Cilantro Benefits

How Cilantro health benefits were found?

Cilantro is a Spanish name for coriander leaves. Both, seeds and aerial part of the coriander plants are added in different recipes as a spice or a flavoring agent. Scientifically, Cilantro is acknowledged as Coriandrum sativum L. which belongs to the Apiaceae family. The grass-like Cilantro widely grows in many regions like Asia, Latin America, Middle East, and Africa. [1]

There is a long history of human use of the Cilantro plant dated back around 7000 BCE, during the period of Neolithic Age. Since the second millennium BCE, Greek people had cultivated Cilantro plants for cooking purposes. Different civilizations had mentioned the uses of Cilantro in their documents including ancient Indian Sanskrit text, Egyptian papyrus scrolls, and the Old Testament. [2]

Cilantro seeds are used as carminative in Ayurvedic medicine and traditional Chinese medicinal system. Seeds alone or in combination with other plant seeds like caraway, cardamom, fennel and anise aid in digestion and acts as a carminative and stomachic agent. Cilantro seeds have a long history to treat vomiting, diarrhea, and dysentery. The paste of these seeds used to treat arthritis, rheumatism and added in skincare preparation for anti-inflammatory properties. Cilantro seeds used as sedative and anxiolytic in  Iranian traditional medicinal history. [2]

Traditionally, Cilantro leaves are commonly used to treat dyspepsia, gastrointestinal spasms. In folk medicine, Cilantro leaves also recommended for patients, who had anorexia, because Cilantro leaves acts as an appetite stimulant. Cilantro leaves also have a spasmolytic property and oral ingestion and external application of paste recommended to treat chest congestion, chest pain, and coughing. [2]

Not only traditional application, but British Herbal Pharmacopeia has also mentioned the carminative and stimulant properties of Cilantro. Further, The German Commission E Monographs; Wichtl’s Herbal Drugs and Phytopharmaceuticals acknowledges the stomachic, spasmolytic, carminative properties of Cilantro, and also mentions the hypolipidemic and insulin-like activity of Cilantro. [2]

What Do the Phytochemicals present in Cilantro?

Essential oils and monoterpenoids like linalool are primary phytochemicals present in Cilantro seeds. Leaves of Cilantro contain flavonoid glycosides, volatile oils, and caffeic acid. Cilantro is a rich source of essential fatty acid like linolenic acid. [1]

Furthermore, High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) research result also reported the presence of specific phytochemicals in Cilantro. Apigenin, diosmin, vicenin, catechin,   luteolin, hyperoside, hesperidin, chrysoeriol, gallic acid, dihydroquercetin, tartaric acid, arbutin, maleic acid, esculin, orientine, ferulic acid, and salicylic acid are some phytochemicals present in Cilantro. Amino acids such as arginine, asparagine, and glutamine along with sodium, potassium, calcium, and phosphorus are different mineral compositions also present in Cilantro. [3] The results of HPLC investigations showed the presence of apigenin, luteolin, hesperidin, hyperoside, diosmin, vicenin, dihydroquercetin, orientine, catechin, chrysoeriol, ferulic acid, salicylic acid, gallic acid, dicoumarin, 4-hydroxycoumarin, esculetin, esculin, tartaric acid, maleic acid, and arbutin. The elemental and amino acid analyses of coriander showed that the customary elements are sodium, potassium, calcium and phosphorus, while the prevailing amino acids are asparagine, glutamine and arginine. [3]

What is the mode of action of Cilantro health benefits?

There is multiple research conducted to investigate the therapeutic properties of Cilantro. During the research, the investigator had also discovered the mode of action of Cilantro. However, most of the research is laboratory-based and animal research.

The antioxidant property of Cilantro seeds and oil exerted from seeds and phytochemical linalool jointly reduce liver Malondialdehyde level and lipid peroxidation. Cilantro also enhances the antioxidant enzyme of glutathione activity. Cilantro and its phytochemicals decrease the lipid restoration rate. Thus, it protects from oxidative damage in different organs including liver, brain, heart, kidney. [2]

Antimicrobial property of Cilantro seeds and oil is also prominent against bacteria, fungi, and viruses. The broad-spectrum anti-microbial effect of Cilantro exerts by improving antibody titer against disease-causing germs, increasing tumor necrosis factor γ secretion. It also improves immune response and balanced gut microbiota. [2]

The anti-diabetic effect of Cilantro is significant due to its anti-oxidant property. It ameliorates pancreatic-islet damage and improves the plasma insulin level. Cilantro seed powder lowers glycated hemoglobin level and marked reduction noticed blood glucose level. [2]

Cilantro reduces brain cholinesterase activity and serum total cholesterol, thus it improves neurological activity and brain functioning.

