann Skulas-Ray, one of the researchers .
When eating foods with spice mixture of antioxidants, the antioxidant activity results be obtained in the blood increased by 13 percent and the insulin response decreased by about 20 percent.
According to West, many scientists thought that oxidative stress contributes to heart disease, arthritis and diabetes. But antioxidants such as spices essential to reduce oxidative stress, thereby reducing the risk of chronic disease.
He added that the dose of spice that is used is equivalent to the antioxidants contained in 5 ounces of red wine or 1.4 ounces of dark chocolate.
Skulas-Ray noted that adding 2 tablespoons of the spice in foods will not cause stomach aches. "They enjoy the food and do not have digestive problems. But the participants were told beforehand that they would eat foods that are seasoned and they are willing to do it," he said.
The research was published in the latest issue of the Journal of Nutrition and supported by the McCormick Science Institute and the National Institutes of Health in the United States.
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