Marinating meat before grilling might reduce cancer-causing compounds produced during the cooking process.
Trading that bland, plain burger for one flavored with herbs and spices also might give a boost of beneficial antioxidants.
And blending some ginger into that iced tea could ease muscle inflammation.
McCormick & Co., the world's largest spice company, has made research into such potential health benefits of seasonings, ranging from cinnamon to turmeric and curry, a cornerstone of its business - not just a way to add zest to your picnic.
Sparks-based McCormick started its Science Institute in 2007 to help promote and study how spices and herbs can affect health, including blood pressure, blood sugar levels and muscle pain. Executives hope to soon commercialize products the company develops based on the research.
"The basic question we're looking at is whether herbs and spices at culinary levels have health benefits," said Guy Johnson, executive director for the institute, who has decades of experience working with food companies. "It's about finding simple ways to add spices to what you eat every day to get the benefits."
But like other industries that have sought to profit from health claims, McCormick's initiative also has raised concerns about potential conflicts of interest that arise when companies pay for research that could benefit their bottom line. Claims by food companies that a single product is the magical cure to certain health ailments have become all too common, to the disgruntlement of consumer advocates.
The health benefits of herbs and spices have been known for thousands of years. Ancient Egyptians building the Great Pyramids ate garlic and onion to stay healthy, and prehistoric hunters used spices to hide bad flavor in food. Herbs and spices have long been a key facet of Chinese medicinal practices.
McCormick executives say they believe their modern spice venture can help make people healthier while also generating increasing revenue in the long run by encouraging people to consume more herbs and spices. The company declined to disclose how much it is spending on the research.
Run by one of the country's top nutritionists, the Science Institute funds research conducted by universities and researchers across the country. McCormick-funded research found that marinating meat helps kill cancer-causing compounds, that ginger eases pain in muscles after exercise and that eating a spiced burger helps eliminate harmful oxidants in the blood.
McCormick's science division is based in a small office within the technology and innovation building at the spice company. Embedded in the glass front doors of the institute are what it has identified as the seven "super" spices because of their antioxidant health benefits - oregano, cinnamon, ginger, curry, red pepper, thyme and rosemary.
The office is largely administrative - it doesn't include laboratories - as an intentional move by company officials to legitimize the operation. They want the work done by independent researchers in labs and universities across the country, using trials with humans.
The company has worked with Pennsylvania State University, Kansas State University and the University of California, among others. The company's scientific advisory council, which includes a chemist from the federal Department of Agriculture and an executive from the National Institutes of Health, helps decide what medical studies should be explored.
Once trials are completed, the research is printed in top nutrition and medical journals to disseminate the information, with the goal of validating the findings even further. The company said the researchers have no "obligation" to McCormick.
"This is cutting-edge science we're doing," Johnson said.
McCormick's research also is different from most of what has been done on herbs and spices in the past because it uses spices in food samples, rather than in more concentrated forms such as a pill, nutrition experts said.
In one trial conducted by researchers at the University of California, a group of people ate a single burger with spices known to have antioxidant qualities, including oregano, rosemary, paprika and cumin. Another set ate a burger seasoned only with salt. A test of their urine after eating found that those who ate spiced burgers had a reduced number of oxidized lipids floating in the blood that could have come from eating the high-fat meal.
Gerard E. Mullin, an associate professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins Hospital, reviewed the findings of the study and praised it, calling it "real-life food as medicine." He also noted that McCormick seems to be using reputable researchers.
"I think those kinds of research studies are good to do - take the spices in real food and see if there is any difference in certain health benefits," Mullin said. "That's not the common research study one would find in the literature."
The Center for Science in the Public Interest recommends that consumers be cautious about health claims made by food companies that pay for the research. Most recently, the organization has criticized claims that pomegranate juice can reduce the risk of cancer and heart disease. Bruce Silverglade, legal director for the center, said studies funded by National Institutes of Health and other independent groups are more reputable than corporate-funded studies.
He also said he would be concerned if McCormick "takes the route of most other companies and makes claims that an ordinary spice is some kind of magic functional ingredient that can cure disease," though he said he hasn't seen any evidence of that.
Still, Silverglade said he'd rather see McCormick spend the money to find alternatives for the use of salt, which contributes to problems such as high blood pressure and is one of the company's staple sellers.
McCormick executives say they are careful not to make health claims that aren't approved by the Food and Drug Administration. During the company's recent annual meeting, President and CEO Alan D. Wilson told a crowd of more than 900 shareholders and employees that he puts cinnamon on his cereal each morning because of its antioxidant benefits. But he joked that he wasn't making any health claims because the lawyers were watching him closely.
Marketing experts say it is not unusual for companies to do their own research or to pay for others to do it. The strategy is a way for companies to make their products seem fresh and new to consumers, said P.K. Kannan, chair of the marketing department at the Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland. They may also be able to come up with new products based on research.
"As long as there is full disclosure as to what kind of research is going on and whether they found any negative impacts as well as positive ones, I think it can be good for the company," Kannan said. "If they make any negative impact public, I think it's OK. That will increase the believability of the research. It's the question of selective reporting that can get people in trouble."
McCormick plans to market products based on the research and has developed a campaign around the seven "super" spices based on research it and others have done. The company contends that it can increase its customer base because Americans use fewer herbs and spices in cooking than people in other countries.
"When we spread the word about the benefits of herbs and spices," said Hamed Faridi, McCormick vice president of research and development, "naturally, McCormick would be the biggest benefactor."