Herbs have been utilized medicinally by human cultures for a very long time, maybe from the Paleolithic Age. Cilantro and other herbs have been used in folk medicine for at least 48,000 years, according to News Medical Life Sciences.
According to FoodReference.com, cilantro is also known as Chinese parsley, and in ancient Chinese culture, its coriander seeds were employed as an aphrodisiac and believed to grant immortality. Coriander has been discovered in Egyptian tombs; it was esteemed by the ancient Egyptians as well. According to News Medical Life Sciences, coriander, the seed from cilantro, is used in traditional medicine as an aphrodisiac, a pain reliever, an antibiotic, and a treatment for memory loss and digestive issues.
Research is now being done on the antibacterial, antioxidant, and neurological benefits of cilantro. In a 2019 study that was reviewed in The FASEB Journal, Geoffrey Abbot, Ph.D., professor of physiology and biophysics at the UCI School of Medicine, examined the impacts of cilantro on the brain.
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The study uncovered some surprising health advantages of cilantro. "We found that cilantro, which has been used as a traditional anticonvulsant drug, activates a class of potassium channels in the brain to lower seizure activity," says Abbot to Neuroscience News.
The botanical herb's uses in conventional medicine are supported by Abbott, who claims, "In addition to its anticonvulsant effects, cilantro has also been linked to analgesic, anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, anti-fungal, and antibacterial properties. The best part is that it tastes excellent, too!"
Cilantro could aid in creating safer epilepsy medications.
Image from Halil Ibrahim Mescioglu/Shutterstock
Studies suggest coriander has significant levels of the antioxidants lutein and beta-carotene, according to News Medical Life Sciences. These antioxidants can lower the risk of cancer, eye disorders, and other illnesses. Additionally, a 2015 study found that by controlling the formation of collagen, cilantro can shield skin against photoaging.
Additionally, cilantro has antibacterial qualities that can guard against bacterial illnesses and food poisoning (per News Medical Life Sciences). Dodecenal, a component of cilantro, was found in one research to be more effective against salmonella than a common antibiotic, according to WebMD.
According to WebMD, cilantro might also be able to aid safeguard memory. Early studies have linked eating cilantro to a lower chance of cognitive impairment brought on by Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease, though more research is required.
But probably most significantly, according to Neuroscience News, scientists have found that the molecular action of cilantro may delay the development of seizures. Discovering new anticonvulsant treatments for epilepsy and other seizure disorders may be made possible by the fact that the cilantro compound dodecenal binds to specific potassium channels to lower cellular excitability.
According to Geoffrey Abbot, "This particular discovery is noteworthy because it may lead to modifications of dodecenal to generate safer and more effective anticonvulsant medicines, or to the more successful use of cilantro as an anticonvulsant."
