Meals with spices and herbs can improve public health

authors
s views are summarized in the scientific supplement to
Nutrition Today
, a peer-reviewed journal, published in October. Spices and herbs play an important role in improving public health in the United States, helping to reduce sodium, calories and fat intake while also making a healthy diet a bright spot.

May
, 2014
20-21
, a scientific summit jointly convened by the Academy of Good American Medicine and the American Academy of Nutrition was held in Washington, D.C., to present ideas for improving health through a rich diet. The purpose of the summit is to bring together academics, nutrition experts, chefs, politicians and food industry figures to review advances in scientific research on spices and herbs and to discuss solutions to how flavored diets can improve health in the United States.The
Nutrition Today
feature publishes
16,
of the latest authoritative studies on spices and herbs, some of which demonstrate the positive effects of spices and herbs on dietary quality, and others show that certain flavors and herbs play a positive role in satiety, energy metabolism, inflammation, treatment of insulin tolerance and control of cardiovascular risk., the relationship between flavor and public health has not been a concern. But the Good American Science Research Summit has helped raise public awareness of this important relationship."We understand the important role spices and herbs play in bringing delicious food," said
Johanna Dwyer
, Ph.D., Ph.D. in Public Health and an expert in pharmacy and public health at Tufts
University School of Pharmacy. As editor of
Nutrition Today
, she was also invited to speak at the Science Summit, "to raise public health with flavored meals, and before we really get started, we need to bring together scientists, chefs, food producers and policymakers - all of us." " do these spices and herbs potentially promote health?"1.Improve the acceptability of healthy foods:

James O. Hill, Ph.D.,
Ofschutz
Health Center, University of Colorado,
cites data to illustrate the addition of spices and herbs to make low-fat diets (lean meats, vegetables and dough) more attractive. In fact, low-fat diets with spices and herbs are rated as high as full-fat diets.
Hill
concluded that low-fat diets with spices and herbs are more acceptable for dieters who have long struggled with dietary changes.2.a low-sodium diet: Spices and herbs have the potential to help the public meet dietary guidelines without sacrificing deliciousness. By
John

, led by the Hopkins School of Medicine, found that some interventions, including the addition of spices and herbs, led to low salt intake compared to non-interventional trials. Participants who ate spices and herbs ate 966mg of
966mg
day.3.Improving energy metabolism and satiety: Dr.
Maastricht
University
Margriet Westerterp-Plantenga
concludes that cooking red peppers can increase energy consumption and satiety in healthy adults and help those who want to control their weight.4.Reducing cardiovascular risk: A review by Dr.
Sheila West
of the University of Pennsylvania found that after-meal insulin and triglyceride levels decreased after eating a mixed spice compared to a high-fat diet without flavoring. A study shared by
. David Heber
of the University of California, Los Angeles, showed that adding mixed spices to hamburger meat pies also prevents fat oxidation.5.Improve insulin sensitivity: Dr.
richard Anderson
of the Betsville Center for Human Nutrition presents a review of cinnamon that suggests spices can improve blood sugar levels and insulin sensitivity.the official presentation of the Science Summit, a special group was set up to promote dialogue on spices and herbs to clarify specific action plans. Dr. Guy H. Johnson, executive director of the
Institute of
, summarized the
in
Today Journal.1. : develop and use viable information to help consumers know the role of spices and herbs in promoting health. This information should be scientifically based and tailored to specific readers, including children and students. Areas to explore include healthy cooking instruction for spices and herbs, and asking authorities such as registered dietitians, chefs, food scientists and experts to assist in public education.2.product development: scientific research that includes data on behavioral research, the functional properties of spices and herbs to support the development of healthy foods, while at the same time giving thresholds for health and taste. Public-private partnerships should also be promoted to complete scientific research projects.3.National Policy: Consider adding scientific information on spices and herbs to The United States Dietary Guidelines and other government nutrition education materials. Emphasis is placed on the positive role of spices and herbs in weight control, reducing saturated fatty acid and sodium intake, and establishing healthy dietary patterns.Institute of Good Taste: A research organization dedicated to promoting the scientific development of spices and herbs. It is based on the research of the Science Summit to help guide future research. Priority funding areas include exploring how flavor can help increase the acceptability of healthy foods, why the addition of spices and grasses increases vegetable consumption among adults and school-age children, and so on.