Herbs and Spices

NUTR214
M. Rose
 Outline

1 4
Herbs and Spices in the Food
Herb or Spice?
Background and definitions
industry
Herbs and spices as sources of natural
flavour, colour, antioxidants,
antimicrobials

2 5
A Bit of History
Spice Trade, spices in history
Cooking with Herbs and
Spices
Flavouring with herbs and spices

3 6
Trade in herbs and spices
and trends in their use Health Benefits of
Herbs and Spices
World spice trade, uses
Herb or spice?

1
 Herb or Spice?

● Fresh or dried leave of ● Dried parts of aromatic plants

aromatic plants with the exception of leaves

● Leaves commonly traded ● Covers virtually all parts of the

separately from the stems plant

Herbs Spices
Conventional Classification of Spices

(Handbook of Herbs and Spices, 2012)

Herb or Spice?

+ Aril, buds, pistil…

Plant Organs as Spices
Plant Organs Spice crops
Aril Mace or nutmeg
Barks Cassia, cinnamon
Berries Allspice, black pepper, chili
Buds Cloves
Bulbs Onion, garlic, leek
Pistil Saffron
Kernel Nutmeg
Leaf Basil, bay leaf, mint, sage, etc.
Rhizome Ginger, turmeric
Latex Asafetida
Roots Angelica, horse-radish
Seeds Caraway, coriander, dill, fennel, mustard, poppy seed, etc.
Note this…

Herbs Spices
A Bit of History

2
 A Bit of History
• Was a time when herbs and spices
had a greater value than gold.
• Called “vegetable gold” and used as
currency.
• Search resulted in creation of trade
routes around the world, funding of
wealthy empires, and exploration of
new lands.
(Brown, 2015)
• Spice trade led to advancement of
European maritime technology which
was crucial since maritime wars were
common.
• According to some historians, quest
for exotic spices launched Europe
into age of exploration, leading to
discovery of the Americas.
Spice Trade Route, 100 -1500 CE
 Trade in herbs and
spices and trends in
their use

3
 World Spice Trade Scenario

✓ Global market for seasonings,

spices and herbs likely to exceed
US$6.5 billion per year

✓ USA - biggest importer of spice

products, followed by Germany, Japan.

✓ India is world's largest producer,

consumer and exporter of spices

✓ Pepper is main spice for trade → “the

king of spices”
 Attracted explorers, Cultivation
invaders and traders started in
from various lands India

Due to varied climatic High- quality

India: The land of and soil conditions spices

Herbs and Spices Spice exports have Spices play a vital

registered substantial role in national
growth economy

Mint, chili, turmeric, cumin Highest export

and black pepper earnings from
Uses of Herbs and Spices

✓ First authentic record on the uses of spices dates to pyramidal age in Egypt →
onion and garlic were fed to workers to preserve their health and cinnamon was
used to embalm the dead.

✓ First use of spices in food was for meat preservation, due to their antimicrobial
properties.

✓ Spices became indispensable in the culinary art of cooking to enhance flavour

and taste of foods and beverages.

✓ Development of procedures for the extraction of spice extracts - used in the

perfumery, cosmetics and pharmaceutical industries.
Uses of Herbs and Spices

✓ Due to consumer resistance to chemical additives, spices have become more

important as sources of natural colors, flavors, antimicrobials and antioxidants.

✓ Cosmetics industry - turmeric, saffron, coriander, basil, fenugreek, etc. have

become more important.

✓ Nutraceutical industry - for many applications, therapeutic use has been proven
and scientifically validated, and safety evaluations have been performed.
Herbs and Spices in
the Food Industry

4
Herbs and spices as a source of natural colour

✓ The food sector is now experiencing a return to the use of natural colours
due to changes in legislation and consumer preferences.

✓ Before synthetic colours came into existence, spices like chilli, saffron,
turmeric, etc. were used in Indian cuisines to add colour.

✓ Some of the most common natural colourings come from the following
pigments that can be found in spices: carotenoids, chlorophyll,
anthocyanin, and turmeric.
 Component Tint Herb or Spice

Color
Components in
Spices
 Fun Fact: Saffron in the Food Industry
Highly permanent colorant. Does not fade easily.

Saffron powder and extract as food colorant is

limited due to its high cost → 1 kg requires 110K –
170 K flowers.

¾ of saffron in the market is fake.

Restricted in the US.

European Union has not approved saffron for use
as colorant but allows use as a spice.
The most expensive spice in the world,
sometimes called ‘red gold’, now being
grown in Ontario by a few farmers.
Herbs and spices as a source of natural flavour

✓ Adding herbs and spices to food and beverages amplifies flavor, helps replace sodium,
sugar, and artificial colors and flavors.

