Spice it up: disease-fighting flavors.(disease-fighting antioxidant power in spices)

Your spice cabinet may hold a key to good health. A U.S. Department of Agriculture laboratory study of 27 cooking herbs found that most had greater disease-fighting antioxidant power per gram than many fruits and vegetables. And some spices have been shown in human or animal studies to fight various diseases. Here's a rundown of the most promising research.

Cinnamon for cholesterol. Consuming about one-half teaspoon of cinnamon a day for 40 days reduced blood levels of both glucose and triglycerides, a potentially artery-clogging fat, by about 25 percent in adults with type 2 diabetes, a USDA clinical trial found. Cinnamon also cut "bad" LDL cholesterol by nearly 20 percent. And the benefits persisted for up to three weeks after people stopped taking it.

Hot pepper for cancer. Sold in ointment form for treating pain, capsaicin--better known as hot or cayenne pepper--is being tested in lab studies for its potential to suppress certain cancer cells.

Sage for smarts. True to its name, sage may prevent cognitive decline by protecting cells and inhibiting the breakdown of acetylcholine, a brain chemical crucial for memory and thinking. A small trial published in 2003 found that sage-oil capsules improved memory and attention in people with Alzheimer's disease. A later study of healthy young adults found that the pills boosted cognition and mood.

Turmeric for Alzheimer's and more. Studies of this curry ingredient have focused on curcumin, the substance that gives turmeric its rich yellow color. It has shown promise for several conditions:

* Alzheimer's disease. Curcumin may fight the accumulation of destructive proteins in the brain (a hallmark of Alzheimer's) and counter the inflammation that may worsen the condition. A clinical trial at the University of California at Los Angeles is testing curcumin treatment for early-stage Alzheimer's.

* Cancer. Research shows that curcumin may stop cancer cells from proliferating and cause malignant tumors to self-destruct. Scientists at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston and at other institutions are conducting clinical trials of curcumin as a possible treatment for pancreatic cancer and multiple myeloma.