they contain other important compounds that have had
profound health benefits on mankind throughout the ages.
The evolution of spices in our diets is a fascinating story
that shows how important spices are to our health as much
today as they were eons ago.
Thousands of years ago our hunter/gatherer forebears were
forced to adapt to a wide range of climatic and other
environmental conditions. Thus, before agrarian societies
developed, humans consumed a wide variety of plant species.
Some of these plants contained the basic macro and
micronutrients needed for survival (carbohydrates, fats,
proteins, vitamins and minerals). Many of the pungent,
stronger-tasting, and richly coloured plants also contained
an array of "non-nutritive compounds" that had profound
health benefits.
Today we know that the piquant flavours and bright colours
characteristic of spices are hallmarks of the important
phytochemicals these plants contain. The resilience that
characterizes many spice plants means that, during times of
famine, pestilence and drought, these are often the last
edible plants to survive. When taken alone many of them may
be very unpleasant to eat. However, these foods, in the
absence of tastier alternatives, were frequently the only
forms of nourishment available to our ancestors. This was a
fortuitous dietary hardship and one which resulted in
unwitting, but important, self-medication.
However when agrarian communities began to form, the
variety of plant species consumed by these societies
decreased and they became dependent on a small selection of
crops and a limited variety of wild plants. As our
forebears were forced to eat "spicy" foods out of
necessity, they probably enjoyed the intense flavors of
these plants. Another factor that influenced their
palatability was the relative strength of flavors between
different foods. To understand this, it is necessary to
consider that most of the fruit and vegetable species eaten
by early societies were stronger tasting and less sweet
than they are today. In fact, the majority of modern
plant-food cultivars bear very little resemblance to those
varieties that grew thousands of years ago: the bitter,
sour and astringent flavors that characterized fruits such
as apples, melons, pears and many others have been bred out
by generations of selective propagation.
As hunter-gatherer peoples began to be replaced by agrarian
societies, motives for the consumption of spices began to
change. Among settled societies, spices were the source of
flavorings and colorings that could be used to augment the
more monotonous diets based on a restricted number of
crops. Also, in order to establish food security, these
societies began to store the plants they grew or animals
they killed. Drying of food was one solution, as was the
use of the refrigerant effect of the low temperatures found
at higher altitudes and latitudes. However, until recent
times, the desiccation and freezing of food was not a
viable option for those living in hot, humid climates;
these societies discovered chemical preservation, in the
form of salt and spices. As the former was only available
in certain areas spices were often the only other option to
protect food from insect infestation and microbial
putrefaction.
We now know that many of the strongly flavoured
phytochemicals which give plants protection against insect
and microbial attack are the same compounds that "preserve"
our bodies, by protecting us against degenerative diseases.
Today spices are consumed in much greater quantity and
variety in warm, humid countries than in colder climates.
India and Thailand have the highest consumption of spices;
the warm Mediterranean countries follow somewhat behind
these and other Eastern countries but are ahead of the
United States. Chilly Scandinavian countries have the
lowest spice consumption of all. Moreover, the importance
of spices in helping to prevent chronic degenerative
disease can be seen to correspond to the varying levels of
spice utilization that occurs across different temperature
zones. Cold countries – typically the most developed
countries – tend to have much higher incidences of chronic
degenerative diseases when compared to hotter regions.
The dearth of spices in the diets of those of us living in
most Western countries means that we are depriving our
bodies of the important compounds that have, since time
immemorial, been used by our physiological and homeostatic
mechanisms to protect us from many diseases. We need to
consume lots of spices on a daily basis as they can make us
feel better, think better, age more slowly, and help us to
resist the onslaught of scourges like cardiovascular
disease, cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer's disease and other
chronic degenerative disorders.
----------------------------------------------------
Dr Keith Scott is a medical doctor with a special interest
in nutrition and complementary therapies. He has written
several books including "Medicinal Seasonings, The Healing
Power of Spices" and "Natural Home Pharmacy". Find out why
spices are the "Missing Links" in nutrition at:
http://www.medspice.com
--
