Coriander (Coriandrum sativum) is one of the oldest aromatic plants in the world. In India, China and Egypt in particular, coriander has not only been valued for millennia for its sweet flavor, but mainly as medicinal plant.
What is cilantro?
The name cilantro (Coriandrum sativum) comes from the Greek voice koroswhich means «bedbug», for the pungent odor, and for many repellentwhich the plant exhales. It has a strong and intense flavor, which not everyone likes, and should be taken in moderation.
From a botanical point of view, cilantro is an umbelliferoriginally from Asia Minor, and was brought to Europe already in Roman times.
The green plant from the umbellifera family grows up to 60 centimeters in height, has white to reddish flowers and brown to yellow fruits (coriander or coriander seeds), which can be harvested from July to August. His high content of phytochemicals and essential oils explain its beneficial effects.
The Sanskrit scriptures and the Old Testament already reported on its healing power. The father of Western and natural medicine, Hippocrates of Kos, also praised coriander as a medicinal plant.
Coriander can provide relief to people with digestive problems (e.g., flatulence, diarrhea, irritable bowel syndrome) and chronic inflammatory diseases (e.g. rheumatism). But it has also proven effective in infections and detoxification cures.
Coriander properties and uses
Coriander stands out for its digestive, tonic and carminative properties. In the cilantro composition We find the essential oil as an active component, rich in linalool and coriandole, which also contains traces of geraniol, limonene and camphor, among other principles. This gives it multiple health benefits:
- It is very useful to expel gases of the digestive system and to avoid flatulence and aerophagy. To do this, you can eat it alone, sprinkling the legume dish as if it were salt.
- As a digestive tonic, it promotes comfortable assimilation of food and helps awaken appetite in weakened or convalescent organisms.
- Is antispasmodic and antibacterialand combat the Nervous indigestion with spasms and gastroenteritisbeing able to alleviate the nausea.
- Chewing a few coriander fruits is a good means to avoid bad breath and the bad taste in the mouth.
- He coriander tea help with menstrual pain and to stimulate breast milk production.
- In external useapplies about rheumatic pain.
Coriander oil against infections
In the context of growing resistance to antibiotics, phytomedicine has become interested in cilantro as natural germicidal agent for years.
In particular, coriander essential oil obtained from the seeds is considered a powerful remedy against germs, even for those resistant to antibiotics, in certain circumstances.
Research carried out by the University Medical Center Freiburg attributed the antimicrobial (i.e. antibacterial and antifungal) effect to the ingredient linalool in a study.
Scientists from the Portuguese University of Beira Interior have tested coriander oil against twelve strains of bacteria, including Escherichia coli and salmonella, which repeatedly cause food poisoning.
The tests showed that a solution of just 1.6% coriander oil could kill almost all bacteria or at least significantly reduce its reproduction.
In industrialized countries, up to 30% of the population is affected by food poisoning each year. Coriander oil used as an additive could protect from pathogens and prevent bacterial infections, explained the director of the study, Dr. Fernanda Domingues in the Journal of Medical Microbiology.
coriander It can even be used as a natural antibiotic for medicinal purposes. Domingues can imagine that soon there will be tablets, lotions and mouthwashes with coriander extract against antibiotic-resistant germs. The compounds dodecenal and dodecanal play a key role in this property.
Coriander as a natural antibiotic
A Californian-Mexican research group attributed the antibiotic effects of cilantro specifically to dodecenal. In the study published in Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, Scientists isolated the antibacterial substance from fresh coriander leaves.
In laboratory tests, dodecenal turned out to be the only naturally occurring antibacterial substance that is twice as effective as the commonly used antibiotic gentamicin against salmonella.
«We were surprised that dodecenal is such a powerful antibiotic, because most natural antibacterial agents have quite weak effects,» said lead researcher Dr. Isao Kubo of the University of California, Berkeley.
In addition to dodecenal, dodecanal and linalool, from coriander leaves About a dozen other antibiotic components were extracted, which were also effective against various harmful bacteria.
Coriander seeds also contain dodecanal. Therefore, it is worth incorporating both fresh coriander herb and seeds of cilantro in the diet.
Fresh cilantro has the advantage over seeds that it also Provides large amounts of antioxidants and chlorophyll, components that strengthen our immune system and help against inflammation.
Coriander antioxidants against inflammatory diseases
Antioxidants in particular are another argument in favor of the healing power of cilantro. They are mainly found in the leaves and are especially effective against inflammatory discomfort, according to studies by the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi.
The anti-inflammatory properties of coriander seed extract were tested on laboratory rats suffering from rheumatism. It turned out that animals suffered significantly less inflammation and swelling as a result of cilantro therapy than their comparison group, which received cortisone.
Natural remedies with cilantro
- Carminative infusion against gases and flatulence: It is ideal to take after a large, strong or potentially flatulent meal, and to facilitate digestion.
How to prepare it:
- We combine four equal parts: one of coriander fruits, another of green anise, another of star anise and another of fennel. This nuances the strong flavor of cilantro.
- We use one tablespoon of the mixture for each cup of water. Boil the mixture for 3 minutes and let it rest for another 10.
- It is filtered and a cup is taken after the main meals, especially during periods with gas.
Precautions and contraindications
The fresh plant can cause irritation on contact on sensitive skin.
The essential oil should not be taken during pregnancy.
In all cases, the high doseswhich could cause effects toxic to the nervous system.
How to take cilantro
- It is found the dry plant for decoction, liquid extract or tincture.
- As spiceboth in dry leaves and in dust.
- The fresh leaves They are used as a condiment in food.
- You can take the essential oilin minimal doses, with a sugar cube.
Recipes with cilantro
Like most aromatic plants, coriander leaves They can be mixed with sweet fruits to make an alkaline smoothie.
It is also a appreciated component in Asian salads. Chopped coriander is used in vegetable soups and sauces, while the seeds are part of the curry mixture.
You can make a homemade pesto with fresh cilantro leaves, instead of basil, half a cup of pine nuts, a clove of garlic, two tablespoons of lemon juice and five tablespoons of olive oil. Put everything in the blender and enjoy a creamy pesto with whole wheat pasta.
The seed It is one of the ingredients in curry Indian and is used to flavor salads, rice dishes, pasta dishes and soups.
The leaves They are an essential ingredient for the preparation of the famous green mojo Canarian, and in Mexico they incorporate it into guacamolewith avocado.
Throughout Latin America, especially in Peru, it replaces parsley as a condiment and is used to flavor soups and meat stewslike in Egypt.
Differences between cilantro and parsley
We can distinguish plants by leaf shape: those of cilantro end up rounded, while those of parsley are more pointed. Besides, the green color of parsley is more intense than that of cilantro.
The main difference lies in the flavor: parsley is milder, while the cilantro is intense and has a citrus touch. When replacing parsley with cilantro in our meals, we must take it into account to adjust the quantity.
Scientific references:
Advisor: J Mª Teixé, herbalist from “El Manantial de Salud”