Cilantro is one of the most commonly used aromatic herb in food spices or directly in cooking different types of foods. Cilantro has innumerable health benefits and is called Dhania or also referred to as coriander as the most popular name in many recipes. Cilantro traces it origin in the Mediterranean and is used world over for spicing foods. It’s a plant that about 30 cementers or less in length and both leaves is stem are edible.
The leaves and stem are very soft and easy to slice into small pieces making it an ideal ingredient in several recipes. The leaves may be eaten when fresh and leafy green but are also eaten when dried. Cilantro seeds are also dried and used in spicing food to give it a great flavor. There are many health benefits of eating Cilantro every day in one of your meals.
Cilantro Health Benefits
There are many benefits of eating more and more Cilantro every day. In fact the health benefits of Cilantro shows a complete picture of a wholesome herb that provides you with more than just food flavor and taste. Generally the health benefits of cilantro have been known for ages and have proven useful for preventing a development of serious heart and cardiovascular diseases as you will find out here.
1) Reducing Blood Cholesterol Levels
Cilantro is a useful combatant of blood cholesterol levels and is therefore an important part of diet for people who are prone to increased cholesterol in the blood. Cilantro contains high amounts of antioxidants that are necessary for reducing LDL cholesterol levels that predisposes you to heart ailments.
2) Helps Improve Digestion
Cilantro is eaten in different types of foods preparations either as spice or part of ingredients. Cilantro leaves are in particular useful for helping in production of digestive enzymes and thereby improves digestion greatly. Eating cilantro has been associated with reduce flatulence and improved liver function. The dietary fiber that is also present in the Cilantro is useful for improving food movement down the digestive system.
3) Lowering Blood Pressure
Cilantro is useful for lowering the blood pressure through the innumerable minerals that it provides the body. Cilantro provides the body with potassium, calcium, iron and manganese. The potassium particularly is important for the maintenance of the heart rate and control of blood pressure. The ration of potassium and sodium is important for regulation of blood pressure.
4) Improved Cardiovascular Health, Prevents Atherosclerosis and Coronary Heart Disease
As we have seen in the health benefits above, cilantro is helps in reducing the blood cholesterol levels and therefore prevents the development of two serious cardiovascular diseases. Atherosclerosis that results from clogged arteries and coronary heart disease that results from the blockage of the heart blood supply. Cilantro has also been associated to reduced rates of diabetes occurrence in people who eat cilantro in their everyday diet.
5) Detoxification and Oxidation of Free Radicals
Cilantro has high amounts of antioxidants that neutralize the free radicals commonly associated with occurrence of cancer. Besides the antioxidant capacity, Cilantro has been known to bind to heavy metals and help the body in the process of detoxification and is therefore a very important agent for reducing mercury poisoning that is common in sea foods.
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