Here’s why you should consume superfood jeera

Think of one wonder spice that gives our food that wonderful flavour, the first thing that comes to mind is cumin (scientific name: Cuminum cyminum), jeera, jeerige (in Kannada) or even zeera.

Jeera, along with mustard, are the first two spices that go into preparation of curries, subzis and several other dishes. Wonderful as it is in our food, jeera is great when it comes to health benefits too. Clearly, it is a superfood.

Jeera contains several Vitamins, minerals like Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium and Sodium, Protein, among other things.

India, Mexico and China are the major producers of jeera.

DH lists some health benefits of jeera:

Good for the stomach:

A simple juice made by boiling jeera in water and drinking it can help relieve one of acidity and also after overeating. This is an age-old home remedy for stomach problems.

Helps in weight loss:

According to a research paper published in the National Center for Biotechnology Information in the USA, it helps in weight loss.

“Cumin powder reduced serum levels of fasting cholesterol, triglyceride, and LDL and increased HDL. Weight, BMI, waist circumference, fat mass and its percentage significantly reduced. It has no effect on FBS and fat-free mass,” the publication said.

Of course, jeera consumption has to be complemented with exercise.

Anti-allergic, antioxidant and hypoglycemic:

Sowbhagya HB, a food science researcher at the Central Food Technological Research Institute in Mysuru, says of her findings that were also published in the NCBI: “Alcohol and water extract of cumin are reported to possess many nutraceutical properties like anti-allergic, antioxidant, anti-platelet aggregation, and hypoglycemic.

“Cumin and value added products from cumin can be a good source of nutraceuticals with many biological activities. Incorporation of cumin into food products will have the benefits of a flavorant and nutraceutical at the same time,” she adds.

Rich in iron:

Being rich in iron, it is good to include jeera in your diet. It is common knowledge that to produce haemoglobin (found in red blood cells and required to carry oxygen), iron is required.

The above are just a few of the many health benefits of jeera.

How to consume:

Stuffed yourself with food and feeling uneasy? This can give your stomach some relief. Boil jeera with saunf (fennel seeds) and dhania seeds (coriander seeds) well in water and consume the juice.

Even without the saunf and dhania, jeera can be boiled in water and the juice consumed. A bit of jaggery can be added to sweeten it.

Jeera is widely used in Indian cooking. So, we are consuming this superfood anyway.

Note: The above health benefits are just guidelines and not substitutes for professional medical advice.