Health benefits of cumin: here are the most important ones
Cumin has been used since ancient times in herbal medicine, and is especially popular in Indian cuisine, but what do you know about the benefits of cumin for the body?
Cumin is one of the herbs and spices rich in beneficial substances. It has long been known to be anti-fungal, laxative, analgesic, and gas repellent. What are the benefits of cumin? Let's get acquainted with them in the following:
Health benefits of cumin
We mention the most important benefits of cumin for health and the body in the following:
1. Strengthen the immune system
Cumin has antiseptic and antioxidant properties that make it aid in the prevention of cold and flu diseases.
Cumin also contains a group of vitamins that help raise immunity, such as vitamin A, vitamin C, in addition to iron, and many essential oils.
If you want to strengthen your immunity, especially from winter viruses, it may be wise to add cumin to your food, as a study has shown that eating cumin on an empty stomach helps strengthen your immune system.
2. Promote digestive health
There are many benefits of cumin related to the health of the digestive system, including the following:
- It helps in overcoming many digestive disorders.
- It expels the gases accumulated in the abdomen, so it is added to some foods that may cause bloating and gas, such as lentils.
- Helps relieve symptoms associated with irritable bowel disorder.
- Relieves stomach pain, treats indigestion, and diarrhea.
- Treats morning sickness in pregnant women.
- Cumin acts as a catalyst for the secretion of digestive enzymes in the digestive system, especially pancreatic enzymes which helps in the digestion process.
3. Prevention of anemia
Cumin contains a good amount of iron, as a study proved that it contains 5 times the daily requirement of iron concentration, which is the main element that plays an important role in many vital reactions and metabolic processes in the body, as it is important in:
- The composition of hemoglobin in red blood cells.
- Oxygen transfers in the body.
Thus, when eaten and included in diets, it may be a source of iron, which helps prevent anemia, and this is one of the very important benefits of cumin, especially for women and children.
4. Prevention of various diseases
Among the benefits of cumin is that it contains many plant compounds, including flavonoids, alkaloids, and phenols, all of which are known for their health benefits and antioxidant properties that help reduce damage caused by free radicals known as oxidative stress.
Oxidative stress may cause a range of serious diseases, including cancers, heart muscle weakness, blockage of blood vessels, and diabetes.
5. Helping to lose weight
Cumin increases body temperature and thus increases the rate of burning and metabolism in the body, and from this point of view, it may have a small role in the issue of weight loss and encourage the body to burn fat.
Where a study conducted on a group of obese people showed that one of the benefits of cumin is its ability to help reduce weight significantly after 8 weeks of consumption.
6. Beneficial for skincare
Among the benefits of cumin is that it helps protect the skin from fungal and bacterial infections that may cause the appearance of boils and acne.
It also helps reduce the signs of premature aging, such as wrinkles, sagging skin, and pigmentation, because it contains a good concentration of vitamin E, which protects against oxidation and fights free radicals in skin cells.
7. Lowering cholesterol in the blood
One of the benefits of cumin is that it helps control cholesterol levels in the blood. A study conducted on a group of obese women demonstrated that eating cumin powder led to a decrease in total cholesterol levels, harmful cholesterol levels, and triglycerides in the blood.
In addition, the ability of cumin to raise the levels of good cholesterol in the blood was shown in the same study.
8. Increase milk production
One of the benefits of cumin is that it stimulates breastfeeding, by increasing the secretion of milk in the breast due to the presence of thymol compounds.
It is also important for the health of nursing mothers, as it is a good source of iron and a gas repellent. It contains a good amount of calcium, which represents a good percentage of our daily needs in addition to being an important component of breast milk.
Side effects of cumin on health
After learning about the very important benefits of cumin, you should note some of the side effects associated with excessive consumption of cumin. Here are the following:
- It lowers blood sugar, so diabetics should be careful of the risk of a sudden and sharp drop in blood sugar levels.
- It slows down the blood clotting process, so people with bleeding disorders should be careful and avoid taking it.
- It causes heartburn or damage to the liver or kidneys, so be careful not to take it in excess.
- It lowers testosterone levels, so it may reduce fertility in men.