Nutr Rev. 1999 Sep; 57(9 Pt 2): S41-5.

Role of medicinal plants, herbs, and spices in protecting human health.

Balentine DA, Albano MC, Nair MG.

Lipton, Englewood Cliffs, NJ 07632, USA.

The body of knowledge about plants, herbs, and spices and their respective and collective roles in promoting human health is modest. Flavonoids in tea and anthocyanins in tart cherries were presented as examples of how to move forward in understanding active compounds. Dietary compounds, their roles in maintaining human health, and their interactions with established nutrients were determined to be short-term research priorities.