Culinary Herbs and Spices and the Effects on Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors in Adults: Abstract P241

Introduction: There is growing attention toward the role of culinary herbs and spices in improving heart health. Bioactive compounds of culinary herbs and spices have been found to exert potential health benefits in people at risk of CVD, but no recent review has been conducted to evaluate the types of herbs and spices and their effects in this population. Objectives: The purpose of the review was to evaluate the effects of culinary herbs and spices on biomarkers of cardiovascular disease in adults with risk factors for CVD. Methods: A systematic literature search was conducted using six electronic databases, including Medline (Ovid), Scopus, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, CINAHL (EBSCOhost), Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trial and Web of Science in February 2017. Studies including subjects who had associated non-modifiable risk factors (older people >70 y, menopausal women), cardiovascular disease or an associated cardiovascular event (stroke or heart attack) and associated liver or kidney complications or disease, were excluded from the review. Seventeen studies were eligible for inclusion in the review. The Cochrane Collaboration risk of bias tool was used to assess bias of the included studies. Results: Twelve randomized controlled trials, 2 randomized trials, 1 non-randomized trial, 1 randomized crossover trial and 1 single-arm met inclusion criteria. In patients with Type 2 diabetes, Cinnamon at 1-1.5g/d and dichrostahys glomerata (DG), at 0.8g/d showed significant decreases in fasting blood glucose, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, triglycerides and LDC-cholesterol and HbA1c and cinnamon showed increased HDL-C while DG showed significant decrease in total cholesterol. Fenugreek at 10g/d doses resulted in significant reductions in fasting glucose and total cholesterol. Nigella satvia (NS) at doses of 1-3g/d showed significant reductions in triglycerides, LDL-cholesterol, total cholesterol and increases in HDL-cholesterol. Ginger at 1-2g/d doses significantly reduced fasting glucose, triglycerides, MDA, Apo B and increase Apo A-1. In obese subjects DG and ginger resulted in significant decreases in TG and DG significantly reduced systolic blood pressure, fasting glucose, total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol and increased HDL-cholesterol. In subjects with hyperlipidaemia and hypercholesterolemia garlic at 5g/d and 20g/d doses resulted in significant decrease in TG, cholesterol and increases in HDL-C and 20g/d doses resulted in significant reductions in FBG. Conclusion: The evidence does suggest that the use of culinary herbs and spices may have beneficial effects on risk factors for CVD. Due to the presence of bias of studies there is insufficient evidence to conclude that culinary herbs and spices have significant benefits on biomarkers for CVD and that higher quality studies are needed in future research.