Physicians to the Egyptian pharaohs frequently used the seeds after extravagant feasts to calm upset stomachs. They also used the seeds to treat headaches, toothaches, colds, and infections. Queen Nefertiti, renowned for her stunning beauty, used black seed oil, likely due to its abilities to strengthen and bring luster to hair and nails.
Hundreds of studies have been conducted on black cumin which have shown that compounds from the seeds help fight diseases by boosting the production of bone marrow, natural interferon, and immune cells. Let’s explore just how it benefits your health in the section below.
Anemia
Cumin isvery rich in iron (more than 66 mg. in every 100 grams) which is more than 5 times the daily requirement of iron for an adult. This iron is the main constituent of hemoglobin in the red blood corpuscles of blood. It is hemoglobin which transfers oxygen (as the oxide of iron) to the body’s cells and whose deficiency causes anemia. So, cumin can be a nutritious additive to daily diet for anemic people and avoid the symptoms of anemia like fatigue, anxiety, cognitive malfunction, and digestive issues.
An abundance of iron, the presence of essential oils, vitamin-C, and vitamin-A in cumin boosts our immune system in a number of ways. Vitamin C is one of the most powerful antioxidants that we have in our body, and it also stimulates the function and activity of white blood cells. As an antioxidant, vitamin C fights the detrimental effects of free radicals, which are the dangerous byproducts of cellular metabolism. They are constantly being created in the body, and therefore, must be constantly eliminated. Antioxidants neutralize free radicals that lead to many diseases, including, but not limited to, cardiovascular diseases and cancer.
Digestion
Cumin is extremely good for digestion and related problems. The very aroma of cumin, which comes from an aromatic organic compound called Cuminaldehyde, the main component of its essential oil, activates our salivary glands in our mouth, which facilitates the primary digestion of food. Next is thymol, a compound present in cumin, which stimulates the glands that secrete acids, bile and enzymes responsible for complete digestion of the food in the stomach and the intestines. Cumin is also Carminative, which means that it relieves from you from gas troubles and thereby improves digestion and appetite. Due to its essential oils, magnesium and sodium content, cumin promotes digestion and also gives relief for stomach-aches when taken with hot water.
Changing your eating habits and maintaining a healthy weight can help to prevent the development of diabetes. Consuming more cumin may help with weight management and diabetes as well. A study published in the "Journal of Ethnopharmacology" found that cumin seeds help to regulate blood sugar. The researchers believe that including cumin in your regular diet may also help to prevent the development of diabetes and help to treat those who have diabetes already. A similar study published in the journal "Nutrition Research" found that in addition to reducing hyperglycemia, body weight was reduced as well.
Laxative
Cumin, because of its dietary fiber content and carminative, stimulating, antifungal and antimicrobial properties, acts as a natural laxative in powdered form. These characteristics are due to the presence of essential oils comprised mainly of Cuminaldehyde and certain pyrazines. Adding cumin to your diet also helps in healing up of infections or wounds in the digestive and excretory system and speeds up digestion as well. That pretty much means that cumin clears up all of the symptoms and causes of hemorrhoids.
Cancer prevention
Cumin itself has detoxifying and chemopreventive properties, and accelerates the secretion of detoxifying and anticarcinogenic enzymes from the glands, as it also does to other secretions. Furthermore, it has beneficial antioxidants like vitamin-C and vitamin-A within its chemical makeup, in addition to those essential oils. Besides having countless other benefits, the antioxidants have anticarcinogenic properties too, and those found in cumin are particularly good for colon cancer prevention.
Concentration and cognitive malfunctions
The amount of iron in cumin leads to increased hemoglobin production and subsequent prevention of anemia, but that increased blood flow has other benefits as well. When your blood circulation is in top form, adequate amounts of oxygen are able to reach the organs and the brain, leading to optimal performance of those bodily systems. Proper amounts of oxygen and iron in the brain lead to increased cognitive performance and a decrease in cognitive disorders like Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. For other organs, increased oxygenation increases efficiency and speeds up the metabolism, which can boost your overall health, increase strength, and prevent signs of aging.
