Coriander
Coriander is a herbaceous light-loving annual plant from the Umbrella family, resembling parsley with its foliage. In height, it rarely exceeds 60-70 cm. Coriander blooms in early summer with white or pink flowers in the shape of an umbrella, and ovoid-spherical fruits ripen in July or closer to September in more northern regions. The seeds of the plant are called coriander, and the greens are called cilantro or cilantro.
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Coriander, as a spice and medicinal plant, was used in ancient Greece and Rome, from where it was brought to other continents. It is mentioned in the ancient medical treatise of Egypt - the Eber papyrus. Nowadays coriander is widely cultivated in many countries and is used as a spice, medicinal plant and source of essential oil.
Useful properties of coriander
Due to its beneficial properties, coriander has an antispasmodic, antiseptic, carminative, choleretic and slight laxative effect, and it also actively stimulates the activity of the digestive glands.
Coriander improves digestion and increases the production of gastric juice, which helps to relieve heaviness in the stomach after a large meal. The hallmark of coriander is its ability to address the root causes of allergies by affecting digestion. This excellent remedy has long been used along with dill and fennel for excessive gas formation in the intestines.
One of the famous herbalists of the last century, A. Leclerc, advised eating coriander after suffering intestinal infections (for example, typhoid and intestinal flu) to restore digestion.
The beneficial properties of coriander are due to its constituent:
- Vitamins A, B1, PP, B2, B4, B5, B6, B9, E, C, K;
- Macronutrients - potassium (521 mg per 100 g of green leaves), phosphorus, calcium, magnesium and sodium;
- Trace elements - iron and zinc (1.77 and 0.5 mg, respectively, per 100 g of green leaves), as well as manganese, copper and selenium.
In terms of carotene, rutin and a number of other vitamins, coriander is superior to many other spicy plants, and it contains more vitamin C than lemon (27 mg per 100 g of green leaves).
The calorie content of coriander is 23 kcal per 100 g of green leaves.
Using coriander
For medicinal purposes, to improve digestion, decoctions and infusions of coriander fruits are most often used, for which one teaspoon of crushed seeds is poured with a glass of boiling water and insisted in a sealed container for an hour. As a rule, take the infusion up to four times a day, 0.25 cups half an hour before meals.
The same infusion is taken as an adjuvant in the treatment of colds, chronic cough and pleurisy.
The use of coriander is also effective in medicinal formulations:
- As a choleretic agent - with immortelle and mint leaves;
- For cholelithiasis - with fruits of anise, knotweed, St. John's wort, celandine and tricolor violet, dandelion roots and corn stigmas;
- For the treatment of prostatitis - with onion seeds, plantain, carrots and parsley;
- With inflammation of the pancreas - with motherwort and celandine grass and birch leaves.
In folk medicine, coriander seeds are included in formulations to enhance sexual function, and a mixture of cilantro and parsley is used in the treatment of impotence. Fresh juice from coriander leaves is considered a good styptic.
According to historical sources, Hippocrates spoke about the effectiveness of using coriander for hysteria. Also, the fruits of the plant are recommended for relieving stress, in stressful conditions and in the treatment of depression, for which 100 g of crushed seeds are added to 1 liter of dry red wine and 50-100 g are taken during lunch and dinner.
Coriander is widely used in cooking. Moreover, the seeds are most often used as a spice in cheeses, sausages and meat products, canned fish, marinades and pickles, alcoholic beverages, sauces, baked goods, bakery and confectionery products. They are also featured in various spicy curry mixes.
The greens of the plant - cilantro, as a fresh spice are added to salads, and also used as a seasoning for meat dishes and soups.
A decoction of coriander is used as an external remedy in cosmetology, since it, like parsley, whitens the skin, which is often used for freckles.
Uses of coriander essential oil
Coriander fruits contain 1.5% essential oil and 20% fatty oil, one of the main components of which is linalool (up to 70%). In addition, the seeds of the plant contain terpinene, geraniol, pinene, fellandrene and borneol.
Essential oil from coriander serves as a precursor for the production of oils with aromas of violet, rose, lemon, lily, orange and some others. It is used in soap making, perfumery, textile and cosmetic industries. In addition, it serves as a raw material for the manufacture of drugs that are used in the treatment of eye diseases (conjunctivitis, glaucoma).
Aromatherapists advise using coriander essential oil for depressed and depressive conditions, as well as for spasms of smooth muscles. In addition, it is recommended to use it in the evening as a light psychovegetative regulator, relieving fatigue, nervousness, irritation, postpartum depression, as well as for normalizing hormonal levels.
Massage with coriander essential oil is effective in treating neuralgia and rheumatism, as well as relieving tension and fatigue.
Contraindications to coriander
Pregnancy is an absolute contraindication to coriander. Also, during pregnancy, the essential oil of the plant should not be used.
In addition, a contraindication to coriander is increased blood clotting, thrombophlebitis, thrombosis, hypertension, cholecystitis, and some cardiovascular diseases.
Essential oil from coriander should be used in therapeutic doses, since in large quantities it inhibits the work of the heart and kidneys. Also, the oil should not be applied to open wounds.
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