Great benefits of using cumin spice for our health! Let’s find out why we should always have cumin spice in our kitchen.
Cumin spice offers us benefits to improve digestion, to improve the cardiovascular system, helps against diabetes, and many other benefits for the overall health of our body.
Origin of cumin spice
Cumin is a spice made from the dried seeds of the flowering, annual plant of the species Cuminum cyminum. These herbs are typical of the Mediterranean region, but also of Asia.
Nowadays, spice cumin is present all over the world. It is most often used to spice up a variety of meals – soups, baked goods, marinades, and salads.
Cumin spice is also used to make other spices, such as the famous Mexican chili spice or curry spice. It has a very interesting specific, warm and strong taste that is less spicy and “earthy”.
Cumin can be found in two variants either as a whole grain or finely ground spice.
In the past, cumin was used for a variety of purposes in traditional medicine. While today more and more research is emerging that confirms its beneficial effects.
Why is it important to use more spices including cumin in our daily diet?
Fortunately, nowadays most spices are widely available and are back at the big door in our kitchens.
There is a trend of using new, atypical spices, such as turmeric, curry, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, and many others.
Such habits are extremely useful:
- first of all, because spices have an excellent nutritional composition and numerous beneficial health effects that result from it.
- Second, because different spices make healthy foods more appealing.
- Third, but certainly not least, they reduce the need for salting meals!
Benefits of consuming cumin spice
Today we will talk about the remarkable characteristics of the spice that is gaining more and more popularity: cumin.
1. Exceptional nutritional value
Cumin is a really great source of antioxidants. Its main plant components or phytochemicals are terpenes, phenolic components, flavonoids, coumarins, and alkaloids.
Many of them are powerful antioxidants.
You have probably heard about antioxidants many times, but do you know why these substances are so important to our health?
The body naturally produces free radicals as metabolic “waste”. This waste is highly reactive, so it can cause oxidative stress, ie damage various cells and tissues of the body.
Antioxidant components play a key role in preventing these processes.
The body can produce components with antioxidant properties on its own, but it also largely depends on those taken in through the diet.
Prevention of oxidative stress prevents the development of chronic inflammatory processes in the body.
These inflammatory processes are one of the main risk factors for the vast majority of the most common chronic diseases.
These diseases include rheumatoid arthritis, irritable bowel syndrome, various neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s, cardiovascular problems, malignancies, diabetes, etc.
In general, as in most other spices, cumin is due in large part to its antioxidant phytochemicals.
But the nutritional value of cumin does not “stop” here.
This specific spice, in addition to very small amounts of fat, protein, and carbohydrates (fiber), also contains a number of micronutrients, ie vitamins, and minerals, above all (in 6g or about 1 teaspoon):
- Iron – up to 50% of the average Daily Needs for this mineral
- Manganese – 8%
- Calcium – 5%
- Magnesium – 5%
- Potassium – 3%
- Vitamin B1 – 3%
- Vitamin A – 2%
In addition, in cumin, slightly smaller amounts are contained: copper, zinc, phosphorus, vitamin E, B vitamins, etc.
2. Better digestive health and a more successful weight loss process with cumin spice
In traditional medicine, cumin was commonly used to reduce abdominal pain. However, today in modern times research confirms its positive effect in this direction.
Specifically, they say that the use of cumin helps to optimize the work of the human digestive system.
Cumin intensifies the secretion of bile acid from the liver, which helps in easier digestion of fats and some other components of food.
In addition, research suggests that more frequent use of cumin may help with frequent digestive disorders – irritable bowel syndrome.
Frequent use of any spices in the diet can contribute to the weight loss process.
The reason lies in the fact that it makes low-calorie, healthy food much more acceptable and encourages easier satiety.
However, it should be noted that there are several studies that specifically indicate that regular use of cumin can significantly contribute to a more successful weight loss.
Prier, a 2014 study found that daily use of 3g cumin in combination with yogurt for 3 months helped to significantly reduce weight.
That is, there was a reduction in waist circumference and adipose tissue in women who had weight problems.
3. Cumin has a potential anti-diabetic effect
In fact, certain phytochemicals of cumin in research have shown properties that are helpful for people with diabetes.
Thus, a clinical study shows that supplementation with concentrated cumin improves the situation with the initial indicators of diabetes in obese patients.
One of the ways in which diabetes damages the cells in the body is through the action of the so-called AGE products, which are actually proteins or fats that are “damaged” by the presence of too much sugar in the blood.
AGE products are produced in the bloodstream at high blood sugar levels over a long period of time, most commonly in diabetics.
The formed AGE products have the potential to damage the eyes, kidneys, nerves, and small blood vessels.
Therefore, people suffering from diabetes must pay much more attention to the mentioned aspects of their health.
One study found that cumin could significantly reduce the concentration of harmful AGE products in the blood.
It is important to note that these data were obtained from laboratory analyzes.
But there are clinical studies that show that the use of cumin, or its more concentrated extract, can significantly help to control blood glucose more successfully.
Thus, cumin is recommended for people with diabetes, as are other spices, especially coriander.
4. Better cardiovascular health with cumin spice
And this positive effect of cumin is mainly due to its remarkable antioxidant potential.
Studies show that regular consumption of this spice can help lower blood triglycerides and cholesterol.
Cumin contributes to cardiovascular health through the following actions:
- Anti-inflammatory effect
- Mineral content
- More successful weight control
- Controlling AGE products
- Encouraged reduced salt use
Namely, research says that a daily intake of 150mg of cumin, for a period of 2 months, contributed to the reduction of excess triglycerides in the blood.
Several other scientific studies say that regular use of cumin can reduce the so-called. “bad” LDL cholesterol in the blood.
5. Strong antimicrobial effect
In addition to the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effect of cumin, it has a particularly potent antimicrobial effect.
From the distant past, people have realized that cumin contributes to a significant extension of the shelf life of food.
Thus, in addition to enhancing the taste of various dishes, it was also used as a preservative.
Today, science confirms that cumin largely stops the growth of various harmful microbes, such as pathogenic bacteria and certain types of fungi.
When cumin is digested in our digestive system, a component called megalomycin is released, which has powerful antibiotic properties.
In addition, there are studies that say that cumin reduces the antibiotic resistance of certain pathogenic bacteria.
Other benefits of cumin spice
Additional, potential beneficial effects of regular use of cumin:
Antistress effect – relief of stress symptoms, demonstrated in certain animal studies.
Better memory – due to the anti-inflammatory effect, ie protection from oxidative damage to brain tissue.
Prevention of anemia – due to a large amount of iron that cumin has.
It can help reduce certain types of addiction and alleviate the unpleasant symptoms that occur after quitting – also shown in animal studies, but with a promising effect.
Strong anti-inflammatory effect – cumin contains phytochemicals that studies have shown to reduce key inflammatory markers, called NF – kappaB.
However, it should be said that this information is not enough to know whether the spice itself is sufficient or supplementation is needed to achieve this effect, so further research is needed in this regard.
Conclusion
Cumin is a spice that is great for our health with many benefits that we should make the most of.
Its composition is rich in antioxidants, as well as certain minerals and vitamins.
By consuming it, we can improve our digestion, cardiovascular health, help against diabetes, and many other benefits.
That’s why you should use it in your diet, and have it in your kitchen.