✓ Manufacturers are replacing salt in foods with lemon juice, vinegar and an abundance of
herbs, spices and seasoning blends.

✓ Spices are added to foods in several forms - whole spices, ground spices and spice
extracts.

✓ As spice extracts are highly concentrated, they are either encapsulated or emulsified in
edible bases like salt or dextrose to obtain a uniform dispersion in food.
 Herb or Spice Important flavor compounds

Some flavour
compounds of
herbs and spices
Fun Fact: The Science of Spiciness

✓ Food tastes spicy due to capsaicin

✓ We “taste” spicy foods when capsaicin binds

with pain and heat receptors in our tongues.

✓ 1912, pharmacist Wilbur Scoville developed

a scale to measure the spiciness of certain
peppers, in units of “Scovilles.”

✓ Score on the scale represents the level of dilution

required for the sensation of heat to disappear
completely.
Herbs and spices as antioxidants and antimicrobials
Antioxidant functions:
✓ Antioxidants are added to foods to preserve the lipid components from quality deterioration.
✓ Phenolic compounds are the primary antioxidants present in spices.
✓ Rosemary is widely used as antioxidant.
✓ Oregano, thyme, marjoram, sage, basil, fenugreek, fennel, coriander and pimento also possess
antioxidant properties better than those of the synthetic antioxidant Butylated Hydroxytoluene (BHT).

Antimicrobial function:
✓ Some of the spice essential oils are highly inhibitory to some pathogenic and spoilage
microorganisms.
✓ Oregano and thyme show the highest antimicrobial activity. Carvacrol present in essential oils of
oregano and thyme has been proven to be the most important fungitoxic compound.
 Herb or Spice Antioxidant

Antioxidants
isolated from
herbs and spices
Antimicrobial
properties of
herbs and spices
 Fun Fact: Using cinnamon to preserve… mummies?

Cinnamon oil was essential to the ancient Egyptians for its antifungal, antiviral, bactericidal and larvicidal
properties. It was used to stuff in bodies and burned as incense.

https://www.compoundchem.com/2016/10/27/mummification/
Cooking with Herbs
and Spices

5
Guide to Flavoring with Spices

https://www.cooksmarts.com/articles/ultimate-infographic-guide-spices/
Spices: How to…

USE IN RECIPES
Generally, spices are added early in the cooking
process to let flavour blend.

GET MORE FLAVOUR

Use whole spices and grind them before use to
release the volatile compounds that enhance
flavour.

STORE
Store away from direct heat sources, at room
temperature, in the dark.
Guide to Flavoring
with Herbs

https://www.cooksmarts.com/articles/guide-using-fresh-herbs/
Herbs: How to…

USE IN RECIPES STORE

Fresh herbs are best added to dishes with a
shorter cooking time or toward end of cooking.
Dried herbs are ideal for longer cooking times .

CHOSE TO USE FRESH OR DRIED HERBS

Tender herbs (i.e. basil, parsley, chives) tend
to taste better fresh. Stronger herbs (i.e.
rosemary, oregano and thyme) taste better
when their flavors are more concentrated
through drying.
https://www.cooksmarts.com/articles/guide-using-fresh-herbs/
Do spices have a
shelf-life?
Do not actually spoil or expire.
Lose their potency after a long period.

With proper storage:

• Whole spices stay fresh for ~4 years.
• Ground spices ~2 years
• Fresh spices ~1week
Health Benefits of
Herbs and Spices
 Sulfur-
Background containing
compounds
Antioxidant, anti-inflammatory,
Tannins
antitumorigenic, anticarcinogenic, and
glucose- and cholesterol lowering activities
Alkaloids
Bioactive
Properties that affect cognition and mood. constituents
Phenolic
diterpenes

Health properties derive from:

Vitamins

Flavonoids and
polyphenols
Background
Herbal medicine practised by ancient cultures in
Asia, Africa, Europe, the Americas.

As early as 460–377 BCE, Hippocrates recorded

medicinal uses for over 300 herbs and spices in
Ancient Greece.

Were and are still used in traditional Chinese

medicine, Arabic medicine, and more.

Role of spices and herbs in the maintenance of

health is currently unclear.
Summary of Evidence

Important to know

Efforts to assess dietary intake of spices and herbs are

complicated because their use is so varied, and because they are
consumed along with other foods and in trace amounts.

Mixed evidence = health benefits are unclear.

(Jiang, 2019)
Summary of Evidence
General overview

Link between herb and spice consumption and reduced mortality due to
cancer, ischemic heart disease and respiratory disease.

