Medicinal Uses of Cilantro
Cilantro is rich in nutrients. It is a good source of iron, magnesium, phytonutrients and flavonoids and is also high in dietary fiber. Like its cousin parsley, cilantro is useful as a digestive aid. It is helpful in preventing nausea and relieving flatulence. Cilantro stimulates the appetite and aids in gastric juice secretion.

Cilantro has a reputation for lowering blood sugar which may make it valuable in the treatment of diabetes. It has been documented that the coriander seeds have hypoglycemic properties, possibly the result of stimulating insulin secretion. It is also reputed to lower bad LDL cholesterol while raising good HDL cholesterol.

The antimicrobial properties of cilantro have been demonstrated to be effective in fighting Salmonella, which is so often implicated in food poisoning. For instance, cilantro contains a potent antibiotic compound called dodecenal ,which has been shown to be twice as effective as the most commonly used antibiotic in killing salmonella. Along with eight other antibiotic compounds found in cilantro, it has been suggested that dodecenal be developed as a food additive to be used as a preventative of food borne illness.

One of the more intriguing theoretical properties of cilantro is its chelating abilities, or ability to remove heavy metals from the body. It is suspected that mercury poisoning could result from older metal tooth fillings. There is concern that mercury is slowly released into the blood stream allowing its harmful build up in the body over time. It has been reported by those suffering from the “brain cloud” of mercury poisoning that consistently consuming a couple or more teaspoons of cilantro pesto every day has resulted in relief within a few weeks!