The presence of caffeine (the stimulating agent), and the richly aromatic essential oils (the disinfectants) make cumin an ideal anticongestive combination for those suffering from respiratory disorders such as asthma and bronchitis. It acts as an expectorant, meaning that it loosens up the accumulated phlegm and mucus in the respiratory tracts and makes it easier to eliminate them from the system via sneezing or coughing up and spitting. By eliminating as much of the mucus and phlegm as possible, it can inhibit the formation of additional material and help to heal the initial condition that led to its formation in the first place.
Common cold
The common cold is a viral infection which affects our body frequently when our immune system becomes weakened or vulnerable. Again, the essential oils present in cumin act as disinfectants and help fight viral infections which can cause the common cold. Cumin also suppresses the development of coughing in the respiratory system since it dries up the excess mucus. Cumin is rich in iron and has considerable amount of vitamin-C, which are essential for a healthy immune system and keeps infections from forming or becoming worse. Vitamin-C is also a natural antioxidant, so it defends against other infections and toxins as well, further boosting the immune system.
Skin disorders
Almost everyone knows that vitamin-E is good for the maintenance of skin and the prevention of premature aging symptoms. It keeps the skin young and glowing. This vitamin is also present in abundance in cumin. The essential oils present in cumin have disinfectant and antifungal properties. This prevents any microbial and fungal infection from affecting the skin. Not all skin issues are disorders or infections, some of them are simply signs of aging. Vitamin E acts as an antioxidant in this regard and combats the free radicals that attack the skin and result in signs of premature aging like wrinkles, age spots, and sagging skin. This, combined with the antibacterial capacity of cumin, makes for healthy, beautiful skin that lasts far into your old age.
Boils
Boils are outlets for the removal of toxic substances and foreign matters such as microbes from the body. This means that they are symptoms which show that a high amount of toxic substances have accumulated in the body. In this way, cumin can help you a great deal. Those who regularly use cumin in food have a significant reduction in the occurrence of boils, rashes, pimples, and other signs of excess toxin content. Components such as cuminaldehyde, thymol, and phosphorus are good detoxifying agents which help in the regular removal of toxins from the body. The healthy way of removing toxins is through the excretory system, not through boils.
Other benefits
Even more? Cumin is also beneficial in treating renal coli, weak memory, insect bites and painful stings. It is also very good for lactating mothers. With all of these benefits, how could you say no? Add some cumin to your diet as soon as you can!
Easy macaroni salad recipe with 3 beans & Chipotle-cumin vinaigrette
Makes 7 servings
Ingredients
- 6 oz./1 fistful green beans, trimmed
- ½ cup/2 oz. elbow macaroni
- 1 (15 ½ oz.) can black beans, drained & rinsed
- 1 (14 oz.) can garbanzos, drained & rinsed
- 1 medium diced tomato (about 8 oz.)
- ½ cup roughly chopped cilantro
- 2 tsp. pureed chipotle chilis in adobo
- 2 Tbsp./1 oz. lime juice
- ½ tsp. ground cumin
- 1 tsp. grated garlic
- 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the green beans and cook until bright green and crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Strain the beans, saving the water for the pasta. Rinse green beans under cold water to stop the cooking. Chop into ½” pieces. Place in a large bowl.
Cook the macaroni according to package directions to al dente. Drain, rinse under cold water to stop the cooking and add to the green beans. Mix in the black beans, garbanzos, tomatoes and cilantro. Reserve. In a small bowl, whisk together the chipotles, lime juice, cumin and garlic. Then whisk in the vegetable oil. Stir into the reserved ingredients. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
Nutrition facts - per serving: 176 calories, 5 g total fat, 1 g saturated fat, 26 g carbohydrate, 7 g protein, 6 g dietary fiber, 0 mg cholesterol, 359 mg sodium.
Sources: http://www.naturalnews.com/, http://www.marksdailyapple.com/cumin/, http://www.whfoods.com/, http://www.organicfacts.net/, http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/, http://pastafits.org/pasta-recipes