Herbs and Spices for a Healthier Gut?

Could herbs and spices be unsung gut health heroes? They may just be getting the credit they deserve, with findings from a new research study published in the Journal of Nutrition.

To investigate the effects of herbs and spices on gut bacterial composition following an average American diet and a high-spice diet, researchers studied 54 adults aged 30-75 in a three-period, randomized, crossover, controlled-feeding study. All participants were obese or overweight and had at least one other risk factor for cardiovascular disease, such as elevated glucose or triglycerides.

The participants followed the same diet for four weeks, along with one of three doses of spices and herbs: 0.5 grams per day, 3.3 grams per day, or 6.6 grams per day. Spices included cinnamon, ginger, cumin, turmeric, rosemary, oregano, basil, and thyme. Participants provided fecal samples at the start of the study and the end of each diet period.

It was found that consuming 3.3 grams or 6.6 grams of herbs and spices per day increased levels of the Ruminococcaceae bacteria, and the highest levels of Ruminococcaceae bacteria were observed among those who consumed the highest levels of herbs and spices.

Herbs and spices are known to have antioxidant properties, such as high free radical scavenging activity and reducing power. Herbs and spices also have anti-inflammatory effects, and the researchers observed enrichment of Faecalibacterium and Agathobacter, short-chain-fatty acid-producing bacteria, which may contribute to reducing intestinal inflammation.

This study suggests that incorporating culinary doses of herbs and spices into an average American diet changes gut bacterial composition in adults at risk for cardiovascular disease. Further investigation of the metabolic implications of these bacterial changes is needed.