5 Well Known Health Benefits Of Cumin Seeds

Cumin seeds also popularly called as jeera in India is one of the important spices in India and it occupies a very special place in Indian kitchens. It not only adds flavour to food, it also improves digestion and has wonderful medicinal uses and health benefits. Nowadays jeera water is popularly consumed for weight loss but it has other medicinal uses like aiding digestion, preventing bone loss, reducing cholesterol and it is also wonderful for hair and skin care too.

Cumin plant is an annual herb with a slender branched stem and white or pink flowers. The plant produces very aromatic seed like fruits commonly called as jeera or cumin. The seeds are oval shaped with ridges and are approximately 5 to 6 millimetre long. The yellowish brown colour seeds have a strong odor and you will never find an Indian kitchen without this amazing spice.

# Antimicrobial Properties

Both cumin seeds and cumin essential oil have antimicrobial properties and they are effective against different gram positive and gram negative bacterial strains along with different candida albicans isolates like staphylococcus epidermidis, S. Aureus, Bacillus Cereus, Clostridium Tetani, Escherichia Coli, Salmonella Typhi, Vibrio Cholerae, Mycobacterium Tuberculosis, Asperigillus Niger, Saccharomyces Cerevisae, etc. Though they had constant inhibitory effect against most of the tested organisms, they were not effective against Pseudomonas spp.

# Anti Diabetic Properties

In a randomised controlled study, subjects were divided into three groups, first group was given 100 mg of cumin capsule, the second group was given 50 mg and third group was placebo. After 8 weeks, people who consumed 50 and 100 mg of cumin seed extract saw noticeable decrease in insulin levels and in addition, it also helped reduce many of the complications associated with diabetes.

Regularly consuming cumin seeds helps improve many markers of diabetes like improvement in body weight, lowered blood urea level, reduced advanced glycation end products and reduced excretions of urea and creatinine. Cuminaldehyde and cuminol present in cumin seeds are responsible for its anti-diabetic properties.

# Anticancer Properties

Cumin has powerful anticancer properties and studies show that it inhibits colon cancer and has a protective effect. Studies in rats have shown that cumin extract prevents fore stomach cancer, cervical cancer and liver cancer. This is due to the anti mutagenic, antiproliferative and antioxidant properties present in cumin seeds.

# Antioxidant Properties

Consuming antioxidant rich ingredients is very important for us to fight of the free radicals the cause premature aging of our skin, hair and health. Cumin seeds has powerful antioxidant properties due to the presence of monoterpene alcohols, flavonoids and other polyphenolic compounds. Fully ripe cumin seeds are rich in polyphenols and tannins than unripe ones so they have higher amount of antioxidant properties than the unripe seeds.

# Anti-inflammatory and Analgesic Properties

Both water and ethanolic extract of cumin seeds have powerful pain and inflammation reducing properties. If you are suffering from inflammation or pain, try consuming a cup of cumin seed water it will greatly help.