Herbal Thursday: Cilantro
Let Food Be Thy Medicine: Discover the many ways cilantro supports health, from detoxing heavy metals to relieving digestive issues.
Cilantro is a fantastic seasoning herb used all around the world to season food and add flavor. Used commonly with sea salt, this tasty herb isn't well-known just for its culinary delight but also for its medicinal benefits.
A powerhouse for anyone who eats it, cilantro offers far-reaching benefits, including skin care, full body detox, and digestive protection. Cilantro, the leafy herb of the coriander plant, comes from the Mediterranean and plays a role in the health benefits of the Mediterranean Diet.
What most people don’t realize is that coriander seeds come from cilantro (the Coriandrum sativum plant) and are likewise full of amazing health benefits. Coriander essential oil is also beneficial and should be added to anyone's essential oil collection. Basically, cilantro in any form is fantastic for you.
Cilantro Benefits
Cilantro is full of vitamin A, vitamin K, folate, and potassium, as well as a great source of dietary fiber. With all these added nutrients and almost no caloric value, cilantro is a perfect addition to any meal. Check out more cilantro benefits below!
1. Cilantro Soothes Skin Irritations
Cilantro is a great remedy for common skin irritations, especially if you want to avoid OTC medications in favor of natural remedies. As an analgesic, cilantro can soothe the irritation and pain caused by hives, poison ivy, and sun burns. It naturally calms the immune system, making it perfect for use against skin flareups.
Mix cilantro with coconut oil to sooth skin problems topically. Additionally, you can blend with water to gain even more cilantro benefits. Use the blended leaves topically and drink the remaining liquid. This is excellent for seasonal allergy symptoms, too.
2. Cilantro Provides Protection From Neurological Inflammation
Neurological inflammation is linked to diseases like Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's Disease, multiple sclerosis, meningitis, and brain tumors. However, diseases like these are less common in areas where people commonly eat coriander or cilantro.
Why? Cilantro contains a compound called linalool, which promotes brain health and protects against neurological inflammation that can contribute to several cognitive diseases associated with aging. In a metanalysis in the Avicenna Journal of Phytomedicine, researchers analyzed research studies supporting the neuroprotective properties of coriandrum sativum.
Also, a 2011 study published in Molecular Neurobiology found that cilantro — as coriander — contains nutraceuticals that reduce inflammation in the brain. Other herbs with similar benefits include turmeric, red pepper, black pepper, licorice, clove, ginger, garlic, and cinnamon.
3. Colon Cancer Protection
According to the Journal of Ethnopharmacology, coriander reduces the amount of cholesterol found in the colon. This also reduces the chance of colon cancer. Thus, adding cilantro to your meals may be a great way to keep your colon clean and healthy. While food measurements were not provided in the study, it’s well known that increasing green food intake is great for the whole body.
But what is it about cilantro?
More recent research, published in the Journal of Nutritional Science and Vitaminology, found that coriander extracts limited the migration of cancer cells to healthy tissue. The researchers admit that “anti-carcinogenic potential of coriander has been known well.“ To understand why, this study, performed on mice, examined metastasis of melanoma cancer cells. The mice eating cilantro in their diet had less metastasis that the control group. They conclude that “coriander provides the improvement of cancer prognosis.“
4. Protection From Food Poisoning
Believe it or not, cilantro protects your body from food poisoning. Its natural antibiotic properties are especially good at protecting the body from food- and water-born diseases.
A study published by the International Journal of Food Microbiology studied essential oils derived from dill, coriander, cilantro, and eucalyptus. They found that cilantro essential oil was highly effective against listeria.
5. Cilantro Settles The Stomach & Improves Digestion
Cilantro is perfect for settling minor digestion issues and has been used for thousands of years. The raw leaves of the coriander plant may help to reduce bloating, prevent gas, and relieve nausea. Fiber of any kind is important for proper digestion and elimination.
When looking at the benefits of specific spice mixtures on digestion, researchers found that the blend containing coriander, as well as onion, produced the greatest benefits to the secretion of bile, which further stimulated the release of digestive enzymes.
Additionally, it is great for reducing heartburn and indigestion. This is true because cilantro includes powerful enzymes that help the digestive system break down food. Cilantro often accompanies spicy food for this exact reason.
6. Cardiovascular Disease Protection
Cilantro benefits protect against cardiovascular disease in many different ways. The high amount of potassium found in cilantro protects against high blood pressure. This is because potassium works to balance sodium levels, and sodium is linked to high blood pressure. High blood pressure increases your risk of heart failure and heart disease.
Read More Here about the body’s sodium-potassium balancing act!
In one study published in the Journal of Food Science, researchers found that cilantro also unclogs arteries by reducing overall cholesterol.
More recently, a meta-analysis examined the many phytonutrients and compounds that make coriander an effective “anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, and analgesic” medicinal food. In their analysis of the literature, researchers concluded that the cholesterol-lowering effects of cilantro, as well as its protection against hypertension and arrhythmia, make this an important functional food.
Overall, cilantro is very good for your heart!
7. Heavy Metal Detox
Probably one of the most powerful uses of cilantro is for heavy metal detox. Thus, it is widely known as a powerful detox agent.
Heavy metals like arsenic, cadmium, aluminum, lead, and mercury enter our bodies from the food we eat and the environment we live in. This toxicity can lead to a whole host of health problems, like oxidative stress, inflammation, and neurological diseases. However, cilantro binds to these heavy metals, so they are easier for your body to remove. One study found that cilantro speeds up the body's ability to remove heavy metals.
Another study looked at the build up of heavy metals in two detox organs: the liver and the kidneys. While no appreciable change was noticed in the liver group, coriander prevented further toxicity to the kidneys, likely by preventing heavy metal buildup.
8. Helps Lower Blood Sugar Levels
New animal studies have shown that cilantro is great at balancing high blood sugar levels in people with diabetes. (6) Some researchers go so far as to say that cilantro could be used as a natural diabetes remedy.
What’s the evidence? Obesity rates have risen over the past several decades. Coupled with the rise in body weight, there is also a rise in type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome. At the root of all of these lies blood sugar management. Keeping blood glucose lower and improving insulin sensitivity both help with the underlying problem of obesity and diabetes.
A 2023 meta-analysis in the journal Nutrients examined 5 herbs that showed promise for controlling blood glucose levels, including cilantro. Based on the research, cilantro improves insulin sensitivity and reduces blood sugar levels, which may contribute to weight loss and control of diabetes.
To take advantage of these benefits, add fresh cilantro to everyday meals. Try this unique smoothie recipe to start your journey!
Cilantro Side Effects
Cilantro is a fantastic herb filled with many benefits. However, as with any food, we can’t assume it’s safe for everyone. Even though both cilantro and coriander are safe to consume for most people, some may experience an allergic reaction. This is especially true when a previous allergy to fennel, dill, aniseed, or caraway exists. Thus, it is important to test cilantro in small doses if an allergic reaction is possible.
It is also best not to use cilantro if you are experiencing asthma or bronchitis. Dried coriander may irritate bronchial arteries.
Final Thoughts On Cilantro
Overall, cilantro is an excellent herb to add to anyone's diet plan. From detoxing heavy metals to preventing and treating infections, cilantro is the way to go.
It is very easy to find dried cilantro in your local grocery store, but fresh cilantro is always best. You can grow your own cilantro in an herb garden or source from a local health store or farmer's market.
Coriander seeds are much easier to find, and you can use them fresh or dried. Soak them or blend them in smoothies to pull out all the many benefits.
When using cilantro or coriander as a medicine, remember to start small. Although allergic reactions are rare, it is always best to be safe.
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
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