The Effect of Meals with Culinary Doses of Herbs and Spices on Postprandial Endothelial Function, Lipemia, and Glycemia after 4-Week Exposure to Herb- and Spice-Containing Diets: A Secondary Analysis of a Randomized, Crossover, Controlled-Feeding Study.

BACKGROUND: Intake of herbs and spices improves postprandial responses; however, the acute effects of herbs and spices following longer-term exposure are unclear. OBJECTIVES: This secondary analysis aimed to examine the effect of meals containing 0.6 g (low), 3.7 g (moderate), and 7.4 g (high) of herbs and spices following intake of a diet with a similar daily amount of herbs and spices to the test meal on postprandial flow-mediated dilation (FMD), lipemia, and glycemia in adults at risk for cardiometabolic disease. METHODS: The parent trial was a 3-period, randomized, crossover, controlled-feeding study. Participants consumed an average American diet containing low (0.5 g/2100 kcal/d), moderate (3.3 g/2100 kcal/d), and high (6.6 g/2100 kcal/d) doses of herbs and spices for 4 wk each (≥2-wk washout). At baseline and the end of each diet period, participants underwent a meal test (1192 kcal; 49% carbohydrates, 16% saturated fat). At baseline, the low-spice meal was provided, and at the end of each diet period, the meal contained herbs and spices at a dose that corresponded to that consumed during the preceding diet period. FMD (primary outcome) was measured at fasting and at 120 and 240 min after test meal intake. Triglycerides, glucose, and insulin were measured fasting and up to 240 min from test meal consumption. Between-condition effects were assessed using linear mixed-effect models. RESULTS: The analytical sample included 43 adults (65% male; age: 48 ± 11 y; BMI: 28.9 ± 2.8 kg/m2). No between-condition differences were observed for FMD, triglycerides, glucose, and insulin (condition-by-time interaction, P > 0.05). The total area under the curve (AUC) for triglycerides and glucose did not differ between conditions. The insulin AUC was lower after the low-spice meal than the moderate-spice meal (mean fold difference: 0.89; 95% confidence interval: 0.82, 0.96, P = 0.011). CONCLUSIONS: After 4 weeks of herb and spice exposure, postprandial FMD, lipemia, and glycemia did not differ with acute intake of culinary doses of herbs and spices as part of a higher-carbohydrate, high-saturated-fat meal.This trial is registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT03063320 (February 21, 2017; https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT03063320).