Cumin seeds are pungent, potent little things with the ability to
significantly change the trajectory of a dish. They are featured
prominently in Mexican, Mediterranean, Indian, Middle Eastern, and
certain Chinese cuisines. Back in the Middle Ages, cumin was one of the
most popular – and most accessible – condiments for the spice-crazy
Europeans, and stories tell of soldiers going off to war with loaves of
cumin bread in their satchels for good luck. Cumin originated in the
Mediterranean, and it was used extensively by the Greeks, the Romans,
the Egyptians, the Persians, and just about everyone in that region.
Black cumin seeds have a particularly long and strong history use in
Egypt. When archaeologists found and examined the tomb of Egyptian
boy-king Tutankhamen (King Tut), they found a bottle of black cumin oil, which suggested that it was believed to be needed in the afterlife.
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.
Immunity
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.
Aid in weight management, antidiabetic
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.
Respiratory disorders, asthma, bronchitis
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!