Coriander Water And Its 7 Surprising Health Benefits
Coriander Seed
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| Health Benefits Of Coriander Seeds |
Coriander has been proven as antioxidant, anticancer, neuroprotective, anxiolytic, anticonvulsant, analgesic, migraine-relieving, hypolipidemic, hypoglycemic, hypotensive, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory due to its bioactive phytochemicals. Coriander seeds are rich in Linalool. It is believed to be the major compound which gives medicinal properties to coriander and modulate many key pathogenesis pathways of diseases. Due to its antioxidant property of the C. sativum provides protection against neurodegenerative diseases, cancer, and metabolic syndrome.
Since ancient time coriander is widely used in food. Apart from its taste and flavour Coriandrum sativum (C. sativum) or coriander has also been recognised for its medicinal values. All parts of coriander plant are edible. It is consumed in the form of powder, whole seed as well as raw leaf in salad.
Nutritional Value of Coriander
Coriander seeds are usually brown in colour however, these can be green, straw-coloured, or off white as well. Coriander seeds are globular in shape, around 3-5 mm, and have a hollow cavity. You can find many ridges on its surface.
Coriander is rich in essential oil and fatty oil. Below are the constituents found in coriander seed:
Essential Oil - 0.03% to 2.6%
Fatty Oil – 9.9% to 27.7%
Other components:
Crude protein - 11.5% to 21.3%,
Fat - 17.8% to 19.15%,
Crude fiber - 28.4% to 29.1%
Ash - 4.9 to 6.0
Linalool is the major component of essential oil in coriander seeds varying between 50% to 70%.
Minerals (like potassium, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, sodium and zinc), vitamins and lipids are also found in Coriander seeds.
Green coriander holds 84% water and lacks saturated fats, and cholesterol however, thiamine, zinc and dietary fibers are found in abundance.
Coriander Benefits
1. Diabetes And Blood Sugar
As per reports released by WHO, 1.5 million deaths were due to diabetes in 2019. Diabetes is a non-communicable disease. It occurs when either insufficient insulin is produced by pancreatic beta cells or the body is not able to use insulin effectively.
In an animal study on streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats the number of beta cells with insulin secretory activity was compromised. These rats were treated with the coriander seed extract (200 mg/kg). This study showed significantly increased activity of the beta cells in diabetic rats. Beta cells of the pancreas were able to produce more insulin resulting in decreased serum glucose in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats.
In another study confirmed that the polyphenol fraction of coriander seeds may assist in the treatment for both type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes. Its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities are supposed to be responsible for the treatment for type 1 diabetes. Coriander seeds may be beneficial for type 2 diabetes due to antihyperglycemic propriety. The antidiabetic and antihyperglycemic activities may play a major role in managing diabetes and its complication.
2. Immunity Booster
Coriander seeds may help in to boost immunity. Coriander is rich in bioactive elements such as linoleic acid, minerals, vitamin C, and linalool. Due to presence of these bioactive substance coriander seeds exhibit their antioxidant, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory action and improve immunity.
3. Cholesterol Control
If you need to lower and control your cholesterol levels, coriander seeds can help you with that. Coriander seeds contain a compound called coriandrine, which regulates the process of lipid digestion, due to which our cholesterol levels decrease. There are many studies on rats which supports the hypolipidemic and cholesterol lowering properties of coriander seeds. These studies showed a decrease in total cholesterol, LDL, VLDL and triglycerides levels. The experimental group also exhibited increased level of HDL.
Another study on rats supports the hypolipidemic action of the coriander seeds to lower total cholesterol and triglycerides levels.
Arrhythmia which is also known as irregular heart rate or rhythm may be observed in cardiovascular disorders. Increased heart rate is called tachycardia and decreased heart rate is known as bradycardia. Polyphenols found in coriander seeds may be helpful in arrythmia according to some studies. The negative chronotropic effect of Polyphenols may also be responsible for deterring arrhythmias.
