Cilantro Uses and Benefits

My cilantro has overwintered well, It is so tasty when it is young and growing. Cilantro is one of those herbs I have used for decades and loved it for the taste, well to my surprise, when I started investigating plants and their benefits to our bodies and the environment around them, I found out that Cilantro's benefits are well worth the small space in the garden.

Vitamin A, Thiamine (B1), Riboflavin (B2), Niacin (B3), Vitamin B6, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Vitamin K, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Manganese, Phosphorus, Potassium, Sodium, Zinc.

One of the most beneficial uses, in my opinion, for Cilantro is the fact that it is used to detoxify the body of poisonous metals! That is right, this delicious herb, with its citrus/parsley flavor, is used to extract deadly metals such as mercury, lead, aluminum, arsenic, and cadmium. It does so due to a compound in the plant which binds to these metals and loosens them from from damaged tissue. Once loosened, these metals pass through your system without them getting reabsorbed. This is a great way to keep you and your children detoxified from all the pollutants in the air.

It also has profound influence on the heart. Keeping the blood and tissues free of metals will keep your heart stronger along with the cardiovascular benefits, will improve your overall heart health.

Here are some of the other benefits that you can expect your body to feel:

Super strong antioxidant activity - which has been shown to prevent cancer.

Stress relief - the Indian Journal of Pharmacology found that high levels of cilantro extract produce the same levels of anti anxiety effects as the popular prescription drug, Valium (diazepam) (which can also be found using Valerian root).

Blood Sugar - studies have shown that the regular use of cilantro will help regulate blood sugar levels.

Oxidative Stress - coriander (the seed) has shown to reduce oxidative stress benefiting cellular health and growth.

Oral candida - a Brazilian dental study showed that the essential oil is beneficial eliminating this fungal outbreak.

Bone health - vitamin K supports overall bone health.

Eyesight - vitamin A supports eye health.

Natural preservative - both the leaves and the seeds are used regularly as a natural food preservative.

Digestion - The whole plant is used to help with digestion.

Infections - especially in the urinary and digestive tract, due to the antibacterial properties of the plant.

Menstruation - By its support of the endocrine gland function, and the hormones related to menstruation it will regulate the body's over function during this time.

Neurological Inflammation - a person with a diet rich in the compounds in coriander (along with other essential neurological foods) have a lower chance of getting diseases such as Alzheimers and can help lower effects of these diseases.

Not only is it good for you, It can me used, if grown in mass, as compost with all the beneficial components needed for starting and continued plant growth.