Coriander is not typically thought of as an organic medicine like ginseng or aloe vera or even a superfood with herbal benefits like Maca. The leaves of the plant are known as cilantro… and it’s very popular in Mexican food. However, the seeds of this plant are called coriander, and it does have some excellent nutritional properties and has been used medicinally for much longer than most people consider.

Coriander has almost a sweet scent to it, and has been used as a seasoning in foods for this reason. It comes from the Mediterranean, as many other popular seasonings do. This region, with the arid soil and beautiful climate is very condusive to farming fruits, vegetables, herbs and spices, and coriander is no exception to this. Coriander leaves, commonly called cilantro, are full of nutrients such as water, fiber, carbs, even protiens and tiny amounts of fats. It also contains minerals and vitamins, including calcium, potassium, riboflaven, iron, and its loaded with vitamin C. So it’s a very potent source of nutrition and energy for people. 

Coriander has its applications medically as well, from aiding in digestion, to cleansing toxins out of the body, to strengthening the stomach. Some people use it to reduce a fever as well. Animal studies have shown it can be one of several foods that aid digestion. Coriander helps to work as an expectorant which assists in removing phlegm, and can promote a feeling of coolness to one who is sick with fever. It has recently been studied with regards to lowering cholesterol, and the studies so far are promising, so this is one more medicinal ability of coriander. For these reasons it can be one of several solid herbs for heart health.

The juices from coriander seeds can be mixed with buttermilk, and then swallowed to help aid digestive and stomach disorders. Digestion issues and more recently, cholesterol are the two probems coriander is used to treat, but some also use it to aleviate symptoms of hepatitis, typhoid fever, and dysentery. The most predominant studies however show that the heart and cholesterol benefit coriander offers may be it’s best benefit of all. Coriander water is made by boiling dry coriander seeds, and then drinking the water they are boiled in once it has cooled. Be sure to strain the seeds out first before drinking.

Additional uses include eating dry seeds to treat diarrhea, reduce menstrual flow, and when coriander juice is mixed with tumeric powder, it may be able to reduce acne, blackheads, and dry skin. To treat skin problems like acne, a tumeric and coriander paste should be applied once a day to a clean, washed affected area such as the face, and applied right before bed. For these reasons, coriander has been one of many popular herbal remedies in asia for many years

Naturally, more thorough and complete studies of the medical benefits of coriander need to be conducted before it is endorsed as a substitute for common medications. But in the mean time, it is an extremely healthy herb that looks to very well have some excellent medicinal properties that have been used by millions of people over the past thousand years.