Different Forms of Cilantro

Cilantro tea: In Germany, Cilantro seeds are used in medicinal tea, to use as laxative and carminative.[4]

Cilantro extract: Bioactive compounds rich Cilantro extract has optimal potency to provide different therapeutic benefits such as prevents nausea, aids in digestion, lower cholesterol level, relieves intestinal gas, etc. [5]

Cilantro capsule: This is another Cilantro supplement, which gives all the therapeutic benefits of Cilantro with easy intake. [6]

CILANTRO HEALTH BENEFITS

Cilantro benefits in Infections

Cilantro can treat and control infections occurs due to Newcastle disease virus, E. coli bacterial attack. The human trial result showed that this herb is effective to control topical fungal infections. [2]

Cilantro helps memory

Cilantro is effective to improve learning ability and also acts as a memory booster. However, the dose of Cilantro is an important factor to achieve this benefit. [2]

Cilantro helps anxiety

An animal research study showed that Cilantro has a significant anxiolytic effect and also enhance mood due to its neurological benefits. Inhalation of the linalool-containing essential oils exerts a relaxing effect by enhancing parasympathetic nerve activity and helps to remove out tension-anxiety and anger-hostility. [2]

Cilantro benefits Diabetes

Cilantro seed and leaf powder have diabetes management activity by controlling blood glucose level by increasing insulin level in blood.[2]

Cilantro benefits heart

The antioxidant property of Cilantro is effective to prevent oxidative damage. It has found that Cilantro improves vascular pathology and endothelial integrity due to their potent antioxidant activity. [2]

Cilantro helps lowering cholesterol

Different phytochemicals like linoleic acid, stearic acid, oleic acid, ascorbic acid and palmitic acid present in Cilantro helps to reduce blood cholesterol level. It reduced the LDL level and cholesterol deposition in the blood vessels. On the other hand, Cilantro improves HDL level. Thus, overall it prevents plaque formation of the blood vessels and provides protection against strokes, atherosclerosis, heart attack, etc. [7]

Cilantro benefits Parkinson disease

Animal research found that aberrant behaviors like inane chewing actions, tongue protuberance, orofacial bursts along with cognitive impairments which are common symptoms of Parkinson disease could be controlled by Cilantro extract. [2]

Cilantro benefits pain

Cilantro seeds have antinociceptive effects due to the presence of bioactive phytochemical linalool and effective to reduce pain response.[2]

Cilantro benefits skin

Cilantro is effective to provide sun protection and prevent photo-aging. It also treats UV radiation-induced skin damage by stimulating collagen tissue in damaged skin and scavenging reactive oxygen species free radicals. [6]

CILANTRO SIDE EFFECTS

There is no definite side effect yet discovered, but excessive intake can cause endocrine toxicity in women. [2]

Excessive dose of Cilantro can cause over secretion of bile and can cause the liver disorder. Some hypersensitive people may have an allergic reaction from Cilantro and complain dizziness, itching and breathing difficulty, etc. [8] The chances of Cilantro contamination is high with Salmonella bacterial growth. [9] Therefore, you select raw Cilantro leaves and seeds, then choose organic variety.

REFERENCES

1. CORIANDER LEAF EXTRACT EXERTS ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY AND PROTECTS AGAINST UVB-INDUCED PHOTOAGING OF SKIN BY REGULATION OF PROCOLLAGEN TYPE I AND MMP-1 EXPRESSION. J MED FOOD. 2014 SEP 1; 17(9): 985–995.
2. Hannah Bauman, Jayda Seibert. Food As Medicine: Coriander/Cilantro (Coriandrum sativum, Apiaceae). American Botanical Council.  
3. Muhammad Nadeem, et.al. Nutritional and medicinal aspects of coriander (Coriandrum sativum L.) A review. British Food Journal.
4. Singletary, Keith. Coriander. Overview of Potential Health Benefits. Nutrition Today.
5. Cilantro Extract – 1 oz. Herb Pharm. 
6. Vitacost Cilantro (Coriander) — 425 mg – 60 Capsules.
7. Meenakshi Nagdeve . 16 Amazing Benefits Of Cilantro Or Coriander.
8. Saba. 10 Unexpected Side Effects Of Coriander Seeds. StyleCraze.