Cilantro
Proven health benefits of Cilantro:
- Lowers blood sugar level.
- Prevents cardiovascular diseases.
- Prevents urinary tract infections.
- Relieves digestive upsets.
- Protects against food poisoning.
- Relieves menstrual pain and support menstrual health.
- Prevents neurological inflammation.
- Relieves skin irritation.
What is a cilantro herb?
Cilantro is known as Coriandrum sativum.It is an annual herb grown as a spice native regions include southern Europe, northern Africa and southwestern Asia currently grown annually across the world. Cilantro is a soft plant growing to 50cm tall. The cilantro herb leaves are inconsistent in shape, broadly lobed at the base of the plant and slender and feather higher on the flowering stems. All parts of the herb are edible, and preferred for different uses, tastes and preferences. The leaves and seeds are the most used as spices in cooking.1
Both cilantro and coriander come from the Coriandrum sativum species where cilantro refers to the stalk and leaves, coriander refers to the seeds.Other names for Cilantro are; chinese parsley, dhania, coetro, coriander leaves, fresh coriander, persil chinois, kutsumburi, dhanyaka.1
What is Cilantro useful for?
Besides culinary purposes, Cilantro has been used for cancer, toothaches, measles and other medical problems. Also, it helps remove metals such as mercury, lead and aluminium from the body.2 For culinary purposes, Cilantro can be used to spice up sour cream to taste, In addition to creating refreshing dressing for rice dishes. Besides, it can spice up pasta salads into a unique flavour. Cilantro can make the unique green sauce perfect for marinating meat dishes and creating excellent chutneys that are tastier.3
Health benefits:
- Eliminates heavy metals from the body by binding toxic metal such as mercury, arsenic, cadmium, aluminium, and lead, thus facilitating their removal consequently preventing heart illnesses and neurological disorders.
- Prevents oxidative stress due to its antioxidant properties, which protect against damage induced by free radicals hence safeguard against oxidative stress.
- Reduces anxiety by containing natural sedative properties which calm the nerves and improve sleep quality.
- Lowers blood sugar levels by supporting healthy liver function and balanced blood sugar.
- Prevents cardiovascular diseases by preventing oxidative damage associated with heart diseases.
- Prevents urinary tract infectionsdue to the antibacterial compounds which help keep the urinary tract free from unhealthy bacteria.
- Relieves digestive upset by reducing nauseous stomach, preventing gas and bloating, ease stomach cramps, thus relieving indigestion.
- Relieves menstrual pain and supports menstrual health by relieving bloating and discomfort during the menstrual cycle and enabling healthy menstrual function by regulating hormones that control the menstrual cycle.
- Prevents neurological inflammation thus help prevent neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.
- May help protect against colon cancer by increaseing the excretion of the sterol compound and bile, reducing toxic levels in the colon, lowering the risk of colon cancer.
- Relieves skin irritation due to its natural antihistamine properties, which help calm the immune system response against allergens thus providing a remedy for skin irritations such as sunburns and hives.
Nutrition:
A quarter cup of cilantro herb contains approximately 4:- Calorie -1
- Carbohydrates -0.1g
- Protein -0.1g
- Fibre -0.1g
- Vitamin K - 12.4mg
- Vitamin C -1.1mg
- Vitamin E -0.1mg
- Folate -2.5mg
- Potassium- 20.8mg
Toxicity:
Although Cilantro is assumed to be safe for all, there is no reliable information on whether it's safe for pregnant and breastfeeding mothers. Research shows that Cilantro may increase risk in people with bleeding disorders when taken in large amounts. Further, it may increase bleeding during surgery if taken in a large amount. Avoid intake of Cilantro if scheduled for surgery two weeks before.