4. Neurological Effects
Coriander seeds are believed to be antioxidant, hypnotic, anxiolytic and anticonvulsant in nature. Due to its antioxidant property, coriander seeds can protect you from various neurodegenerative diseases, cancer, and metabolic syndrome. Essential oil and flavonoids present in coriander seeds are linked with its anxiolytic activity. The major component of the essential oil of coriander seed is linalool. Around 60-70% of its essential oil is consisted of linalool. Linalool possesses hypnotic, anticonvulsant properties, anxiolytic and sedative effects on CNS.
5. Improve Digestion
Flatulence is caused by excessive gas formation in gastrointestinal tract leading to abdominal discomfort. There may several causes for this including swallowing of air and irritable bowel syndrome etc. However, the most common cause of flatulence is consumption of food that is hard to digest. Flatulence was thought to be the cause of headache by traditional scholars. The use of coriander and thyme was encouraged to improve digestion and removal of flatus by them. Modern research has established that linalool (which is present in coriander and its essential oil) along with thyme can be used to reduce flatus and abdominal discomfort.
Apart from flatulence coriander seeds are used to relieve other gastrointestinal problems like diarrhea, indigestion, and nausea. It is supposed that coriander seeds enhance the secretion of bile and other digestive enzymes in the gut. This is turn increase the digestive process and hence, gives relief from indigestion and other abdominal problems.
6. Skin Protection
Skin aging is a natural process. Both internal (chronological aging) and external (photoaging) factors are responsible for aging and wrinkles. Genetics, metabolism and hormonal imbalance are endogenous factors. Exogenous factors include exposure to ultraviolet radiation (UVR), toxins and other chemicals. The UVR exposure results in oxidative stress in the skin cells. Oxidative damage to the skin cell due to reactive oxygen species leads to skin aging.
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| Coriander Seeds For Healthy Skin |
The defence mechanism of skin is very strong against free radicals. However, skin damage is susceptible when free radicals are produced in excessive amount or the defence mechanism is compromised.
In addition, nutritional supplements which are rich in antioxidant properties may also influence skin aging. Coriander seeds possess anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Studies has shown that coriander oil can significantly improve damage caused by UV-induced oxidative stress.
7. Obesity And Weight Loss
Obesity is an emerging disease in developing as well as in developed countries. It a complex disease and can lead to cardiovascular, respiratory, diabetes and other metabolic disorders. There are numerous strategies and treatment option to treat obesity. People are now looking for use of herbal medicine for weight loss and treat obesity. In one study, Zeb et al. studied the effect of coriander and garlic on body mass index. They concluded that garlic and coriander (individually as well as in combination) were able to reduce body mass index. In another study, the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of coriander seeds showed protective potential to obesity and its associated risk factors.
Steps to make coriander seeds water?
• Take two cups of water and add 1-2 tablespoon of coriander seeds.
• Boil it till it the water is reduced to half.
• Turn off the gas and let them settle a bit.
• Strain the water and discard the seeds.
• Drink it.
Conclusion
Coriander is easy to consume. Its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties are significantly beneficial for health. Due to its health benefits coriander has special place in modern and traditional medicine. However, it should also be remembered that it can cause allergic reactions to some people.
Frequently Asked Questions
Coriander vs Cilantro
Both cilantro and coriander are part of the plant called Coriandrum sativum. The leaves and stem of this plant are named as Cilantro while coriander is the name given to dried seeds.
Who should not drink coriander seed water?
People who are allergic to coriander should avoid it. Also, caution should be taken during pregnancy.
Should you drink coriander seeds water daily?
Coriander is easy to consume and considered a safe herb. However, you can also have nausea, allergic reaction like itching, irritation or rashes. Therefore, do not forget to consult the doctor before opting for it.
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I had no idea coriander water was a thing. It does seem like there are a lot of good benefits of drinking the water!
ReplyDeletewow! I had no idea that coriander water had so many benefits. This is really helpful information! Also, I always wondered this: The leaves and stem of this plant are named as Cilantro while coriander is the name given to dried seeds. Thank you for clearing this up!! haha :D Great post!
ReplyDeleteWhat an incredible array of benefits coriander and coriander water can offer; it sounds absolutely incredible! I will have to look into how I can integrate this into my health routine. Thanks for this!
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