Spices and Herbs for Increasing Vegetable Intake

Overseen By Jonathan M Scott, PhD

Age: 18+

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences

Disqualifiers: Under 18, Not in military

No Placebo Group All trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: Unknown

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial explores whether adding spices and herbs to vegetables can encourage military personnel to eat more. Researchers aim to determine if spicing up vegetables makes them more appealing and increases consumption. They will compare vegetable dishes with spices and herbs to "Plain" ones, focusing on active-duty service members at a military base. Junior service members who can read and write English qualify for the trial. As an unphased trial, this study allows participants to contribute to innovative research that could improve dietary habits in the military.

Do I need to stop my current medications to join the trial?

The trial information does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications. It seems focused on evaluating vegetable intake with spices and herbs, so it's unlikely that your medications would be affected.

What prior data suggests that the addition of spices and herbs to vegetables is safe for increasing vegetable intake?

Research has shown that using spices and herbs in food is generally safe. One study examined common spices like garlic and ginger and found no harm associated with them. These spices often enhance the taste of vegetables, encouraging increased consumption.

Other studies have demonstrated that adding spices and herbs can boost vegetable intake without major side effects. This indicates that spices and herbs are well-tolerated and safe for use in meals. Therefore, for those considering joining a trial involving these ingredients, current evidence suggests they are safe to use. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Why are researchers excited about this trial?

Researchers are excited about using spices and herbs to increase vegetable intake because this approach adds flavor without adding extra calories or sodium, which are common in other flavoring methods like sauces or dressings. Unlike traditional methods that might rely on butter or cheese to make vegetables more appealing, spices and herbs offer a healthier way to enhance taste and encourage more vegetable consumption. This method also has the potential to be more adaptable and appealing to diverse palates, making it easier for people to enjoy and maintain a diet rich in vegetables.

What evidence suggests that adding spices and herbs to vegetables can increase vegetable intake among military personnel?

This trial will compare the effects of adding spices and herbs to vegetables versus serving plain vegetables. Research has shown that spices and herbs can make vegetables more appealing and increase consumption. For example, one study found that people preferred seasoned vegetables significantly more than plain ones, resulting in an 18.2% increase in vegetable consumption. This indicates that adding flavor enhances the taste and enjoyment of vegetables. However, another study found that in some settings, such as school lunches, the increase was smaller. Overall, evidence suggests that using spices and herbs is a promising method to encourage greater vegetable consumption by improving taste. ^{1 3 6 7 8}

Who Is on the Research Team?

Chris D'Adamo, PhD

Principal Investigator

Assistant Professor

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

This trial is for junior enlisted service members (E1-E4) stationed at Naval Support Activity Bethesda who live in the barracks and can read and write English. It's not open to anyone under 18 or those not on active duty in the U.S. military.

Inclusion Criteria

You can understand and write in English.

You live in the barracks on NSAB.

People with the rank of E1-E4 assigned to Naval Support Activity Bethesda (NSAB).

Exclusion Criteria

Anyone not Active Duty in the U.S. military

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Phase I

Engagement with stakeholders and sensory testing of vegetables with and without spices and herbs

1 year

Multiple sessions for sensory testing and questionnaires

Phase II

Direct measurement of vegetable intake and liking among service members with and without spices and herbs

2 months

Regular meal kit distributions and assessments

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for changes in vegetable intake and preferences after the intervention

4 weeks

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• Plain
• Spices and Herbs

Trial Overview The study tests if adding spices and herbs to vegetables increases their intake among military personnel, compared to plain veggies. The test includes surveys, taste-tests, and measuring actual consumption through photos of 'grab and go' meals.

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: Vegetables Experimental Treatment 2 Interventions

Vegetables will be provided to volunteers as part of a heat and serve meal kit.

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences

Lead Sponsor

Trials

130

Recruited

91,100+

McCormick Science Institute

Industry Sponsor

Trials

12

Recruited

1,200+

University of Maryland, Baltimore

Collaborator

Trials

729

Recruited

540,000+

Nova Institute for Health

Collaborator

Trials

1

Recruited

400+

Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine

Collaborator

Trials

103

Recruited

94,300+

Pennington Biomedical Research Center

Collaborator

Trials

314

Recruited

183,000+

McCormick Science Institute

Collaborator

Trials

12

Recruited

1,200+

Citations

1. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7521666/

The addition of spices and herbs to vegetables in ... The magnitude of the impact of spices and herbs on total vegetable intake (18.2% increase, 8.22 grams, p<0.0001) was dampened by heterogenous ...

2. sciencedirect.com sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1499404619301940

Using Herbs and Spices to Increase Vegetable Intake ... In a short-term intervention, herbs and spices did not produce robust increases in school lunch vegetable intake among rural adolescents.

3. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5838513/

Consumer Acceptance Comparison Between Seasoned ... Overall, the results showed that seasoned vegetables were significantly preferred over unseasoned vegetables (P < 0.001), indicating the sensory properties were ...

4. clinicaltrials.gov clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05499858

Evaluating Effectiveness of Spices and Herbs to Increase ... "The goal of this study is to evaluate whether the addition of spices and herbs to the vegetables served to military personnel on a large military base can ...

5. jandonline.org jandonline.org/article/S2212-2672(23)01293-5/pdf

Using Herbs/Spices to Enhance the Flavor of Commonly ... These results suggest empirical feasibility and potential to lower intake of saturated fat, sodium, and added sugars at a population level with ...

6. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11983179/

Elemental Profiling and Safety Assessment of Four Spice ... This study aimed to evaluate the safety and toxicological risk of four commonly consumed spice vegetables: garlic (Allium sativum), ginger (Zingiber officinale ...

7. researchgate.net researchgate.net/publication/328811570_Spices_and_Herbs_Increased_Vegetable_Palatability_among_Underserved_Urban_Adolescents

Spices and Herbs Increased Vegetable Palatability among ... Vegetable intake, in particular, has been shown to be far below recommended levels in active duty military populations. Previous research in ...

8. astaspice.org astaspice.org/advocacy/health-benefits

Health Benefits - ASTA Spices Increase Vegetable Intake​​ Several studies have shown that adding spices and herbs to foods increases vegetable consumption across age groups.