We like to start the week on a positive note. It can be hard to get out of bed on Monday and face the week after a lovely relaxing weekend. However, most people who decide to start a new health habit begin on Monday, so we like to tell you about tiny changes you can make or easy things add to your diet to brighten up your days.
As always, we want to take a moment to say that no one small step can create a healthy life. We don’t believe in miracle foods, but we do like knowing what properties our foods have and how they can impact the body. Today, we’re taking some time to speak about coriander. There isn’t enough proof about how coriander affects the body to say how it will impact you. What research we do have says the plant is useful, but nothing is guaranteed. That’s why we like these small tips. If they work, great! If they don’t, you’ve added more variety to your diet.
Coriander has been used for thousands of years. It’s not surprising when you consider both its pleasant flavor and its many useful properties. Outside of health benefits, coriander is proven to act as a preservative to keep food fresh. It has antimicrobial and antifungal components that help protect food from spoilage. The intense flavor can help cooks use less salt — important for our ancestors when salt was so expensive.
A wonderful thing about the plant is that all of its parts are useful: the leaves are cilantro, and the seeds are the spice. The seeds, roots, stems, leaves and oil all have properties to lessen joint pain, aid digestion, ease a cough or bronchitis and help inflammation and rheumatism. Coriander is an excellent source of antioxidants that may help prevent cancer and other illnesses. Because of its antifungal and antimicrobial effects, it may help prevent or fight infection.
In studies, coriander has improved the memories of mice and managed Alzheimer’s disease. In studies with rats, coriander extract helped control blood sugar and lower LDL cholesterol. Enzymes within the plant seemed to strongly impact blood sugar, to the point wherein some research has suggested people with perpetually low blood sugar should avoid the plant. The find about cholesterol is in line with observational studies that have shown people who ate spice-rich diets had better heart health.
Coriander is easy to add to your diet: it has a versatile taste that can be used in many dishes — sweet and savory. It has very different flavors in the leaves than in the seeds. The great news is, it may aid your health, and it will be an excellent addition to your lifestyle.
