July 14, 2009
Coriander doesn’t make the typical list of herbal medicines such as aloe vera, or ginseng. In fact, it isn’t even generally thought of as highly nutritious. Many people have eating the leaves of the coriander plant, AKA cilantro, because it is very common in mexican food. However, this plants seeds are referred to as coriander, and coriander seeds are very nutritious, and have some beneficial medicinal properties that many folks are unaware of.
Coriander releases a sweet, pleasant odor, and this is why it is a common seasoning in Indian food dishes. It comes from the Mediterranean, as many other popular seasonings do. The Mediterranean region in particular is an excellent environment to farm fruits, vegetables, spices, and herbs. So coriander does well when growing here. Coriander leaves, commonly called cilantro, are full of nutrients such as water, fiber, carbs, even protiens and tiny amounts of fats. The vitamins and minerals are calcium, iron, riboflavin, potassium, and vitamin C…just to name a few. So many people eat coriander seeds and leaves for energy and nutrition.
Coriander has its applications medically as well, from aiding in digestion, to cleansing toxins out of the body, to strengthening the stomach. Some people use it to reduce a fever as well. Animal studies have shown it can be one of several helpful herbs for digestion problems. It also can act as an expectorant for removing phlegm, and can promote a feeling of coolness to one who is sick with fever. It has recently been studied with regards to lowering cholesterol, and the studies so far are promising, so this is one more medicinal ability of coriander. For these reasons it can be a great herb for heart health.
The juices of coriander can be added to buttermilk, and then drunk to treat digestive and stomach disorders. Digestion issues and more recently, cholesterol are the two probems coriander is used to treat, but some also use it to aleviate symptoms of hepatitis, typhoid fever, and dysentery. Also, it has heart benefits. Coriander water has been known to lower cholesterol. Coriander water is made by boiling dry coriander seeds, and then drinking the water they are boiled in once it has cooled. Be sure to strain the seeds out first before drinking.
Other possible uses for coriander include reducing menstrual flow, treating diarrhea, and treating acne and dry skin when it is mixed with tumeric. To treat skin problems like acne, a tumeric and coriander paste should be applied once a day to a clean, washed affected area such as the face, and applied right before bed. For these reasons, coriander has been one of many top herbal remedies in asia for many years
Naturally, more thorough and complete studies of the medical benefits of coriander need to be conducted before it is endorsed as a substitute for common medications. But in the mean time, it is an extremely healthy herb that looks to very well have some excellent medicinal properties that have been used by millions of people over the past thousand years.