Health Benefits of Cilantro

Cilantro is the leaves and stems of the coriander plant. Cilantro is also the Spanish word for coriander.

Cilantro is a bright green herb commonly used in Mexican, Asian and Middle Eastern cooking, as well as other cuisines around the globe. Both the soft feathery green serrated cilantro leaves as well as the stems are used in most dishes. They sprinkle it atop guacamole, salads, beans, stir-fries, soups, fish, curries and more. In many Asian recipes cilantro might be referred to as Chinese Parsley or coriander leaves.

Cilantro is a good source of nutrients. A quarter cup of raw cilantro leaves (about the size of a golf ball) provides 16% of the daily value (DV) of vitamin K, which supports bone health according to the National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements. 

It also offers 5% DV of vitamin A and 2% DV of vitamin C—two vitamins that are important for immune function. 

Beyond its vitamin value, cilantro also offers up important compounds called antioxidants, especially polyphenols which prevent or delay certain types of cell damage that would have otherwise contributed to premature aging and heightened disease risk. 

Traditional medicine has long used parts of the coriander plant (including cilantro leaves) for pain, inflammation, gastrointestinal problems and the herb may have cardiovascular (heart) benefits, such as helping to regulate blood pressure and heart rhythm due to its high antioxidant content. 

Some people loathe cilantro as they find the flavor soapy, acrid or pungent due to the smell of a compound in cilantro called aldehydes. Additionally, because cilantro is often consumed raw, it poses the risk of being contaminated with bacteria that would have otherwise been killed via cooking.