Ayurvedic Home Remedies: Ayurvedic Home Remedies: Medicinal Uses of Coriander Leaves and Seeds

Coriander seeds and leaves have been used as home remedies to cure various ailments from time immemorial. Known as cilantro in America and Europe, coriander leaves are also called Chinese parsley. These leaves find their place in South Asian, Chinese, European, American, Russian and Mexican dishes as well. The roots are also used in Asian, Thai dishes.

Coriander leaves when digested turn sweet and alleviate irritations in the intestines. They stimulate appetite and help in easy digestion too. They have magnesium, potassium and fiber in plenty. So regular consumption boosts immunity and purifies blood. They stimulate insulin production and hence help prevent diabetes.

Just as mint leaves, coriander leaves too help in dealing with headaches. A paste made of coriander leaves is smeared on the forehead and temples for a quick relief from headaches. This should be followed by thorough rest. Coriander leaves also cure mouth ulcers. For this a handful of coriander leaves are ground to a not so fine paste and then masticated thoroughly for a few minutes. This is done two to three times a day for a few days. This is a time tested home remedy for mouth ulcers.

People suffering from pitta aggravation due to excessive consumption of tea or coffee have an excellent remedy in coriander to pacify the aggravated pitta. It also helps in breaking the addiction to coffee and tea. It is an excellent alternative to tea and coffee. A handful of coriander seeds are fried and then powdered to a nice consistency. A spoonful of this powder is then added to a glass of milk with sugar and then taken instead of tea or coffee. Regular consumption can help break addiction to tea and coffee.

Half a teaspoon of coriander seed powder (prepared as mentioned above), a pinch of sandalwood powder, and four or five dried gooseberry pieces are added to a glass of water, boiled and reduced to half a glass. This is then taken at lukewarm temperature. This kashayam is a time tested home remedy for aggravated pitta due to excessive consumption of tea and coffee.

For relief from menstrual pain, women can take around twenty five thoroughly cleaned coriander seeds and boil them in a glass of water. This is reduced to half and allowed to cool to a lukewarm temperature. Sugar can be added as needed. This kashayam helps in relieving menstrual pain.

For painful urination in summer, coriander seeds offer an excellent cure. A teaspoon full of coriander seeds is added to four glasses of water, boiled and then allowed to cool to room temperature. Taking this water throughout the summer often will help in combating the summer heat as well as painful urination. This also keeps one fresh all through the day.

Coriander leaves are found to be effective in alleviating digestive problems. The leaves are washed thoroughly, ground to a paste and then pressed to obtain a tablespoon of juice. One teaspoon of cumin seeds are powdered thoroughly. Both are added to a glass of water along with a pinch of salt. This is an excellent home remedy for indigestion. This is found to cure indigestion as well as induce appetite within minutes.