Cilantro is an aromatic herb in the carrot family, related to parsley, celery and parsnips and is a common ingredient in many Mediterranean and Latin American dishes. Apart from its wonderful flavor, however, cilantro brings with it many benefits for your skin, hair and general health. Ten of these surprising benefits are listed below.
Supports Heart Health
The dietary fiber, essential oils, vitamins and antioxidants which cilantro is rich in make it a great choice if you are wanting to promote heart health. Because of these active ingredients, cilantro can lower levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol and even dissolve cholesterol that has already built up in the arteries, lowering the chance of cardiovascular disease.
Manages Blood Pressure
Because it is high in potassium while still being low in sodium, cilantro can help manage blood pressure. Blood pressure is helped by a high potassium to low sodium ratio and this also helps to control the heart rate.
Soothes Anxiety
Cilantro has muscle-relaxing and sedative qualities which can help to calm your nerves and reduce the damage caused by stress; it also is high in Vitamin B, which helps soothe the mind as well.
Promotes Sleep
Cilantro, being high in both magnesium and Vitamin B, can help promote restful sleep and decrease the possibility of stress-induced sleep disturbances. Magnesium also acts as a natural muscle relaxer and soothes down frazzled nerves.
Improves Digestion
Cilantro can relieve both nausea and indigestion due its ability to increase enzymes in the digestive tract which process foods more easily. This also helps to relieve bloating and flatulence and can also stimulate peristalsis to move food more readily through the digestive tract.
Detoxifies the Body
Cilantro is a “chelation” agent which can remove toxins like heavy metals from the central nervous system and move them into the lymph system, where they are safely removed from the body, thus detoxifying it.
Stabilizes Blood Sugar
Cilantro also possessing “antidiabetic” properties and is thus useful for diabetic patients who want to control their condition naturally. It is able to regulate and stabilize the blood sugar levels due to its potassium-sodium ratio.
Relieves Inflammation
This herb is also a powerful anti-inflammatory. Because of this, it can be useful in relieve the pain, discomfort and/or stiffness associated with inflammatory conditions like arthritis.
Slows the Ageing Process
The powerful antioxidant properties of cilantro can protect the body against the oxidation damage caused by free radicals. This slows down the ageing process and can reduce the chance of developing many chronic diseases.
Kills Microbes
Cilantro also has anti-microbial functions and can be useful in treatment of salmonella poisoning and can also promote good oral health by killing bacteria that cause gingivitis.
So add a little cilantro to your next meal. It is not only versatile and delicious, it will bring with it an array of health benefits, including those mentioned above.
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