Used for pleasure, spices and culinary herbs provided by our environment also have amazing nutritional qualities that contribute to human health. Their fragrant and strong-tasting compounds often participate in the defence of the plant that produces them against environmental damage. Ingested in our food, they largely keep their bioactive properties: for example, they have antioxidant properties useful to our health. They reduce the risk of so-called civilizational diseases such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and, as very recently demonstrated, they promote the growth of the “good” bacteria of our microbiota. In addition, spices reduce the amount of fat, salt and sugar in our cooking thanks to the intensity of their aromas and flavours.
用于享受乐趣的香料和烹饪香草不仅为我们的环境增添了色彩，还具有惊人的营养成分，对人类健康大有裨益。它们那些芳香且味道强烈的化合物往往有助于生产它们的植物抵御环境损害。当这些香料和香草被摄入我们的食物中时，它们在很大程度上保留了其生物活性特性：例如，它们具有对我们健康有益的抗氧化特性。它们降低了所谓文明病的风险，如肥胖、2型糖尿病、心血管疾病，并且最近的研究表明，它们还促进了我们体内“有益”细菌的生长。此外，香料凭借其浓郁的香气和味道，减少了我们在烹饪中使用的脂肪、盐和糖的量。
1. 探索香料和香草
1.1 香料与文明
The term “spices” comes from the Latin “species”, from which also comes “grocer”, the seller of spices. Originating from faraway countries, a symbol of luxury, or rather “paying in cash”, and of refinement, spices have, over the centuries, been the source of struggles and violence to gain a monopoly on their trade. Their history is the history of civilizations [1]. The use of spices is found more than 6,000 years ago in Northern Europe, and then, appreciated for their taste, colour and aroma, or for their power to preserve food, in ancient times, in Mesopotamia as in ancient Egypt. The increase in trade with Magna Graecia and the conquests of the Roman Empire then brought spices to Europe (Read Focus – The Spice Route, the first fruits of globalization).
“香料”一词源自拉丁语的“species”，该词也是“杂货商”（grocer，售卖香料的人）一词的来源。香料起源于遥远的国家，是奢侈、现金支付以及精致的象征。几个世纪以来，它们一直是争夺贸易垄断权的斗争和暴力的根源。香料的历史就是文明的历史[1]。早在6000多年前的北欧，人们就开始使用香料，随后在古代美索不达米亚和古埃及，人们因其味道、颜色和香气，或因其保存食物的能力而珍视它们。随着与大希腊地区的贸易增加和罗马帝国的征服，香料被带到了欧洲（阅读焦点——香料之路，全球化的首批成果）。
Figure 1. Peasant weddings. Pieter Brueghel the Younger (1564-1638). [Source: Pieter Breughel the Younger [Public domain]]
图1. 农民婚礼。彼得·勃鲁盖尔（小）（1564-1638）。[来源：彼得·勃鲁盖尔（小）[公有领域]]
Until the 20th century, the use of spices remained essentially hedonistic (flavour, perfume) in contrast to herbs whose medicinal virtues have been known in Europe since the Middle Ages (Figure 1).
直到20世纪，香料的使用基本上仍然是享乐主义的（风味、香气），与自中世纪以来在欧洲就已知其药用价值的香草形成了鲜明对比（见图1）。
1.2 香草和香料：公共卫生领域的研究热点
It is only recently that we have had scientific studies that report the potential public health benefits of herbs and spices. This work focuses on three main areas:
直到最近，我们才有了科学研究报告，揭示了香草和香料在公共卫生方面的潜在益处。这些研究主要集中在以下三个主要领域：
the analytical aspect and the identification of bioactive compounds in spices and herbs;
分析和识别香草及香料中的生物活性化合物；
the behavioural aspect with their role in following the nutritional recommendations of the High Council of Public Health (HCSP) [2]: less salt, fat, sugars, more vegetables and legumes;
行为方面，即它们在遵循公共卫生高级委员会（HCSP）营养建议方面的作用[2]：减少盐、脂肪、糖的摄入，增加蔬菜和豆类的摄入；
the biological and clinical aspect with studies demonstrating their ability to prevent or alleviate diseases.
