McCormick Science Institute Reviews Health Benefits of Spices

McCormick & Co. said its independent research unit, The McCormick Science Institute, has reviewed recent clinical and behavioral research on the potential benefits of culinary herbs and spices in weight management.

At its sixth annual Scientific Advisory Council meeting in June, the first in the United Kingdom, James Hill from the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center noted that the average adult gains one to two pounds each year. He said that small changes, including eating spices that increase satiety and walking an additional 2,000 steps per day, may be beneficial and sustainable over time. He urged the group to do additional research on spices to clinically assess their potential benefits in weight management.

Margriet Westerterp-Plantega from the Maastricht University Medical Centre in the Netherlands presented research findings on the effects of red pepper (which contains capsaicin) in diets designed to meet energy needs in energy-balance as well as energy-restricted diets on satiety, substrate oxidation and energy expenditure. Westerterp-Plantega plans to publish the findings later this year.