Herbs Can Add Zest, Antioxidant Benefits to Meal

Wed Feb 27 2002

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A healthy diet doesn't have to taste bland. Many common herbs used to spice up a meal are loaded with antioxidants, according to researchers at the US Department of Agriculture in Beltsville, Maryland.

These chemicals shield cells from the effects of free radicals, which are corrosive molecules produced during normal metabolic processes that have been implicated in the development of many aging-related diseases.

In an effort to identify potential new sources of natural antioxidants, Drs. Wei Zheng and Shiow Y. Wang measured and compared the antioxidant properties of numerous medicinal and culinary herbs.

All of the herbs were grown under the same conditions at the US National Arboretum in Washington, DC, Zheng and Wang report in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.

Oregano lovers will be happy to know that three different types of oregano--Mexican, Italian and Greek--scored the highest in antioxidant activity. Other antioxidant-packed herbs included rose geranium, sweet bay, purple amaranth, dill, winter savory and Vietnamese coriander.

Not only were the antioxidant properties in some of the herbs in the study higher than reported values for vitamin E, they even beat out well-known antioxidant-rich foods such as vegetables, berries and other fruits, the report indicates.

"This study revealed that herbs are an effective potential source of natural antioxidants," the authors write. "Therefore, supplementing a balanced diet with herbs may have beneficial health effects."

SOURCE: Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 2002;49:5165-5170.


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