生物和临床方面，通过研究表明它们预防或缓解疾病的能力。
1.3 什么是香料或芳香草本植物？
Spices and herbs are all plant origin [3]. In general, we distinguish between spices (spices in English-speaking countries), derived from the non-chlorophyllous parts of plants, and herbs (grasses), of which the green parts are used.
香料和香草都是植物来源的[3]。一般来说，我们区分来自植物非叶绿素部分的香料（在英语国家中称为spices）和草本植物（grasses），其中使用绿色部分。
Figure 2. Main aromatic herbs. [Source : AM Roussel]
图2. 主要的芳香草本植物。[来源：AM Roussel]
Often found in vegetable gardens or market garden stalls, aromatic herbs are used for their aromatic, condiment or medicinal qualities, sometimes combined in aromatic mixtures (Figure 2). Their active ingredients are present in the leaves (parsley, bay leaf sauce, chives, …) or bulbs (garlic, shallot, onions). In cooking, the bouquet garni is used to flavour a stewed dish. Composed of various herbs, it usually contains bay leaves, thyme and parsley.
芳香草本植物经常在菜园或市场摊位上找到，因其芳香、调味或药用特性而被使用，有时也会组合成芳香混合物（见图2）。它们的活性成分存在于叶子中（如欧芹、月桂叶酱、细香葱等）或鳞茎中（如大蒜、小葱、洋葱）。在烹饪中，调味束（bouquet garni）用于为炖菜增添风味。它通常由各种香草组成，通常包含月桂叶、百里香和欧芹。
Spices are used in small quantities in cooking, mainly to perfume and season dishes, sometimes to give them colour or to help preserve them. In spices, the bioactive compounds may be present in the flower (saffron), bud (clove), bark (cinnamon), root, fruit (pepper, dill, mustard), rhizomes (ginger) or seeds (fennel, coriander, nutmeg) of the plant (Figure 3).
香料在烹饪中通常使用少量，主要用于增添香气和调味，有时也用于着色或帮助保存食物。香料中的生物活性化合物可能存在于植物的花（如藏红花）、芽（如丁香）、树皮（如肉桂）、根、果实（如胡椒、莳萝、芥末）、根茎（如生姜）或种子（如茴香、香菜、肉豆蔻）中（见图3）。
Figure 3. Main plant organs source of spices. [Source : AM Roussel]
图3. 香料的主要植物器官来源。[来源：AM Roussel]
It should be noted that spices stimulate our senses not only thanks to the fragrant or sapid compounds* they contain, but above all, compounds with a trigeminal* action, which distinguishes them from aromatics. They are therefore responsible for odours (orthonasal: through the nostrils; or retronasal: through the retronasal fossae, which connect the mouth to the nose), flavours, and stimulation of the trigeminal nerve (pungent, fresh…). [4]
值得注意的是，香料之所以能刺激我们的感官，不仅是因为它们所含的芳香或味道化合物，更重要的是因为它们含有具有三叉神经作用的化合物，这使得它们与芳香物质有所不同。因此，香料负责产生气味（正鼻嗅觉：通过鼻孔；或后鼻嗅觉：通过后鼻窝，连接口腔和鼻腔）、味道，并刺激三叉神经（辛辣、清新等）。[4]
Herbs and spices have no nutritional value but are rich in bioactive compounds, polyphenols, alkaloids, terpenes and carotenoids [5], all of which have properties that allow the plant to adapt to its environment (Figure 4).
