Inflammation: Pennsylvania State University Research Shows That Spices In Meals Helps Reduce Inflammatory Cytokines
Source: Inflammation May 25, 2020 4 years, 2 months, 1 day, 15 hours, 49 minutes ago
Inflammation: Medical researchers from Pennsylvania State University say that adding a variety of spices to one’s meal is a sure way to make it more tasty while also increasing its health benefits such as reducing inflammatory cytokines in the body.
Scientists used a blend of turmeric, black pepper, cinnamon, basil, coriander, cumin, bay leaf, ginger, oregano, parsley, red pepper, rosemary and thyme for the study, which was published in the
Journal of Nutrition.
https://academic.oup.com/jn/advance-article-abstract/doi/10.1093/jn/nxaa063/5811497?redirectedFrom=fulltext
The researchers found in a randomized, controlled study that when participants ate a meal high in fat and carbohydrates with six grams of a spice blend added, the participants had lower inflammation markers compared to when they ate a meal with less or no spices.
Dr Connie Rogers, Associate Professor of nutritional sciences at Penn State told Thailand Medical News, "If spices are palatable to one, they might be a way to make a high-fat or high-carb meal more healthful. We cannot say from this study if it was one spice in particular, but this specific blend seemed to be beneficial."
Previous research has linked a variety of different spices, like ginger and turmeric, with anti-inflammatory properties. Additionally, chronic inflammation has previously been associated with poor health outcomes like cancer, cardiovascular disease, and overweight and obesity, which affects approximately 72 percent of the U.S. population.
In recent research, it has found that inflammation can spike after a person eats a meal high in fat or sugar. While it is not clear whether these short bursts called acute inflammation can cause chronic inflammation, it is suspected they play a factor, especially in people with overweight or obesity.
Dr Rogers added, "Ultimately the gold standard would be to get more individuals eating more healthfully and to lose weight and exercise, but those behavioral changes are difficult and take time. So in the interim, we wanted to explore whether a combination of spices that people are already familiar with and could fit in a single meal could have a positive effect."
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In the research, the team recruited 12 men between the ages of 40 and 65, with overweight or obesity, and at least one risk factor for cardiovascular disease.
Dr Rogers said the sample was chosen because people in these demographics tend to be at a higher risk for developing poorer health outcomes.
Utilizing a random order, ea
ch participant ate three versions of a meal high in saturated fat and carbohydrates on three separate days: one with no spices, one with two grams of the spice blend, and one with six grams of the spice blend.
The medical researchers then drew blood samples before and after each meal hourly for four hours to measure inflammatory markers.
Dr Rogers added, "Additionally, we cultured the white blood cells and stimulated them to get the cells to respond to an inflammatory stimulus, similar to what would happen while your body is fighting an infection. We think that's important because it's representative of what would happen in the body. Cells would encounter a pathogen and produce inflammatory cytokines."
Upon analyzing the data, the team found that inflammatory cytokines were reduced following the meal containing six grams of spices compared to the meal containing two grams of spices or no spices.
Dr Rogers said six grams roughly translates to between one teaspoon to one tablespoon, depending on how the spices are dehydrated.
Although the study team cannot be sure which spice or spices are contributing to the effect, or the precise mechanism in which the effect is created, Dr Rogers said the results suggest that the spices have anti-inflammatory properties that help offset inflammation caused by the high-carb and high-fat meal.
Furthermore, Dr Rogers said that a second study using the same subjects, conducted by Penn State researchers Dr Penny Kris-Etherton and Dr Kristina Petersen, found that six grams of spices resulted in a smaller post-meal reduction of "flow mediated dilation" in the blood vessels, a measure of blood vessel flexibility and marker of blood vessel health.
Dr Rogers said a planned future study together with Dr Kris-Etherton and Dr Petersen will focus on determining the effects of spices in the diet across longer periods of time and within a more diverse population.
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