Study concludes diet rich in spices such as cinnamon, oregano, basil and turmeric has been found to reduce negative responses to eating high-fat meals.

"Normally, when you eat a high-fat meal, you end up with high levels of triglycerides, a type of fat, in your blood, If this happens too frequently, or if triglyceride levels are raised too much, your risk of heart disease is increased." said Sheila West, associate professor of biobehavioral health, Penn State, who led the study published in the Journal of Nutrition.

Researchers added two tablespoons of culinary spices to each serving of test meals, spices were added to the controlled group while the others were not given spices. The team drew blood from participants every 30 minutes for 3 hours to measure the effects.

Meals in the test that contained antioxidants spices; showed the activity of antioxidant in the blood increased by 13 percent and insulin response decreased by 20 percent.

"We found that adding spices to a high-fat meal reduced triglyceride response by about 30 percent, compared to a similar meal with no spices added." Said West

The researcher believes the antioxidants, like spices, may be important in reducing oxidative stress and thus reducing the risk of chronic disease.

Oxidative stress causes an imbalance between the production of reactive oxygen and a biological systems ability to detoxify or easily repair the resulting damage of the tissues. Alzheimer's, heart disease and diabetes has been linked to Oxidative stress.