Who would have thought that the humble herb could be growing such a powerful health story? You might have thought that chives on a baked potato, rosemary on a rack of lamb and ginger with baked fish hardly adds up to much in the way of nutrition and health. Or does it? Let's take a closer look at what makes herbs so important.

Big benefits from herbs & spices

In order to help counteract oxidative damage from today's busy lifestyles, we know that a diet rich in antioxidants is needed.

Antioxidants are used to help the body mop up free radicals formed by oxygen we breathe in, which is needed to release energy from the food we eat. If free radicals build up in our bodies they can cause damage and they are also linked to many of the signs of ageing. Plant foods like herbs & spices contain a huge range of special protective components called phytochemicals that act as antioxidants to protect different cells of your body. That's what makes so many fruits, vegetables and herbs and spices ‘super foods’. 

As herbs and spices are consumed in small serve sizes relative to many other foods, it is in some ways unfair to compare their nutrient content on a per serve basis. For example, even though many herbs are high in vitamin C, you're not going to get anywhere close to your daily needs with, say, a parsley garnish on a bowl of soup. Unless you're into eating a bowl of tabouleh everyday, an orange just seems a whole lot easier source of vitamin C.

However, when you dig a little deeper and look at the phytochemicals in herbs, the grass is turning out to be greener. It seems that studies on the antioxidant capacity of culinary herbs show that they may have higher levels than many vegetables and some fruits, plus salad dressings made with herbs and spices can more than double the antioxidant capacity of your regular salad and boost your daily nutritional intake in the process, lifting your body’s defences and helping to maximize your wellbeing. The  research  findings were presented at the 2008 International Congress of Dietetics in Japan.

There is variability in the antioxidant value of fresh herbs, depending on how they have been treated since harvesting. However research in Australia at Southern Cross University and at the University of California, Los Angeles, compared Gourmet Garden herbs and spice pastes to fresh and dried herbs, with Gourmet Garden fresh herbs pastes having comparable antioxidant levels to fresh herbs.

Research support

Southern Cross University research showed that adding Gourmet Garden fresh herb pastes can more than double the antioxidant levels of a simple salad (tomato, lettuce, cucumber), but they did not increase after only adding a dressing of olive oil with vinegar or lemon juice.

Three different types of salads were tested: Greek, Italian and Thai-style, with the antioxidant levels of the salads and the dressings tested both before the herbs were added to the dressings and after. To ensure consistency of the antioxidant content of the herbs and spices, Gourmet Garden herbs were used in testing.

The results showed that once the herbs were added to the Greek salad dressing, the antioxidant rating nearly tripled, the Italian dressing more than doubled and the Thai dressing almost doubled the antioxidant content of the simple, three vegetable salads. This nutrient additive effect is known as ‘antioxidant networking’ and is a new field in nutrition science. Food networking looks at how foods, like herbs and spices act synergistically with other foods to dramatically increase the antioxidant value and enhance the health-related properties of a meal.

The base salad was made up of iceberg lettuce, Lebanese cucumbers and Romano tomatoes. The three types of salad dressings tested were Italian, Greek and Thai with these ingredients:
• Italian: olive oil, red wine vinegar, Gourmet Garden Garlic, Basil, Parsley & Oregano
• Greek: olive oil, lemon juice, Gourmet Garden Garlic, Rosemary, Oregano & Mint
• Thai – peanut oil, sesame oil, lime juice, sugar, fish sauce, Gourmet Garden Garlic, Chilli, Ginger & Lemon Grass

In other research, Gourmet Garden Garlic, Basil, Oregano or Ginger added to a sauce made with canned tomatoes and olive oil approximately doubled the antioxidant value. Light cooking did not significantly decrease the antioxidant value of the sauce.

A Southern Cross University study released at the Dietitians Association of Australia national conference measured the antioxidant value (termed ORAC value) of a simple tomato and olive oil sauce and then tested whether the addition of herbs affected the sauce’s antioxidant content

After analyzing the tomato and olive oil base sauce, 20 grams of Gourmet Garden herbs and spices were added to the sauce. In the study four sauce mixes were developed and measured, each featuring a different herb – oregano, basil, garlic and ginger.
In all cases the addition of the herbs resulted in the antioxidant value of the sauce increasing significantly, even after cooking. Twenty grams of oregano tripled the antioxidant content of the sauce; 20 grams of basil more than doubled the antioxidant value of the sauce, as did 20 grams of garlic after cooking. The addition of 20 grams of ginger also resulted in a significant increase in the sauce’s antioxidant rating.