The citrusy herb that ‘reverses’ heart damage

I love to cook with herbs and spices.

Not just for the amazing flavor they add, but because many, especially one of my favorites, help heal the body. A new study found one particular citrus-tasting herb may even reverse heart damage…

Coriander is one of my favorite herbs to cook with (also known as cilantro).

It always reminds me of limes and its citrusy scent makes the entire kitchen smell amazing when I cook.  And, it adds an amazing flavor to any meat dish from chicken and pork to lamb and duck.

Recently a new study published in the Journal of Dietary Supplements found that the benefits of coriander don’t end with taste…

The researchers discovered that it may just be one of the best things you can eat for your heart.

Here’s why…

The heart damage reverser

The researchers from the Hamdard Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (HIMSR) and Jamia Millia Islamia University in India analyzed the protective and therapeutic effects of coriander on heart failure in rats.

They first induced heart failure in the subjects by giving them a drug called isoproterenol. Two weeks after the administration of the drug, the rats developed:

• Severe impairment in left ventricular functions – The left ventricle is the part of your heart that pumps blood to the rest of your body. In heart failure, it’s compromised and can’t work efficiently, causing the heart muscle to enlarge.
• Reduced baroreflex sensitivity – This helps to regulate your blood pressure. When it’s reduced, your blood pressure goes up.
• Significant changes in blood flow – In heart failure, your heart muscle can’t pump the volume of blood it used to, starving your body of oxygen and nutrients.
• Changes in lipid profile – Your lipid profile (cholesterol and triglycerides) is one of the most significant markers of cardiac risk.
• Increased lipid peroxidation – This is a marker of oxidative stress which damages the cells of your heart.
• Increased endothelin receptors – Elevated endothelin levels are associated with damage to your heart.

However, when they fed the rats coriander extract, guess what…

All of those things were reversed!

Their ventricular function, baroreflex sensitivity, and blood flow all significantly improved. And, their lipid showed positive changes and lipid peroxidation and the expression of endothelin receptors was reduced.

In other words, the coriander protects the rats’ hearts and defeated the damage caused by heart failure. Certainly, more research is needed, but there’s no reason not to think that the potential for these same benefits in humans is just as probable.

Heart helper in your kitchen

This means that adding more coriander to your diet could be your first step to a healthier heart.

You can add more coriander to your diet by using cilantro to flavor your meats, guacamole, salsa and more. Or, you can even pick up coriander extract (also called cilantro extract or Coriandrum Sativum extract).

Another important way to protect your heart is to take a CoQ10 supplement daily.

If you’re deficient in the nutrient, your body lacks the energy it needs for all processes to maintain health, especially heart health. And, unfortunately, by the time you hit 40, your levels may be virtually non-existent.

Sources:

1. Coriander identified as a powerful herb for superior heart health — Science.News
2. https://academic.oup.com/ageing/article-pdf/28/4/337/9733615/280337.pdf — Age and Ageing
3. The rise and fall of endothelin receptor antagonists in congestive heart failure — European Respiratory Journal