Is cilantro a super-herb or just a wonderful herb to flavor salsa? It’s easy to answer. There are a number of healthy reasons for adding cilantro to your diet. The cilantro plant looks a lot like parsley when it’s growing and if it bolts and forms flowers, eventually those flowers turn to seed, which is another spice called coriander. People describe the taste of cilantro differently, with some saying it has a peppery, citrusy, fresh taste and others comparing it to the smell of linoleum or like eating soap. Fresh cilantro used to be more difficult to find, but now it’s sold fresh in most groceries in Fort Lee, NJ.
Cilantro has antioxidant properties.
Like many herbs and spices, cilantro has antioxidant properties from quercetin. It also has antibacterial benefits to help prevent food poisoning. The compound dodecenal in cilantro is as effective as the antibiotic drug called gentamicin in stopping the microbes causing the problem. It fights cholera, listeria, dysentery, and salmonella. It’s especially potent against listeria and salmonella. It also has eight other antibiotic compounds, so add it to your main course, snack or side dish. Cilantro laden salsa is delicious on eggs in the morning.
Help your blood sugar and blood pressure levels.
Is your blood sugar too high? Cilantro may help. It’s been shown to help promote liver health and balance blood sugar levels. Add cilantro to any dish that you can to help improve your health by lowering your blood sugar levels. It also is known to help provide a healthier lipid profile by lowering total cholesterol and triglycerides. It can aid in dissolving the cholesterol that has built up in the blood vessels, too. That can help improve heart health, lower blood pressure and reduce the risk of strokes. The potassium in cilantro can aid in lowering blood pressure, as well.
If you have toxic heavy metals in your body, cilantro comes to the rescue.
Heavy metal toxins, like arsenic, aluminum, mercury or lead, are everywhere from the food we eat to the water we drink. They can come from water, food or breathing in contaminated air we breathe and accumulate in your body. There are substances in cilantro that bind to these metals and help remove toxic metals from the body. Heavy metal toxicity can cause heart disease, cause neurological problems, hormonal issues and more.
- Move over cranberry juice, cilantro’s in the house and ready to tackle those urinary tract infections, too. Not only can it help prevent the growth of bacteria, but the seeds can also help in relieving symptoms.
- Cilantro can help prevent gas, bloating and aid in relieving indigestion. It causes digestive enzymes to be released and makes the digestive system more efficient. If spicy foods give you heartburn, add cilantro. It even helps with IBS.
- Cilantro can be a great natural sedative. It’s been found to have the same anti-anxiety effect as Valium, but without the side effects. It also can be a great aid to improved sleep.
- You can use it as a natural antihistamine. If you have poison ivy, mix cilantro with coconut oil and apply it where needed. It’s even good for hives and sunburn. You can also mix it with water and strain it, then mix the solids with coconut oil and drink the water for inside-outside protection.
For more information, contact us today at VIP Fitness Center