Reduced risk of death of all causes in people who eat spicy foods 1 or
more times per week.

More evident in women than men.

Reduced individual salt preference, daily salt intake and blood pressure in
people that were administered capsaicin.
(Jiang, 2019)
 Overview of Selected Herbs and Spices
Chili pepper
Bioactive components: Capsaicinoids and capsinoids

Possible benefits:
Reduced total and certain cause-specific mortality.

Capsaicin has antioxidant properties and potential in reducing

oxidative stress.

Capsaicin may
▪ defend against heart disease
▪ help with better diabetes control
▪ help weight management by increasing satiety and fullness,
reduce energy and fat intake
▪ protect against ulcers.
 Overview of Selected Herbs and Spices
Cinnamon
Bioactive components: key components are essential
oils, polyphenols and flavonoids.

Possible benefits:
▪ reduce oxidative stress
▪ reduce blood triglycerides and total cholesterol
▪ protect against metabolic syndrome
▪ reduce blood pressure
▪ glucose control → evidence inconsistent
▪ neuroprotective effects
 Overview of Selected Herbs and Spices
Ginger
Bioactive components: gingerols, shogaols, paradols,
and zingerone.

Possible benefits:
▪ Reduces nausea/vomiting in pregnancy and
chemotherapy
▪ Reduces inflammation
▪ Reduces LDL cholesterol and triglycerides
▪ Reduces muscle pain after exercise
▪ Helps with diabetes control
▪ Helps with weight loss (fat oxidation)
▪ Neuroprotective
 Overview of Selected Herbs and Spices
Black Pepper
Bioactive components: piperine, the major
active constituent

Possible benefits:
▪ Reduces oxidative stress
▪ Reduces inflammation
▪ Antiallergic effect
▪ Accelerates overall digestive process
by enhancing activity of digestive
enzymes
▪ Helps weight management
 Overview of Selected Herbs and Spices
Turmeric
Curcumin is the active compound most studied

Possible benefits:
▪ Reduces inflammation
▪ Protective effects on cardiac function, vascular
health, and lipid profiles
▪ Improves metabolic profiles in patients with
metabolic syndrome
▪ Improves symptoms of IBS and ulcerative colitis
▪ Effective against development of fatty liver
▪ Promotes brain health and cognitive function
▪ Helps diabetes control
▪ Prevents cancer
 Overview of Selected Herbs and Spices
Garlic
Allicin is the most studied compound

Possible benefits:
▪ Reduces arthritis-related pain
▪ Promotes cardiovascular health
▪ Reduces total cholesterol
▪ Reduces blood pressure
▪ Antithrombotic and anticoagulant
▪ Reduces glucose in blood
▪ Promotes brain health
▪ Promotes immune system health
 Future trends and Conclusion
More research is needed to draw clearer conclusions.

A need to understand the effect of spices within the context of the total diet.

Different effects on health may be more evident when taking a supplement with
bioactive components than when eating the spice in its original form.

Using herbs and spices can make food preparations more

flavourful and enjoyable. This can make eating more pleasurable,
which is an important (and often overlooked) dimension of health.
 References
Brown, A. C. (2015). Understanding food : principles and preparation (Fifth). Cengage Learning.

Pando, S. (2014). Guide to Using Fresh Herbs. Cooksmarts. Retrieved from:

https://www.cooksmarts.com/articles/guide-using-fresh-herbs/

Pando, S. (2014). The Ultimate Infographic Guide to Spices. Cooksmarts. Retrieved from:
https://www.cooksmarts.com/articles/ultimate-infographic-guide-spices/

Peter, K.V. and Shylaja, M.R. (2012). Handbook of Herbs and Spices: Second Edition. Cambridge: Woodhead
Publishing.

Still Tasty. (n.d). How long do spices last? Retreived from https://www.stilltasty.com/articles/view/67

University of Toronto. (2016). The Science of Spice. Retrieved from: https://ueat.utoronto.ca/science-of-spice/

Bower, A., Marquez, S. & Gonzalez de Mejia, E (2016) The Health Benefits of Selected Culinary Herbs and
Spices Found in the Traditional Mediterranean Diet. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, 56 (16), 2728-
2746, DOI: 10.1080/10408398.2013.805713

Jiang, T. A. (2019). Health benefits of culinary herbs and spices. Journal of Aoac International, 102(2), 395–411.
https://doi.org/10.5740/jaoacint.18-0418

Peter, K.V. and Shylaja, M.R. (2012). Handbook of Herbs and Spices: Second Edition. Cambridge: Woodhead
Publishing.
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