Individuals may want to fire up their grills this spring to enjoy some added health benefits from antioxidant-packed marinades and sauces. A new study published in the Journal of Food Composition and Analysis has found that common barbeque marinades are good sources of antioxidants.

"Herbs and spices are excellent sources of antioxidants, but estimating consumption rates can be difficult considering they are not generally consumed in large quantities, compared to fruits and vegetables," said lead study author Raymond Thomas. "Instead, they are used in relatively small amounts as ingredients in recipes and formulations such as spice mixes and marinating sauces that enhance food flavor."

Researchers were able to show for the first time the impact of marinating and cooking meat on the antioxidant status of seven different flavors of marinade containing herbs and spices as primary ingredients. They included jerk sauce, garlic and herb, honey garlic, roasted red pepper, lemon pepper garlic, sesame ginger teriyaki and green seasoning.

Although they found that grilling did cause a reduction in the sauce’s antioxidant levels, there are still benefits to using them.

Foods rich in antioxidants play an essential role in preventing cardiovascular diseases, cancers, neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, inflammation and problems associated with aging.

Antioxidants are found in many fruits, vegetables and herbs. They are also available in nutritional supplement form.