When you sit down to a hearty meal and eat a high fat serving of food, you end up with high levels of triglycerides, a type of fat, in your blood. A new study finds that adding Indian curry spices like turmeric and cinnamon to your dishes could help reduce oxidative stress and thus thwart the risk of chronic disease.

Sheila West, associate professor of biobehavioral health, Penn State, and her associates prepared meals on two separate days for six men between the ages of 30 and 65 who were overweight, but otherwise healthy. The researchers added two tablespoons of culinary spices to each serving of the test meal, which consisted of chicken curry, Italian herb bread, and a cinnamon biscuit. The control meal was identical, except that spices were not included. The team drew blood from the participants every 30 minutes for three hours.

When the meal contained a blend of antioxidant spices, antioxidant activity in the blood was increased by 13% and insulin response decreased by about 20%. Adding curry spices to the high-fat meal reduced triglyceride response by about 30%, compared to a similar meal with no spices added.

Key ingredients to beat these triglycerides are rosemary, oregano, cinnamon, turmeric, black pepper, cloves, garlic powder and paprika because they have potent antioxidant activity previously as demonstrated under controlled conditions in the lab.

While ingredients change throughout Asia, turmeric is a mainstay of curry. It is a light, colorful spice bursting with curcumin, which apparently lowers cholesterol levels. It does this by reducing the amount of low-density lipoprotein in your blood. LDL is known as “bad” cholesterol because it attaches to blood vessels, blocking your arteries. Turmeric helps your body produce high-density lipoprotein, referred to as “good” cholesterol. HDL is said to instruct your liver to flush LDL from your body, and this helps you lose weight.

Animal studies have proved curcumin lowers LDL and overall cholesterol levels, but the U.S. National Institute of Health has called for better human studies. Turmeric is full of potassium and combats Alzheimer’s, cancer, heart disease and stroke.

Triglyceride levels are also reduced by exercise, omega-3 fatty acids from fish, flax seed oil, and other sources. Recommendation in the U.S. is that one ingest up to 3 grams a day of such oils. It has been found that residents in Western countries do not ingest sufficient quantity of food with omega-3. In Europe, the recommendation is for up to 2 grams. However, omega-3 consumption should be balanced with omega-6 fatty acids.

Curry can be an excellent part of a balanced, nutritious diet because it combines the most important food groups. The meat in curry offers you the protein you need. The USDA recommends your diet is includes 18% protein, 54% carbohydrate and 28% fat. Opt for chicken, turkey, or an oily fish like salmon in your curry instead of beef or lamb, because they are leaner and contain lots of protein but little saturated fat, which is harmful.

Oily fish also provides you with monounsaturated fat, which lowers cholesterol and improves heart health. Lentils and beans are good vegetarian protein sources and go well in curry. The American Health Association recommends you eat eight portions of vegetables and fruit a day for vitamins, minerals, fiber and carbohydrates, and they can be incorporated into curry.

Written by Sy Kraft