What Is the Difference Between Herbs and Spices?
What’s the difference between herbs and spices? Are herbs and spices the same? What is the difference?
What is the difference between herbs and spices?
The words herbs and spices are often used interchangeably, but spices and herbs are two distinct types of seasonings, and the two have very different effects on the health.
Herbs
Herbs are a healthful addition to the diet and can be used freely to flavor food. They do not increase the appetite, and some (such as rosemary, basil, and oregano) actually help with weight loss.
Culinary herbs generally come from the leafy part of herbaceous plants that grow in temperate climates. For example, basil, oregano, cilantro, and parsley are all herbs.
Spices
Spices are more potent than herbs and usually have a stronger flavor.
Spices generally come from the bark, buds, roots, seeds, or fruit of plants and often have a tropical origin. In addition, any peppers that contain capsaicin are considered a spice, as they are irritants to the mucous membranes and the stomach and carry other negative health effects.
Health Effects of Spices
Due to their chemical composition, many spices are irritating to the digestive system and the nervous system.
Spices stimulate the secretion of acid in the stomach, significantly increasing the stomach’s acidity and causing inflammation and damage to cells. Red and black pepper especially increase the acidity of the stomach, causing inflammation and damage to stomach cells. Red pepper has been shown to cause cellular hypertrophy in the stomach.
Spices inflame not only the lining of the stomach, but other organs as well. For example, the consumption of spices irritate the gallbladder and increase the likelihood of gallstones. Pepper may cause significant damage to the lungs, liver, and kidneys.
Spices are also irritating the central nervous system. Nutmeg is especially irritating to the nervous system and can cause irritability, cravings, and anxiety.
Spices contain acids or volatile oils that are harmful to the kidney tubules and can contribute to kidney stones. In Mexico and India, where curry and other spices are popular, there are more cases of kidney stones than in other countries that do not consume such a high quantity of spices.
In India, a country where chili pepper, black mustard seed, cinnamon, cloves, cumin, and ginger are a common part of the cuisine, esophageal and oral cancer rates are among the highest in the world.
According to Dr. Agatha M. Thrash, board specialist in pathology and author of several books on lifestyle medicine, some spices can “cause breaks in chromosomes in such a way as to alter the normal cell’s ability to reproduce itself.”
Why do we like spicy food so much?
The consumption of spices (especially capsaicin found in some peppers) prompts a flood of endorphins in the addiction-reward center of the brain. Here’s how that happens:
1. The consumption of spices (especially capsaicin found in some peppers) activates TRPV1 receptors in the mouth. TRPV1 receptors act as pain receptors.
2. These pain receptors send signals through the nervous system to the brain and trigger the brain to release endorphins. Endorphins primarily function as a painkiller. Endorphins are also mood elevators and contribute to feelings of pleasure and well-being.
3. The release of endorphins triggers the brain’s reward pathway, which leads to a rush of dopamine. Dopamine is commonly known as the “feel-good” chemical.
The body releases dopamine in response to simple pleasures, such as taking a walk in nature, listening to music, accomplishing a task, spending time with friends, and other healthy activities. This is normal and good. But dopamine can also be released in response to unhealthy activities.
The consumption of spicy food hyper-stimulates the addiction-reward center of the brain and causes a large release of endorphins and dopamine. This, in turn, causes us to desire to eat more spicy foods and can even cause food cravings.
In addition, spices tend to gradually reduce the sensation of taste, thus increasing the “need” for more and more flavor from food. In turn, this causes us to be less and less satisfied with simple, nourishing, whole food.
Bland, Flavorless Food?
But omitting spices and their harmful effects doesn’t mean that food has to be flavorless. Herbs like oregano, mint, basil, parsley, rosemary, sage, thyme, and cilantro can be used for seasoning instead. Garlic and onion can add some healthy flavor as well.
Healthy Alternatives
Check out this luscious chili recipe seasoned with herbs.
Herbamare is another healthy seasoning made from sea salt and dried, organic vegetables.
A splash of lemon juice can also add some zest to foods. Or if you’re looking for something to season your vegetables, try topping them with one of my delicious dressings, like this fabulous, Creamy Italian Dressing.
Healthful Herbs
Basil
Bay Leaf
Chives
Dill
Fennel
Garlic
Marjoram
Mint
Onion
Oregano
Paprika (sweet)
Parsley
Rosemary
Sage
Savory
Tarragon
Thyme
Irritating Spices
Allspice
Cayenne pepper
Chili powder
Cinnamon
Cloves
Curry
Mace
Mustard
Nutmeg
Pepper (white, red, and black)
Mildly Irritating Spices
(irritating only in large quantities)
Cumin
Ginger
Poppy Seed
Saffron
Turmeric
“Our food should be prepared free from spices.” A Solemn Appeal, 65
References
Vasudevan K et al. Influence of intragastric perfusion of aqueous spice extracts on acid secretion in anesthetized albino rats, Indian Journal of Gastroenterology 2000
Dr. Agatha Thrash, board specialist in pathology and author of several books on lifestyle medicine
Myers BM et al. Effect of red pepper and black pepper on the stomach, American Journal of Gastroenterology 1987
Milke P et al. Gastroesophageal reflux in healthy subjects induced by two different species of chilli (Capsicum annum), Digestive Diseases 2006
Sri Nabawiyati Nurul Makiyah et al. Subchronic toxicity of piperine in piper nigrum on the histology of the kidney, liver, and lungs of mice, Bali Medical Journal 2021
Myers BM et al. Effect of red pepper and black pepper on the stomach, American Journal of Gastroenterology 1987
Red pepper can increase stomach acid excretion by 700%.
