(DrCutler.com) People who hate having to eat their recommended daily dose of vegetables can live up their roughage by adding a few spices. New research suggests that two spices in particular may not only be tasty, but may also support healthy blood pressure. Previous studies have reported on the health effects of curcumin, a compound found in turmeric, and piperine, which is contained in black or long pepper. These compounds can have anti-inflammatory effects or enhance the activity of medicines, respectively. A team of researchers wanted to investigate the effects of these substances on animal models of blood pressure. The scientists experimented on rats by feeding them chemicals that raised their blood pressure. Afterward, the subjects either consumed curcumin, piperine, neither or both. Results showed that these two compounds can help support healthy blood pressure individually, with curcumin having a more significant effect. However, a combination of these two spices was not much more helpful, as published Oct. 17 in the journal Nutrition & Metabolism. Turmeric and piperine may exert their effects on blood pressure by acting on the blood vessels, affecting factors such as the vessels' thickness and the activity of the smooth muscle cells.