Coriander and cilantro
Coriandrum sativum · धान्यक
Spices. Ayurveda and Latin American & Amazon.
Also called Cilantro, Chinese parsley, Dhania
Spanish: Cilantro
Sanskrit: धान्यक (Dhanyaka)
One plant that gives two foods: fresh leaves called cilantro, and dried seeds called coriander.
Did you know? Some people taste cilantro as soapy, a trait linked to genes that affect how they smell certain chemicals.
What it may help, and how strong the proof is
- Digestion & gut health. Traditional use for gas and upset stomach. Human studies are few.Traditional proof
- Blood sugar. Seed extracts lowered blood sugar in animal studies. Human trials are very few.Traditional proof
- Cleansing & detox. Claims that cilantro pulls heavy metals such as mercury out of the body are not supported by good human studies.Not supported
Parts of the body
Gut & intestines, Stomach, Pancreas & blood sugar, Liver, Kidneys & bladder
Traditional use
Ayurveda uses the seeds for digestion and cooling drinks. Latin American and Middle Eastern cooks use the fresh leaves in salsas and salads, and some folk healers claim cilantro removes metals from the body, which is not proven.
How it is classified
- Herbal actions
- Carminative, Antioxidant, Antimicrobial. Energy: neutral.
How people take it
Leaves go into salsas, soups and salads at the end of cooking. Seeds are toasted and ground into spice blends or steeped as tea.
Food and tea.
Where to get it
Grown in most countries. Buy fresh cilantro in produce sections and whole seeds in spice shops.
Be careful
Safe as food. Some people react to it with hives or mouth itching, especially those allergic to celery, carrot or mugwort. Do not rely on cilantro to remove metals; see a doctor about heavy metal exposure.
Avoid if: celery allergy.
Mixing with other things
- Works well together
Dhana jeera, the classic Indian pair.
- Works well together
Common digestive trio in Indian home remedies.
- Works well together
Common in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean spice blends.
- Works well together
Both are fresh leafy herbs used in Caribbean and Latin American dishes.
Found in these formulas
CCF tea (Ayurveda)
The honest take
Coriander is a safe, popular food. The detox and heavy metal claims for cilantro have no good human proof. The best evidence is for culinary use, with small early studies on blood sugar and gut comfort.