Coriander: Ayurvedic Properties, Health Benefits, Uses & Dosage

Coriander is commonly known as Dhaniya, a herb which is easily available in every kitchen especially in India. In America Coriander is called as "Cilantro" and it is also popularly known as "Chinese parsley". This herb is cultivated throughout the world. It is widely used around the world in almost all the dishes for flavoring, garnishing or decoration purposes. Along with this, there are also various medicinal properties, thus, for medicinal purposes it has been used since the dates of India's ancient Vedic culture.

It is an annual herb that grows about 30 – 60 cm in height. It has feathery leaves with umbrella-shaped flowers and seeds are small and globular about 2-4 cm in diameter. It belongs to a family of mostly aromatic flowering plants which is named after the type genus Apium – Apiaceae or commonly known as Umbelliferae.

• Latin name – Coriandrum sativum
• English name – Coriander
• Family – Apiaceae / Umbelliferae

In various regional languages Coriander is called –

• In Hindi – Dhaniya
• Bengali – Dhane
• Marathi – Dhane, Kothimbiri
• Guajarati – Dhana, Kothimir
• Kannada – Kothumburi, Havija
• Telugu – Dhaniyalu, Kotimiri
• Tamil – Kothamalli, Kotmalli
• Malayalam – Malli

VARGA

It is classified under various varga’s, according to various classics like –Charaka – Trishna nigraha, Sushruta – Guduchiadi varga, Vagbhata - Guduchiadi varga, Bhavaprakasha nighantu - Haritakiadi varga, Raj Nighantu – Pippaliadi varga

PROPERTIES OF CORIANDER

Reference – Bhavaprakasha nighantu / Haritakiadi Varga / Shloka no.87 - 88

• Rasa (Taste) – Tikta (Bitter) and Kashaya (Astringent)
• Guna (Qualities) – Laghu (Lightness) and Snighdha (Unctuousness)
• Virya – Ushna (Hot in potency)
• Vipaka – An end product of digestion is Madhura (Sweet)
• Dosha karma (Effect on Tridoshas) – It balances all the tridoshas.
• It has also various other properties like - mutrajannana (diuretic), deepana (increases appetite), pachana (aids digestion), rochaka (improves taste), vrishya (aphrodisiac), grahi (absorbent).

Fresh leaves of coriander possess sweet taste and specifically pacify Pitta dosha in our body. These leaves will dry immediately and loses its aroma and other properties within a short period of time when plucked from the plant.

CHEMICAL COMPOSITION

Coriander contains various phytochemicals like - Volatile oils, flavonoids, glycosides, linoleic acid, coriandrol or coriandrinonediol, limonene, fats, tannin, etc. Coriander is also rich in vitamin A, C, K and iron. Because of these phytochemicals, it is used in various traditional medicines.

THERAPEUTIC USES

Reference - Bhavaprakasha nighantu / Haritakiadi Varga / Shloka no. 88

The meaning of this shloka explains the action of coriander on our body. It is widely used in alleviating jwara (fever), trishna (thirst), daha (burning sensation), vami (vomiting), swasa (asthma), kasa (cough), karsya (emaciation), krimiroga (worm infestation).

• Aids Digestion – Due to its deepana property it enhances secretion of digestive juices and improves digestive fire, thus, it relieves anorexia and improves appetite. Because of its pachana property, it digests food properly by that it relieves dyspepsia. It also helps in pachana of ama in our body which is considered as the main cause for all the diseases, in Ayurveda. Coriander is also used to relieve acidity.
• Tackle’s urinary problems – Urinary tract is prone to develop various infections and obstructions (because of urinary stone). Due to that individuals feel problems like – dysuria (difficulty in urination), burning micturition, urinary incontinence, etc. Here, Coriander is a choice of drug. It has properties like mutrla (diuretic) and vatanulomana thus ease the urine flow and also flush out the obstruction (stone) from the urinary tract. It is also a great way to detox naturally.
• Helps in treating fever – It has kashaya rasa (astringent taste) that contributes it to jwaraghana herbs. It is beneficial in all kinds of fevers especially in ‘Pittajanya jwara’. Along with that it also has agnivardhaka property which treats manadgni and makes it a suitable choice among antipyretics.
• Beneficial in worm infestations – Coriander also has krimihar property by that it restricts the growth and development of worms inside our body. Moreover, dhaniya is potent enough to perish the flora of parasites and worms. It helps to fight against infections.
• Alleviate thirst and burning sensation with Coriander – Instead of its hot potency, it alleviates thirst and burning sensation in our body due to its prabhava (a special action of the herb).
• Reduces cholesterol levels and high blood pressure – Cholesterol is a major cause for various cardiac problems, in turns it elevates the blood pressure which is again a major risk factor for various ailments. As discussed earlier, it has diuretic property thus, helps in reducing the pressure of blood. This herb contains linoleic acid and some other acids that help in reducing the level of ‘LDL’ in the blood stream. It also improves the calcium ion interaction with acetylcholine, thus manages hypertension.
• Boost your immunity with coriander – Coriander also has antioxidant properties. If used along with tulsi it helps to boost immunity.
• Helpful in diabetes – Various research works show that coriander can reduce the hyperglycemia ratio in the blood along with that it also stimulates the production of insulin in the body.
• Other benefits – Beneficial in diarrhea (this herb also posses grahi property thus it is helpful to use in diarrhea), headache, insomnia, irregular menstruation cycle, bleeding piles, vomiting, etc.

USEFUL PARTS

Leaves and seeds are useful parts for therapeutic purpose, but the whole plant can also be used.

SOME USEFUL HOME REMEDIES OF CORIANDER

• A decoction prepared from coriander can be used to wash eyes, it relieves strain and burning sensation.
• Hemorrhoids – Decoction prepared from coriander leaves if taken twice daily by adding a pinch of mishri in it, is proven beneficial in bleeding piles.
• The paste of dhaniya leaves can be applied over the forehead for curing headache. Even this paste can be applied over inflammation.
• In epistaxis – Instill freshly extracted juice of coriander leaves into nostrils (2 -4 drops in each nostril) is beneficial in bleeding from the nose.
• Gargle with the decoction of coriander is helpful in bleeding gums.
• Cold infusion of coriander is useful in Pratishyaye (running nose) and acidity.
• Coriander pound with mishri and given along with tandulodaka (rice washed water) is helpful in asthma and cough.
• A decoction prepared by adding equal quantity of dhaniya, saunf, jeera (1 teaspoon each) in 4 cups of water, boil it till the water reduces to 1 cup. In case of acidity, prefer this decoction twice daily, after meals.

DOSAGE

• Fresh juice of coriander leaves can be preferred, the quantity of juice can be taken daily is - 5 to 10 ml
• If consumed in the form of powder then it can be taken approx. 2 to 3 grams.
• If taken in the form of decoction 30 – 50 ml is advisable.
• A cold infusion prepared from seeds or leaves can be taken approx. 10 to 20 ml.