Herbs and spices blended into flavorful meat rubs offer a wealth of health benefits thanks to the rich content of plant compounds called phytonutrients. Dried herbs—which are plant leaves such as basil and thyme—and spices—which come from plant seeds, bark, or root such as ground cumin and pepper—pack intense flavor and are a virtually calorie-free way to infuse lean proteins with savory and even sweet flavors.

Dried herbs and spices typically used in meat rubs pack a much higher level of antioxidants than their fresh counterparts. For example, dried oregano supplies more than 10 times the level of antioxidant power ounce for ounce.

Using herbs and spices has been shown to help block cancer-causing agents and protect body cells from harmful UV rays, thanks to compounds such as flavones, curcumin and gingerol found in dried herbs and spices. Other compounds found in spices such as cinnamon have been shown to help control blood sugar in type 2 diabetes and potentially have antibacterial action in the gut.

When making your own meat rubs, experiment with different flavors like ginger, turmeric, cinnamon and rosemary. Each of these herbs and spices supplies very high levels of antioxidants along with acting in part as meat tenderizers and flavor boosters.

Article originally published in June 2017 and updated in June 2022.