Cilantro Plant | Health Benefits and Heavy Metal Detoxification
March 16, 2022
Cilantro is a popular herb that is often used in a variety of culinary dishes. The word “cilantro” is the Spanish word for the plant that is used in North America. However, many other parts of the world refer to cilantro as “coriander.” In North America, coriander is the name given to cilantro seeds that are often used as a culinary spice. In other parts of the world they refer to cilantro seeds as “coriander seeds.” Regardless of the name, the plant is the same. The latin name for the cilantro plant is Coriandrum sativum. We refer to the leaves and stem of the plant as cilantro in this article, and the seeds as coriander.
Cilantro is native to the Mediterranean. The first recorded use of cilantro is from the Nahal Hemar cave in Israel, 6000 BC where 15 desiccated cilantro seeds were found. This herb has a very long history of use as both a medicine and culinary spice. In this article, we explore cilantro and cilantro benefits in more detail.
What Is Cilantro?
Cilantro (Coriandrum sativum) is an annual herb in the family Apiaceae. All parts of the cilantro plant are edible, but the fresh leaves and dried seeds are the parts most traditionally used in cooking. Interestingly, a small percentage of people think the leaves of the cilantro plant taste like soap. This has been linked to a gene that detects aldehyde chemicals that are present in both cilantro and soap, and approximately 10-15% of people tested experience this phenomenon when eating cilantro.
What Is Cilantro Used For?
Cilantro has many uses. The cilantro plant and cilantro seeds are both used as culinary spices and as medicinal herbs. Cilantro leaves are common in many traditional Mexican dishes, whereas cilantro seeds (coriander) are common in many traditional Indian dishes. As an herbal medicine, cilantro has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties and is commonly used for heavy metal detoxification, blood purification, and improving skin conditions. Coriander, the seeds of cilantro, are commonly used medicinally to improve digestion and gut health.
What Are the Benefits of Cilantro?
Cilantro has many health benefits. Some of the top cilantro benefits include:
Cilantro May Help Eliminate Heavy Metals from the Body
Among the most popular and unique benefits of cilantro is its ability to rid the body of toxic heavy metals like arsenic, cadmium, aluminum, lead and mercury. Cilantro contains a chelating substance that binds to toxic metals and carries them out of our body. Chelators work by binding to metals in the bloodstream, collecting all the heavy metals into a compound that's then filtered through the kidneys and released in urine.
Heavy metal particles can come from many sources including toxic cookware or silverware, fish, industrial pollution, and tap water. These toxic heavy metals can build up and be stored in the body, leading to ill health and disease. Cilantro’s chelating properties make it a great herb for reducing heavy metal toxicity.
Cilantro Has Antioxidant Properties
Cilantro also has powerful antioxidant properties. Antioxidants are molecules that fight free radicals in your body, which are oxygen-containing molecules with an uneven number of electrons. The uneven number allows them to easily react with other molecules and create oxidation, which can be harmful to our health. In fact, oxidative stress is considered one of the number one causes of aging cells, as oxidation can greatly damage cellular health.
Oxidative stress is also linked to a wide array of degenerative diseases, including heart disease, arthritis, macular degeneration and much more.
Cilantro contains a flavonoid called quercetin, which helps protect against damage caused by oxidative stress. This makes cilantro a great anti-aging herb and a great herb to include in your diet for improving overall health.
Cilantro May Support Gut Health
Cilantro and coriander have also been used to support digestive health. In Ayurveda, the traditional medical system of India, coriander is used to prevent flatulence and control spasmodic pain. It is also used for general digestive support as it is said to support the breakdown of food.
Cilantro leaves stimulate the release of digestive enzymes that can help you better digest your food and assimilate nutrients in the foods eaten. Cilantro can help alleviate indigestion and heartburn, which aside from its great flavor, is another reason to add this herb with spicy foods.
Cilantro is commonly used in Indian and Mexican cooking and is especially common in hot, spicy dishes. It is said to have a cooling effect on the body, which is partly the reason it is so often incorporated into spicy meals in these traditional cuisines.
Cilantro May Improve Cardiovascular Health
Cilantro is also known to improve cardiovascular health. Researchers have found that cilantro lowers total cholesterol and triglycerides in the body. High triglycerides can be converted into LDL, also known as the “bad” cholesterol. Cilantro actually has a unique ability to help dissolve cholesterol buildup in the blood vessels, which can protect against heart disease and strokes.
Cilantro is rich in the mineral potassium, which also helps to lower blood pressure. It’s antioxidant content also helps reduce oxidative stress which can damage blood vessels and contribute to heart disease.
Because of its ability to reduce several risk factors for heart disease, researchers suggest that cilantro can have a very positive influence on overall heart health. This is important because heart disease is the number one cause of death.
