Cumin, or zeera, is a staple in Indian households and is used in most of our stews and curries. In addition to its culinary uses, cumin is a spice that has long been part of our traditional medicine systems. It has powerful medicinal effects that have proven to help in conditions such as diabetes and gastrointestinal illnesses. In his latest Instagram post, fitness coach Luke Coutinho shared some additional benefits of cumin. He says in the video, “I want to talk about the health benefits of cumin, also known as zeera. The benefits of cumin and why we like people to eat cumin, including ourselves, is number one, your digestive health. It helps you with digestion. Number two, it’s great for your liver because it helps you to stimulate bile, which in turn helps you to break down fats and digest fats better.” 

Additionally, it’s great for your skin because of its antioxidant and anti-microbial properties. “It’s also great for sleep. We need to understand it’s not your magic potion for sleep, but when you have a cup of cumin tea maybe an hour before sleep, it can help you relax,” added Luke. 

He shared that cumin is “great for your respiratory health, for your lungs and keeping inflammation low.” 

Luke Coutinho also highlighted the different methods cumin can be consumed, according to your preferences. He said, “We can have cumin raw, we can chew it, we can cook with it, we can make it into a masala, or we can take a teaspoon, boil it in water and have it like a tea. In that tea, we can add a little bit of mashed ginger, we can sprinkle some fresh lemon on.” 

Luke Coutinho added a disclaimer about the health benefits mentioned in the video. He stated that when health experts talk about food as medicine, it doesn’t always mean it’s a replacement for your medications. “It just means it has properties that can work like medicine in your body. It’s not meant to be a replacement for your steroids or your chemotherapy or radiation,” he said. 

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