The Health Benefits of Selected Culinary Herbs and Spices Found in the Traditional Mediterranean Diet |
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| Authors: | Allyson Bower Susan Marquez |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Division of Nutritional Sciences, Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois USA;2. Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois USA |
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| Abstract: | The Mediterranean diet is considered one of the healthiest diets in the world. This is often attributed to low saturated fat consumption, moderate wine consumption, and high vegetable consumption. However, herbs and spices associated with these diets may also play an important role in the quality of this diet. This review summarizes the most recent research regarding the anti-diabetic, anti-inflammatory, anti-hyperlipidemic and anti-hypertensive properties of this collection of culinary species. Additionally, this review briefly summarizes studies performed on lesser known herbs from around the world, with the goal of identifying new culinary species that may be useful in the treatment or prevention of diseases. |
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| Keywords: | Diabetes inflammation hyperlipidemia metabolic syndrome herbs spices |
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