Vasudevan K et al. Influence of intragastric perfusion of aqueous spice extracts on acid secretion in anesthetized albino rats, Indian Journal of Gastroenterology 2000
K. O. Kendabie, Josiah O. Adjene, Histological Studies of The Effects Of Red Pepper on The Stomach Of Adult Wistar Rats, Electronic Journal of Biomedicine 2007
Dr. Agatha M. Thrash, M.D., Dr. Calvin L. Thrash, M.D., Nutrition for Vegetarians (NewLifestyle Books, 1996), 79
Rup Kumar Phukan et al. Role of Dietary Habits in the Development of Esophageal Cancer in Assam, the North-Eastern Region of India, Nutrition and Cancer 2001
Sinha R, et al. Cancer Risk and Diet in India, Journal of Postgraduate Medicine 2003
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Well written Jennifer. I agree. I think the benefits of adding little to none of the irritating spices to our food far out way the pleasure one can get from their use.
I agree. And I’m thankful for how taste buds can change so as to learn to enjoy not-so-spicy food.
Thank you! I’ve often been confused on this and had some mixed feedback to my questions. Helpful list!
You are very welcome, Hope. I’m glad it was helpful.
Do you have ideas on how to make home made ice cream softer.
We made some home made ice cream from your recipe and it was good but very hard.
HELP.
Lenny & Jan.
Most homemade ice cream, and especially healthier recipes such as my non-dairy ice cream recipe , do tend to freeze harder than store-bought ice cream. The reason for this is that store-bought ice cream usually has more refined fat and refined sugar than homemade, and these ingredients make the ice cream softer. Also, many store-bought varieties use chemical stabilizers to make the ice cream soft.
Some add eggs to the mix, but that just add cholesterol and increases the fat content.
Churning it longer can sometimes help a little. But the best solution I can offer is to take the ice cream out of the freezer a few minutes before serving.
Sorry I couldn’t be of more help.
The “cinnamon substitute” recipe that I have uses coriander and cardamom.
Second, I am also confused about turmeric. The “mustard substitute” recipe that I have uses turmeric.
Third, am I to understand that we should be avoiding cayenne and cumin as well? I thought that cayenne had medicinal qualities.
I have an autoimmune condition. I want to make sure that I am not confused on these points. Maybe I need to update my recipes for these. Any comments or recommendations would be greatly appreciated.
Hi Kara,
I haven’t been able to uncover enough information about cardamom to say definitively (hence its absence from the list), but it seems that it *may* be mildly irritating, but certainly not as irritating as cinnamon.
Turmeric is also mildly irritating, but not as much as mustard. I’ve tried leaving the turmeric out mustard substitute recipes, and (in my opinion) it turns out fine.
Cayenne is very irritating, but it also has some excellent medicinal benefits. One would need to weigh the benefits and the risks in deciding whether to use it or not. There are several “natural-remedy-type” alternatives that can be used in place of cayenne, depending on what the need is.
I hope this is helpful. ?
Jennifer
An excellent article, Jennifer (thank you)! Ok, so settle a bet. Is lavender an herb or a spice? I say it’s a spice, because the only part of the plant that’s consumed is the flower (either fresh flowers or dried/ground buds). But fellow lavender farmers are adamant that lavender is an herb. What’s your opinion? Dave from Seafoam Lavender Gardens
Good question, Dave! And, unfortunately, one that I don’t have an answer to. It is in the mint family and mint is an herb … but I haven’t been able to uncover any scientific research that gives any definitive answers. Sorry.
Thanks a lot! I appreciate this
Thank you for the list.
Please research tarragon. A friend did and read it to me, it was not good, very bad for you in fact. Don’t remember details.
Also, I am wondering about red radishes and horseradish. They are hot and I wonder if they should be eaten.
Love your website and please put out more recipes for healthy cookies. Going to try the coconut oatmeal cookies really soon.
I am in Southern California and go to Mentone SDA Church, most conservative in this conference.
Seems like I sent you an email once about teaching a healthy cooking class here.
Will do.
Horseradish contains a compound that has been shown to be irritating to the mucous membranes if it is in high amounts, but I haven’t looked into that in detail. Not sure about radishes.
I’m glad you like the website. I hope you enjoy the cookies.
I’ve heard nice things about Mentone. I think my son has been there a few times.
Blessings to you,
Jennifer