Herb Profile: Cumin
Cumin, a recognizable flavor in global cuisine as far reaching as Mexico, Italy, India and beyond, does as much to aid digestion as it does to season many popular dishes. Beyond its ability to infuse flavor into many popular dishes, it is known for its cooling properties that balance spicy ingredients.
Its Sanskrit name means “helps with digestion”, though its pleasing flavor and ability to be grown in drought-tolerant conditions in tropical or sub-tropical areas are likely reasons for its rise in popularity. In Ayurveda it is recognized as tridoshic, or balancing for all constitutions. Tastes include pungent and bitter. It has no known side effects, so it can be added liberally to just about any dish to impart rich flavor while enhancing the digestibility of a meal. Use the whole seed or ground powder. Use 1/4-1 teaspoon per serving to taste.
Use it to make food more digestible – cumin is a carminative, meaning it relives gas. This is why its incorporated into many dishes that include beans or other hard to digest ingredients.
Drink up – after meals, sipping CCF (cumin, coriander, fennel) tea encourages digestion. Mix the three together and use 1 tsp per cup of the mixture with hot water. This can be taken in addition to adding cumin to foods while cooking.
Use it to cool off the digestive system – it is incorporated into cuisines that also favor the use of pungent foods as a way to counteract the heat of ingredients like tomatoes and chili peppers.
Cumin can cool off the whole body – drinking a cumin water decoction helps cool the system when temperatures rise.
Take cumin for healthy elimination – being a mild diuretic, it encourages the body to gently cycle and remove wastes.
Source: Khalsa, Karta Purkh Singh and Michael Tierra. The Way of Ayurvedic Herbs. Twin Lakes: Lotus Press, 2008.
This information is provided for educational purposes and is not a substitute for medical care. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Herbs are intended to support general well being. If conditions persist, visit your doctor.