Cooking with Herbs - the Spice of Life

For those of us who still like to cook our food from fresh, a good stock of herbs is essential to any kitchen. They can spice up an otherwise bland meal into a tasty serving and breathe new life into your culinary skills. Now, research at the U.S. Department of Agriculture suggests they can help us keep a healthy heart as well.

Researchers looked at the antioxidant properties of herbs. Antioxidants are natural chemicals found in many traditional 'healthy' foods which help to fight off free radicals, helping to ward off cancer, slowing the ageing process and preventing damage to the heart and arteries.

Furthermore, herbs were often found to have higher levels of antioxidants than vegetables, berries, fruits and even vitamin E, well known for its' antioxidant effects and the excellent effect it has on the skin. The herbs with the greatest benefits were apparently oregano, dill, vietmanese coriander, sweet bay, rose geranium, winter savory and purple amoranth.

Which just goes to show, eating healthily doesn't have to be boring...

Tuesday, 12 March 2002