尽管香草和香料本身没有营养价值，但它们富含生物活性化合物，如多酚、生物碱、萜烯和类胡萝卜素[5]，这些化合物都具有帮助植物适应其环境的特性（见图4）。
Figure 4. Diversity of bioactive compounds in herbs and spices. [Source: AM Roussel]
图4. 香草和香料中生物活性化合物的多样性。[来源：AM Roussel]
Their secondary metabolites within the plant, have a protective role against thermal, bacterial or viral stress. For example, the curcuminoids in turmeric powder, of which curcumin is the best known to the public, are first of all protectors of the plant which, when exposed to aggression, change its cellular signalling and induce antioxidant and anti-inflammatory defences. This mechanism is common in the plant kingdom and, by incorporating spices into our food, we benefit from these properties.
植物中的这些次级代谢产物在保护植物免受热、细菌或病毒压力方面发挥着重要作用。例如，姜黄粉中的姜黄素类化合物（其中最著名的是姜黄素）首先是对植物的保护剂。当植物受到侵害时，它们会改变细胞信号传导并诱导抗氧化和抗炎防御机制。这种机制在植物界中很常见，通过在我们的食物中加入香料，我们也能从这些特性中受益。
1.4 香草和香料：膳食抗氧化剂的来源
The antioxidant power [6] of herbs and spices is high [7] (Figure 5). As an example, 1 teaspoon of dried oregano is equal, in antioxidant power, to 80g of grapes and a teaspoon of cinnamon to 250ml of pomegranate juice. A mixture of herbs and spices, added to the meat before cooking, prevents the production of fat oxidation derivatives, which are harmful to our cells [8], and the presence of aromatic herbs in the dressing of a salad doubles its antioxidant power [9]. It should be pointed out that, unlike vitamins, the polyphenols present in herbs and spices are resistant to desiccation and heat treatment.
香草和香料的抗氧化能力非常高[6][7]（见图5）。例如，一茶匙干牛至的抗氧化能力与80克葡萄相当，而一茶匙肉桂则相当于250毫升石榴汁。在烹饪前将香草和香料的混合物添加到肉类中，可以防止脂肪氧化衍生物的产生，这些衍生物对我们的细胞有害[8]。在沙拉酱中加入芳香草本植物可以使其抗氧化能力翻倍[9]。值得注意的是，与维生素不同，香草和香料中的多酚对干燥和热处理具有抗性。
Figure 5. Herbs and spices are rich in antioxidants. [Source: AM Roussel]
图5. 香草和香料富含抗氧化剂。[来源：AM Roussel]
2. 香草和香料助力减少盐、糖、脂肪摄入，增加蔬菜摄入
Poor food choices increase the risk of nutrition-related diseases such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, inflammatory diseases, cancers or more recently studied, alterations of the intestinal microbiota (Read Human Microbiota: Allies for our Health) and dysbioses*.
不良的食物选择会增加患与营养相关的疾病的风险，如肥胖、2型糖尿病、高血压、炎症性疾病、癌症，以及最近研究的肠道微生物群失调（阅读《人类微生物群：我们健康的盟友》）和菌群失调。
Correcting our food choices is, therefore, a real Public Health issue. This goal is difficult to achieve. In spite of the PNNS (National Nutrition and Health Plan) programmes that succeeded one another from 2001 to 2017, and many nutritional information campaigns aimed at the general public, the latest food consumption surveys show that the vast majority of us continue to eat too few vegetables, to eat too much fat, too much salt and too much sugar.
因此，纠正我们的食物选择是一个真正的公共卫生问题。然而，实现这一目标并不容易。尽管从2001年到2017年，国家营养与健康计划（PNNS）项目相继成功实施，并且针对公众进行了大量营养信息宣传活动，但最近的食品消费调查显示，我们中的绝大多数人仍然吃得太少蔬菜，吃得太多脂肪、盐和糖。
However, human intervention studies teach us that using herbs and spices regularly helps to correct these dietary errors.
然而，人类干预研究表明，定期使用香草和香料有助于纠正这些饮食错误。
