Besides its medicinal benefits, cumin can also be very
helpful if you want to lose weight.
The Cumin Weight Loss Experiment
In the recent edition of Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice, you can
find a research made by Iran’s ShahidSadoughi University of Medical Sciences
which included a group of 88 obese and overweight women that were a part of a
weight loss experiment.
They were split in two groups. Each of the groups followed a diet with reduced
calories and received nutrition counseling. The only difference between the
groups was that the first one got to eat yogurt with three grams of cumin every
day, while the second one got only plain yogurt.
A Metabolism Booster
After only three months, the group which consumed cumin managed to lose 50%
more weight than the group which ate only plain yogurt. Also, their body fat
percentage was decreased by 14.64% which was three times more than the other
group. Plus, they managed to lower their body mass index and waist
circumference much more than the second group.
Based on these findings, it was observed that the weight loss abilities that
cumin has are due to fact that it temporarily increases the metabolic rate. The
researchers also suggested that cumin could be considered as a viable treatment
for metabolic syndrome.
Blood Fat Reducer
In this research, it was also observed that cumin can successfully reduce the
blood lipid levels. It managed to drop triglycerides by 23 points in the cumin
group, while only 5 points were observed in the other group. It also dropped
the LDL cholesterol by an average of 10 points, compared to only 1 point in the
other group.
According to their findings, the researchers concluded that cumin may help
prevent some conditions associated with high triglycerides levels like
diabetes, heart disease and atherosclerosis.
Furthermore,it was found that the cholesterol lowering
effect that cumin has is partly because of the glycoside saponins it contains.
They prevent cholesterol to be absorbed and increase its excretion.
These compounds are also found in black cumin and they have other useful
properties like: anti-oxidant, anti-carcinogenic, anti-coagulant,
anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective, hepatoprotective, immunomodulatory and
hypoglycemic properties.
Cumin Reduces Cholesterol Absorption
Among its many beneficial ingredients, cumin also contains a large amount of
phytosterols which can positively modulate lipids by reducing the absorption of
cholesterol.
The Annuals of Nutrition and Metabolismjournal also published a study which
claims that if overweight people take cumin cyminum L. capsules, it may cause
the same effects as orlistat120. In case you are not familiar with it,
orlistad120 is a drug which acts as a gastrointestinal lipase inhibitor and
manages obesity by inhibiting the absorption of dietary fats.
Cumin had very similar effects to this weight drug, but also an even better
effect on insulin metabolizing.
There are million ways to integrate cumin into your nutrition. You don’t have
to put it in yogurt if you don’t like that. Try seasoning your chicken with it,
mix it with your eggs in the morning, add it to your roasted vegetables or just
add a pinch into a vegetable soup, the choice is yours.
If you still don’t know where to start, try this cumin tea recipe:
Add some cumin seeds in water and let them boil, then leave them to steep for
8-10 minutes and your soothing and warming tea is done.
Source: http://icarehuman.in/page/7/