Weight for weight, dried thyme and basil have as much antioxidant power as vitamin E does, says Takayuki Shibamoto, Ph.D., a toxicologist at the University of California, Davis, who evaluated several spices' and herbs' antioxidant activity. Rosemary and chamomile offered about half as much protection as E, while lavender and cinnamon came in lower. It doesn't take much to enjoy herbs' disease-fighting power, Shibamoto says: "The antioxidants in herbs are very concentrated."

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COPYRIGHT 2003 Gale Group