The yellowish, peppery spice cumin first appeared in the Bible as a seasoning for soup and bread. Priests used to be paid with seeds. It was also used to preserve the mummies of pharaohs in ancient Egypt.
In the present, studies indicate that cumin is also helpful in weight loss.
Some researchers from Iran studied the effects of this spice on the composition of the body and on the levels of blood fat.
They picked 88 overweight to obese women and put them in two groups. The groups practiced diets with reduced calories and nutrition counseling. The people in the first group ate yogurt twice a day with three grams of cumin and the second group ate plain yogurt.
The journal Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice published the results from this study.
Three months later, the group that ate cumin with their yogurt lost 50% more weight that the group who ate plain yogurt. They lowered their levels of fat as well by 14.63% or nearly three times more than the other group.
The authors suspected that the weight loss properties of cumin are due to its heat and it increases the metabolism temporarily.
This spice also lowers the levels of blood lipid. The cumin’s group triglycerides dropped 23 points and the other group only 5 points. Also, the LDL cholesterol decreased for 10 points, while in the other group less than one point.
100 different chemicals such as fatty acids and volatile oils are contained in the cumin. The researchers think that the cumin’s power to lower the cholesterol is due to its glycoside saponins which prevent the absorption of cholesterol and accelerate its discharge. The spice also has phytosterols that can lower the cholesterol thus modulating lipids positively.
The authors said that regular use of cumin can lower the triglycerides and cholesterol and reduce the risk of metabolic syndrome.
Cumin originated in Egypt. It has been cultivated in the Middle East, India, China and the Mediterranean for many centuries.
It is part of the plant family of caraway, parsley and dill and its seed it similar to caraway but the taste is pretty nutty and peppery.
Cumin is commonly found in curry powder blends, Mexican chili and Indian and Middle Eastern Cuisines.
Like most spices, cumin has a long list of potential health benefits
An animal study of 2008 published in the journal Experimental Biology and Medicine indicated that the seeds of cumin strengthen the bones as good and as effectively as estrogen and unlike estrogen, cumin doesn’t cause weight gain or uterine cancer.
In the past, cumin seeds we used to improve the digestive system. Today’s researches show that cumin triggers the secretion of pancreatic enzymes, acids and bile essential for a good digestion. The oil from the cumin plant contains a substance called cuminaldehyde which helps predigest food by activating salivary glands. Also, it helps alleviate gas and normalizes the appetite and relieves IBS symptoms.
Another research from 2010 showed that cumin decreases blood sugar on a par with the drug glibenclamide (US glyburide). It was also found out that it decreases oxidative stress and stops the AGE (advanced glycated end products), showed in the pathogenesis of diabetic vascular complications.
A recent animal research showed that cumin is way more effective than glyburide for decreasing inflammation, cholesterol, triglycerides, free fatty acids and blood glucose.
It might also have anticancer properties. Preclinical research indicated that this spice stops cervical and colon cancer.
Different studies showed that it can also improve the memory and has a wide range of antimicrobial characteristics.
Here’s how to get more cumin in your diet:
Add some in the pot while cooking soups, stews, chili, rice, beans or lentils.
Put some on vegetable sautés. It is adequate for sweet potatoes, carrots, squash, and cauliflower.
Add it to marinades, salad dressings and mayonnaise.
Put some on roasted nuts and chickpeas.
Include it when you make meatloaf, meatballs or hamburgers.
Add it in scrambled eggs before you cook them.
Buy cumin seed tea or make your own by boiling the seeds and letting them steep for 10 minutes.