The Foodology Collective

My spice addiction predisposes me to ethnic cuisines of the Asian and African continents. Naturally, the scientist in me questions why dishes from these regions are more heavily “spiced” than those from other places. To begin to answer this conundrum, I think first I need to approach this subject historically. Spices have been used in food preparation and preservation for thousands of years. Nearly all the spices important for daily cooking are of Asian origin (exceptions: allspice, vanilla and chili). The spice trade from these primary spice-growing regions was (and still is) crucial to some national economies which resulted in numerous costly and hazardous voyages to establish trade routes and even helped to spark several wars. So, maybe these cultures just use more spice because it was readily available, but I think there is something more to this story.

Over millions of years, plants have developed the ability to synthesize thousands of chemical compounds. These phytochemicals have a vast array of biological properties including attracting beneficial and repelling harmful organisms, protection from and utilization of light and even the ability to respond to environmental changes. The function of phytonutrients in spices (as well as other fruits and vegetables) as potent biological agents has led to their association with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer and immune boosting properties. These compounds are also what give spices their flavor. Paradoxically, many of the spices we use to enhance taste actually generate these compounds to discourage consumption of the plant.

The most intriguing aspect of phytochemicals from aromatic plant materials (a.k.a. spices) is their potent antimicrobial effects. The phytochemicals in spices have evolved in plant species to deter their natural predators such as insects, bacteria and fungi. Lucky for us (at least, those of us who like to eat spices), these antimicrobial phytonutrients also have the potential be beneficial to human health. This idea is called the “antimicrobial hypothesis” and proposes that humans can “borrow” the protective phytonutrients from spices to eliminate potentially harmful foodborne illnesses.

So, how does the antimicrobial hypothesis contribute to my love of Asian and African cuisine? Recent research has shown that the use of spices in food (number of recipes including spices, total number of spices in a recipe and types of spices used) increases with mean ambient temperature (which can indicate rate of spoilage of unrefrigerated food). Therefore, in a warmer climate (think Thailand vs. Sweden), extra spice (especially those with potent antimicrobial activity) in food could have helped protect from foodborne microbes which are potentially deadly to human health. Evolutionarily, individuals who ate more spicy food would then have had a greater chance of protecting themselves from bad food. These traditions would then have been passed on to their progeny who would pass on to their progeny and so on until a spice-heavy cuisine is born.

So, is my addiction beneficial? I think so. I don’t usually like to give out nutrition advice, but phytonutrients such as phenols, flavonoids, isoflavones, terpenes and many others present in the human diet have been reported to have a number of health benefits. Research seems to indicate that, even if you don’t like spicy food, eating lots of plants (fruits and veggies) can help you lead a healthier life. Plenty of recipes are available for boosting your phytonutrient intake. Even consuming plant-based products, such as wine, can contribute to your consumption of phytonutrients. So, next time you’re hungry and in search of something to eat: go ethnic, ask for extra vegetables, order it extra spicy and try pairing wines with vegetables.