Cilantro May Help Skin Conditions
Cilantro is used both internally and externally as a remedy for skin irritations such as hives, rashes, eczema, sunburns and poison ivy. Cilantro contains natural antihistamines that help calm the immune system response to allergens. Internally, cilantro’s properties of removing heavy metals, improving circulation, and reducing oxidative stress help to support the skin. Externally, its cooling properties and antihistamines help soothe skin irritations.
A common DIY skin remedy involving cilantro is to blend together fresh cilantro leaves with coconut oil and to apply it topically to soothe skin irritations of all kinds. Coconut oil also has many benefits to skin health, so together these make a great natural remedy for skin irritation that you can make yourself at home.
Cilantro May Help Control Blood Sugar
Cilantro may also be able to support blood sugar and can be a great herb to include in the diet for diabetics. Not only does cilantro help lower blood sugar, but it improves insulin sensitivity and improves lipid levels. Both cilantro and coriander are reported to lower blood sugar. In fact, cilantro is so well-known for its ability to lower blood sugar that it is recommended for people with low blood sugar or those taking diabetes medications to be careful with taking the herb. Therefore, if you are taking any diabetic medication, you want to consult with your doctor before including cilantro in your diet.
Cilantro May Improve Liver Health
Your liver is one of your most important organs. It performs over 500 tasks on a daily basis, and we certainly could not survive without it. Unfortunately, many people have poor functioning livers due to toxins in the environment or diet that overload the liver and inhibit its function. Cilantro is a great herb for liver health and may support the liver in several ways.
First of all, one of the biggest challenges to liver health is toxic build up. The liver is the first pass for all of the toxins that enter our body, and one of its 500 jobs is to neutralize toxins before they enter our bloodstream. Cilantro’s ability to eliminate toxic heavy metals is a great support to liver health.
The liver is also a part of the digestive system, and cilantro’s ability to support digestive health in turn supports the liver. Additionally, since cilantro can help lower levels of triglycerides, it also helps out the liver, as one of the main jobs of the liver is the metabolization of fats. Cilantro is a great herb for supporting liver health, which is yet another reason to include this herb in your diet.
What Are the Active Compounds in Cilantro?
The medicinal properties of plants are primarily attributed to the active compounds within them. According to Science Direct, the active compounds in cilantro are: Linalool (60–80%), geraniol (1.2%–4.6%), terpinen-4-ol (3%), α-terpineol (0.5%), γ-terpinene (1–8%), r-cymene (3.5%), limonene (0.5%–4.0%), a-pinene (0.2%–8.5%), camphene (1.4%), myrcene (0.2%–2.0%), Camphor (0.9%–4.9%, Geranyl acetate (0.1%–4.7%), linalyl acetate (0%–2.7%).
Cilantro has many medicinal properties including antimicrobial, antioxidant, hypoglycemic, hypolipidemic, anxiolytic, analgesic, anti-inflammatory, and anti-convulsant, among others.
Is Cilantro Safe?
Cilantro is a very safe herb that has been used for thousands of years as both a food and an herbal medicine. However, because of cilantro’s powerful ability to lower blood sugar it is recommended for those taking blood sugar medications to consult with their doctor before using cilantro or coriander, especially in therapeutic amounts.
Summary
Cilantro is a popular herb that is often used in a variety of culinary dishes. The word “cilantro” is the Spanish word for the plant that is used in North America. However, many other parts of the world refer to cilantro as “coriander.” In North America, coriander is the name given to cilantro seeds that are often used as a culinary spice. In other parts of the world they refer to cilantro seeds as “coriander seeds.”
Regardless of the name, the plant is the same. The latin name for the cilantro plant is Coriandrum sativum. Cilantro is native to the Mediterranean. This herb has a very long history of use as both a medicine and culinary spice.
Cilantro has many medicinal properties including antimicrobial, antioxidant, hypoglycemic, hypolipidemic, anxiolytic, analgesic, anti-inflammatory, and anti-convulsant, among others.
Because of its chelating properties, it is a powerful detoxifier of heavy metals. It also has powerful antioxidant properties and is used for lowering blood sugar, improving cardiovascular health, supporting digestive health, improving liver health and helping to alleviate skin irritations.
Cilantro is a very safe herb that has been used for thousands of years as both a food and an herbal medicine. However, because of cilantro’s powerful ability to lower blood sugar it is recommended for those taking blood sugar medications to consult with their doctor before using cilantro or coriander, especially in therapeutic amounts.
References:
https://naturesproduce.com/encyclopedia/cilantro/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3249911/
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0367326X15000660
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29433220/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23281145/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31311306/
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