Coriander

Description of a plant coriander

Coriander – a herbaceous light annual plant from family Umbrella, reminding the foliage parsley. In height it seldom exceeds 60-70 cm. The coriander at the beginning of summer in white or pink colors in the form of an umbrella blossoms, and ovoid and spherical fruits ripen in July or are closer by September in more northern areas.

Seeds of a plant call a coriander, and greens – cilantro or kindzy.

Coriander as spice and medicinal plant, used in Ancient Greece and Rome from where it was delivered on other continents. Mentioning of it is in the ancient medical treatise of Egypt – the Ebersky papyrus. Now the coriander is widely cultivated in many countries and used as spice, a medicinal plant and a source of essential oil.

Useful properties of a coriander

Thanks to the useful properties the coriander renders spasmolytic, antiseptic, carminative, cholagogue and insignificant laxative action, and also it actively stimulates activity of digestive glands.

The coriander improves digestion and strengthens development of a gastric juice that helps to get rid of weight in a stomach after plentiful food. Distinctive property of a coriander is its ability to remove root causes of an allergy, influencing digestion. This fine means was applied long since together with fennel and fennel at excess gas generation in intestines.

One of the famous phytotherapists of the last century A. Leklerk advised there is a coriander after the postponed intestinal infections (for example, typhus and intestinal flu) for digestion recovery.

Useful properties of a coriander are caused being its part:

• Vitamins A, B1, PP, B2, B4, B5, B6, B9, E, C, K;
• Macrocells – potassium (521 mg on 100 g of green leaves), phosphorus, calcium, magnesium and sodium;
• Microelements – iron and zinc (1,77 and 0,5 mg respectively on 100 g of green leaves), and also manganese, copper and selenium.

The coriander surpasses many other spicy plants in the content of carotene, Rutinum and some other vitamins, and vitamin C in it contains more, than in a lemon (27 mg on 100 g of green leaves).

Caloric content of a coriander makes 23 kcal in 100 g of green leaves.

Use of a coriander

In the medical purposes for digestion improvement most often use broths and infusions from coriander fruits for what one teaspoon of the crushed seeds is filled in with a glass of the boiling water and insist in the closed ware within an hour. As a rule, take infusion to four times a day on 0,25 glasses for half an hour to food.

The same infusion is accepted as supportive application at treatment of cold, chronic cough and pleurisy.

Use of a coriander is also effective in medical structures:

• As cholagogue means – with an immortelle and leaves of mint;
• At cholelithiasis – with anise fruits, a grass of a ninety-knot, a St. John's Wort, a celandine and a violet three-colored, roots of a dandelion and corn stigmas;
• For treatment of prostatitis – with seeds of onion, a plantain, carrots and parsley;
• At a pancreas inflammation – with a grass of a motherwort and celandine and birch leaves.

In traditional medicine seeds of a coriander include in structures for strengthening of sexual functions, and use mix of cilantro and parsley at treatment of impotence. Fresh juice from leaves of a coriander is considered good styptic means.

According to historical sources Hippocrates spoke about efficiency of use of a coriander at isteriya. Also fruits of a plant are recommended to be applied to removal of tension, in stressful states and at treatment of a depression for what 100 g of the crushed seeds add to 1 l of red dry wine and accept 50-100 g during a lunch and a dinner.

The coriander is widely applied in cookery. At the same time seeds most often use as spice in cheeses, sausage and meat products, fish canned food, marinades and a pickles, alcoholic beverages, sauces, pastries, bakery and confectionery. Also they are presented in various spicy mixes of a curry.

Plant greens – cilantro as fresh spice is added to salads, and also use as seasoning to meat dishes and soups.

Broth from a coriander is used as outside means in cosmetology as it, as well as parsley, bleaches skin that is often applied at freckles.

Use of essential oil of a coriander

Fruits of a coriander contain 1,5% of essential oil and 20% of fat oil, one of the main components of which is linalyl ester (to 70%). Besides, seeds of a plant contain терпинен, geraniol, pinene, phellandrene and baras camphor.

Essential oil from a coriander serves as an initial product for production of oils with aroma of a violet, a rose, a lemon, lily, orange and some other. It is used in soap manufacture, perfumery, the textile and cosmetic industry. Besides, it serves as initial raw materials for production of drugs which use at treatment of eye diseases (conjunctivitis, glaucoma).

Aromaterapevta advise to use essential oil from a coriander at suppressed and depressions, and also at spasms of smooth muscles. Besides, it is recommended to be applied in the evening as the easy psikhovegetoregulyator which is taking off fatigue, nervousness, irritation, a puerperal depression and also to normalization of a hormonal background.

Massage with essential oil from a coriander is effective at neuralgia and rheumatism, and also helps to get rid of tension and fatigue.

Contraindications to a coriander

Absolute contraindication to a coriander is pregnancy. At pregnancy it is not necessary to apply also essential oil of a plant.

Besides, a contraindication to a coriander is the increased coagulability of blood, thrombophlebitis, thrombosis, a hypertension, cholecystitis and some cardiovascular diseases.

Essential oil from a coriander should be applied in therapeutic doses as in large numbers it oppresses cardiac performance and kidneys. Also oil should not be applied on open wounds.