Cumin, known as jeera in India, is a spice brimming with health benefits. What a good thing that it so prevalent in Indian cuisine then. They are also quite popular in African and Middle Eastern cuisine - so if you’d like to try a different cuisine, there’s some inspiration for you! It’s got a unique taste and did we mention that it is brimming with health benefits?
Benefits
- It Can Help Treat Anaemia
Cumin contains a lot of iron. Now, anaemia is a condition characterized by a lack of iron, which consequently results in less energy and an improper oxygen circulation in the body. Since cumin is rich in iron, it can help deal with the disease. A single spoon of cumin contains quite a bit of iron, so having a meal with cumin as an ingredient in one of the dishes will do for the daily intake of cumin.
- It Can Aid Digestion
Digestive problems affect many of us and it seems to be affecting more and more of us, no doubt due to the more or less descending dietary habits that the modern world has brought upon us. Jeera is a very popular suggestion for a digestion aid in the world of Ayurvedic medicine. More than just deal with indigestion, it also treats stomach pains, nausea and diarrhoea. This is because it stimulates the production of gastric enzymes.
Take a spoonful of jeera as it is or roast some and drink it with water.
- It Can Cure Colic Pain
Colic pain is a type that occurs in babies fairly commonly. You can use one teaspoon of cumin mixed with hot water for this purpose. Let the mix sit for some time, then strain it and feed it to your child.
- It Can Help In The Fight Against Diabetes
Diabetes is a deadly illness that must be stopped in tracks as soon as possible. Unfortunately, more and more people seem to be affected by the disease, which can eventually cause blindness, fatal kidney failure and amputation. There being no cure, it is all the more critical that it be stopped as quickly as possible, if not avoided entirely.
Cumin is believed to be helpful in fighting diabetes because it is effective in regulating blood sugar levels - which is essentially the problem behind the illness. It will still be a while before we know for sure whether the spice is directly linked to a reduced chance of the occurrence of diabetes, but it seems that way.
- It Can Help With Insomnia
For those of you with sleeping problems, jeera will come as a real boon. It contains compounds that relax the brain and induce a state of sleepiness.
- It Can Help Tackle The Common Cold
There’s no cure for the common cold, but there are plenty of foods that will help with making the illness a little more easy to deal with. Cumin gives our immune system a little boost and dampens the strength of the virus, while also reducing the severity of coughs.
- It is Anticarcinogenic
Cumin can even help in the fight against one of the biggest illnesses that a human might face. It is highly anticarcinogenic and can really give the body an extra layer of protection against the deadly disease. It contains many antioxidants, which we know to be effective against cancer.
- It Can Help Treat Boils On The Skin
Believe it or not, cumin even helps reduce pimples and boils. This is because it is a spice that detoxifies the body, removing it of impurities which may cause boils and pimples. It has been noted that those who eat more cumin are troubled with fewer boils and pimples.
These are only eight of the many health benefits jeera offers. We recommend trying some of the suggestions listed here or simply adding more of it in your cooking. You don’t want to miss out on these benefits!