Cilantro
Why cilantro is anti-inflammatory
Cilantro is anti-inflammatory largely because of quercetin, one of the flavonoids in its leaves. When quercetin is tested on immune cells in a laboratory, those cells release fewer of the messenger molecules that keep inflammation going.
What has been studied, though, is rarely the herb itself. A concentrated coriander extract, given to animals, brought swelling down and lowered two of the inflammation messengers in their blood. That was a measured dose of an extract, and cilantro reaches your plate by the tablespoon.
The plant’s smell comes from an oil, and the oil in the seed is mostly linalool. Rats given that seed oil also had less swelling and lower inflammation messengers in the blood. The leaf holds a different oil, the one behind its sharp green smell, so results from the seed do not carry over to the leaves you buy.
Buy cilantro as a bunch, with the stems attached and the leaves dark green rather than yellowing at the edges. The stems hold the same oil as the leaves, so chop them in instead of picking each leaf off. Dried cilantro is a much weaker product, because the compounds that carry the smell escape during drying.
Stir it in off the heat, at the end, because a hot pan drives that smell straight out of the leaves. Wash the bunch in a bowl of cold water and lift it out, because cilantro grows low to the ground and traps grit. Stand the stems in a glass of water in the fridge and it keeps about a week.
Cilantro on the AIP diet
Cilantro is allowed from the first day of the AIP elimination phase. The Autoimmune Protocol takes out every spice made from a seed, which is why coriander seed, cumin and mustard go, but leaf herbs stay in. Cilantro sits there with parsley, basil and mint, fresh or frozen. If the jar says coriander and holds small brown round seeds, that is the part to leave out.
Benefits
- Carries quercetin, a flavonoid that lowers inflammatory signals in laboratory work
- Coriander extract brought swelling and inflammation messengers down in animal tests
- Adds a lot of flavour to a dish with no salt, sugar or fat
- Allowed from day one of the AIP elimination phase
Watch out for
- The evidence comes from extracts and animals, not from people eating the herb
- You eat it by the tablespoon, so the amounts are small
- Dried cilantro loses the compounds that carry its smell
- Leaves grown close to the soil trap grit and need a proper wash
Get the inflammation score of any meal
Just snap a photo or describe your food to get its inflammation score and uncover hidden patterns that may be affecting your well-being.
Frequently asked
Is cilantro inflammatory?
No, cilantro is anti-inflammatory. Its leaves carry quercetin, a flavonoid that makes immune cells release fewer inflammatory messengers when it is tested on them in a laboratory. The work in living animals used concentrated coriander extract rather than the fresh herb.
Is cilantro the same as coriander?
In the United States, cilantro means the fresh leaves and coriander means the dried seed. In Britain and much of Europe, coriander covers the plant and the leaves, and the spice is called coriander seed. Leaf and seed taste nothing alike and do not replace each other.
Is cilantro allowed on the AIP diet?
Yes, from the start of the elimination phase, because it is a leaf herb like parsley, basil and mint. Coriander seed is a different matter and comes out with the other seed spices, alongside cumin, fennel and mustard.
Why does cilantro taste like soap to some people?
The smell of the leaf comes from a family of compounds called aldehydes. The longer ones in that family smell citrusy and soapy in their own right, and some people pick up that side of the smell far more strongly than others.
Anti-inflammatory recipes with Cilantro
The easiest way to follow an anti-inflammatory diet.
Identify inflammatory foods in seconds, log your symptoms and discover what’s inflaming you. Includes hundreds of recipes.
