University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, and Environment FCS3-599 Cooperative Extension Service

Body Balance: Protect Your Body from with a Healthy Lifestyle Healthy Ways to Flavor Your Food

sing and are a healthy way to add flavor toU food and they may protect against the harmful effects of environmental pollution. We are exposed to pollution every day in our air, , soil, and even our food. This exposure to pollution may have negative effects on health. Herbs and spices help protect the body by decreasing cell damage caused by the pollution that we are exposed to everyday. Reduc- ing cell damage helps protect against the development or progression of various chronic diseases. Some herbs and spices are also anti-bacterial and anti- microbial, which helps keep the for . Incorporating a On packaged , the front immune system strong to pro- variety of herbs and spices into of the box often says “naturally tect against diseases and pol- meals is flavorful and may have flavored” or “artificially -fla lution. Even though research health benefits. vored.” This means the flavor is added, just like how shows that herbs and spices are Flavorings in Our beneficial to health, scientists flavoring is added to many have not determined exactly Food baked goods. But these flavors how much of each and Herbs, spices, and natural and include more than just vanilla. should be consumed each artificial flavorings all add Food manufacturers may add day. In the future, there may be to the foods we eat. They each blueberry flavoring to blueberry official recommendations, like bring a unique flavor to foods. muffins, flavoring to cereals or cookies, or any other

Cooperative Extension Service | Agriculture and Natural Resources | Family and Consumer Sciences | 4-H Youth Development | Community and Economic Development flavor to any manufactured Kentucky Herbs You • Lavender food. The list of a Can Grow at Home • Mint food label lists any added natu- • Oregano ral or artificial flavors. Unlike • Basil herbs and spices, flavorings are • Rosemary • Sage not known to have any health • Fennel • Thyme benefits. How to Use Herbs and Spices Blueberry Muffins Herbs and Spices Meal Ideas without the Berries? Basil Try basil pesto instead of marinara sauce on pasta. Add fresh or dried basil to salads and , Check out the list especially Italian varieties. Sprinkle basil on top of on a pack of blueberry muffins baked or sautéed chicken. or bagels at the store. Does it Black Pepper Black pepper is the most popular spice and is eas- ily added to most or vegetable dishes. Black have blueberries in it? More pepper chicken is a popular dish in Asian cuisine than likely, what appears to be that can be made at home. blueberry pieces in the break- Oregano Italian-style burgers: Add oregano and rosemary fast snack is actually small Rosemary to hamburger before . Cumin/Turmeric Serve on an herbed roll or bun. Grill occasionally blobs of , artificial color, and choose lean . and blueberry flavoring. Flavor- Sprinkle on , applesauce, sweet potatoes, ing doesn’t have any known Cloves oranges, or in tea. health benefit. Choose products Clove chicken: Soak chicken breasts in juice overnight. Remove from juice, sprinkle on flavored with real , herbs, clove spice, and bake in the oven for a unique, and spices. healthy chicken dinner. Ginger goes well with most meat and vegetable What Are Herbs and dishes. Sprinkle ground ginger on for a simple ad- dition. Spices? All herbs and spices Choose herbs and spices instead of to flavor Herbs and spices are healthy your food and reduce intake. Check con- tainers of individual spices for meal ideas specific ways to flavor food. They are for each spice, and to learn which foods it goes made from very fragrant plants. best with. Herbs are typically derived from the leaves of plants and used for its fragrance, flavor, or for medicinal purposes. A spice can be the dried root, flower, , seed, or bark of a plant and is used to flavor foods. Common herbs are basil, mint, and sage. Common spices are cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. They have been historically used both for their flavor and perceived health benefits, and many still are today. 2 Increase Your Intake References This publication is made pos- Herbs and spices potentially Code of Federal Regula- sible in part by grant number have a variety of health benefits. tions (CFR) Title 21. 2015. P42 ES007380 from the Na- http://www.accessdata. Try adding them to meals at tional Institute of Environmen- fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cf- tal Health Sciences, NIH. Its home. The extra, natural flavor docs/cfCFR/CFRSearch. is both enjoyable and healthy. contents are solely the responsi- cfm?CFRPart=312. bility of the authors and do not You can’t go wrong with meals Fruit Fiction Video: Is it blue- necessarily represent the official that are both healthy and tasty. berry or blue dye? 2012. You may also enjoy starting an Consumer Reports. http:// views of NIEHS, NIH. herb garden. It is a fun hobby www.consumerreports.org/ Authors and that always provides fresh cro/magazine/2012/12/fruit- herbs. fiction-is-it-blueberry-or- Dawn Brewer, PhD, RD; blue-dye/index.htm. Hannah Bellamy, RD; Lisa Summary Anderson, B., and S. Vale. Gar- Gaetke, PhD, RD; University of den Herbs. http://www.uky. Kentucky Superfund Research Adding herbs and spices to edu/Ag/Horticulture/gar- Center Community Engage- meals has potential health denflowers/zherb.html. benefits and may decrease the Tempest, M. 2012. Adding ment Core negative effects of pollution. Spice for a Healthier Life: The University of Kentucky is Evidence Shows Anti- a participant in the Superfund oxidant-Rich Herbs and Spices May Cut Chronic Research Center (SRC), which Disease Risk. http://www. conducts ongoing research on todaysdietitian.com/ the effects of pollutants and newarchives/030612p40. hazardous chemicals on the shtml. environment and on the body. Khan, A., M. Safdar, M.M. For more information, see Inter- Khan, K.N. Khattak, and Program (IP) publications 76 R.A. Anderson. 2003. Cin- and 77. Good nutrition is one namon Improves Glucose of the best defenses for staying and of People with Type 2 Diabetes. Diabetes healthy, even in the presence of Care 26(12):3215-3218. environmental pollutants.

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