(Tatevosian Yana / Shutterstock.com)
If you love Mediterranean or Middle Eastern food then you are familiar with Cuminum cyminum or cumin as it is commonly called. This leafy plant is native to Asia, India, and the Middle East and its fruit is called cumin seed. You can use the whole dried seed or ground cumin to season your food and add spice to your life.
Besides adding flavor to food, cumin has been used medicinally for hundreds of years according to undefined. Now, medical research is being conducted that supports these health benefits of cumin. Here are seven good reasons to try this popular spice.
Full of Nutritional Benefits
Cumin contains powerful plant compounds called flavonoids, according to WebMD, that work as antioxidants to neutralize free radicals that can cause cell damage. This may prevent chronic diseases like heart disease, high blood pressure, and some cancers. But cumin contains so much more!
Just one teaspoon of cumin contains 0.37 grams of protein, 19.6 grams of calcium, 7.60 mg of magnesium and 1.39 mg of iron. The spice is also a good source of vitamins A, C, B6, riboflavin, and niacin. Just a little bit packs a large nutritional punch.
Contains Anti-Inflammatory Properties
The active ingredients found in cumin contain an anti-inflammatory and antiseptic effect, reported Healthline. This can help relieve the pain from injuries or chronic conditions like rheumatoid arthritis and other inflammatory diseases.
(Whiteaster / Shutterstock.com)
Helps Control Blood Sugar
Cumin has also been found to help control blood sugar levels in people with type 2 diabetes. An herbal trial from the National Research Institute of Seed Spices found that using this natural medicinal seed helped diabetics manage their condition.
Another study published in the Journal of Traditional and Complementary Medicine using Cuminum cyminum essential oil in adults with type 2 diabetes. The participants were divided into three groups, and either received 100 mg of the essential oil, 50 mg, or a placebo each day. After eight weeks, both groups who used the essential oil had reduced their blood sugar levels and their insulin markers to a significant degree.
May Lower Cholesterol
Using cumin also helps to reduce people’s cholesterol counts. A 2014 study about the effects of cumin powder on the body composition of women found that the overall levels of cholesterol, lower levels of lipoprotein – the bad cholesterol –, and triglycerides. The participants also had higher levels of high-density lipoprotein, the good cholesterol. Lowering your cholesterol is good for overall heart health.
(Milena Khosroshvili / Shutterstock.com)
Could Aid Gut Health
Traditional healers have used cumin for the treatment of diarrhea and other gut ailments. Now science is recognizing that the spice can help relieve the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) suggested Web MD. This included chronic abdominal pain and either diarrhea or constipation. A 2013 study was conducted to evaluate whether cumin helps with the symptoms of IBS. The participants had less bloating and more regular bowel movements at the end of the study.
Helps to Fight Bacteria
Cumin can also help to kill some bacteria that can give you food poisoning. That’s why it was used traditionally as a food preservative, suggested Healthline. But there’s more. The essential oil made from cumin seeds have antiseptic and larvicide properties and could kill off bacteria that are resistant to other antiseptics.
(morisfoto / Shutterstock.com)
May Boost Memory
lack cumin can also help sharpen your brain to be more effective by stimulating your central nervous system to be more effective, according to Prevention Magazine. This is because of the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties in the spice.
A study published in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology found that the participants – healthy men in their 50s – who took two 500 mg capsules of ground black seed cumin tested higher in memory, attention and cognition. These are very promising results.
