Cumin – The Digestion Promoter
September 8, 2022 | Written by Leticia Padmasri
Cumin is native to the Middle East and Asia, but we can taste it in Mexican cooking, Brazilian cooking, and many other cuisines. It is one of the main herbs used in Indian cuisine.
It is certainly an herb that appears in our kitchen here often not only because of its delicious, distinctive, and pungent flavor but also because of its long list of benefits!
Cumin’s Sanskrit name is jiraka which means “promoting digestion”. In Ayurveda, it is all about digestibility, as most diseases arise from indigestion. So, we can imagine the role of jiraka in our kitchen and health.
Bringing cumin into our daily diet is an excellent addition to maintaining optimal digestion and addressing compromised digestion. Let’s look at its energetics and benefits according to Ayurveda and how to benefit from them in our daily lives.
Cumin & Ayurveda
The rasa (taste) of cumin is bitter and pungent and its vipaka (post-digestive effect) is also pungent. However, its virya (thermal action) is cooling.
Based on these energetics, cumin’s pungent nature decreases the cold nature of Vata and Kapha. As for Pitta, it is not overly aggravating due to its bitter nature. However, due to its heating nature, if used in excess, it can aggravate Pitta when there are already inflammation problems in the digestive tract.
“In Ayurveda, it is all about digestibility, as most diseases arise from indigestion. So, we can imagine the role of jiraka in our kitchen and health.”
Here are the reasons you want to make cumin a part of your diet:
It stimulates peristalsis, the rhythmic contractions of your digestive tract.
It removes sluggishness from your digestive tract.
It counters gas.
It soothes abdominal pain and distention.
It removes the toxins from undigested foods.
It counters excess mucus in the respiratory system.
It reduces pain and inflammation in the uterus.
It counters the effect of heavy foods like beans, potatoes, cheese, and yogurt.
It helps the absorption of nutrients.
Cumin is available in seeds or powder. For the most prana and medicinal effects, favor the whole seeds.
So, how can you get more cumin in your diet and routine?
Cumin is available in seeds or powder. For the most prana and medicinal effects, favor the whole seeds.
You can grind them just before adding them to your recipe. I use a coffee grinder reserved only for spices. It is super practical, and your kitchen is always infused with beautiful aromatic smells. A great way to care for your senses, feeding them with sattva.
Using cumin when cooking beans is a must.
It is a perfect combination because as I mentioned earlier beans are heavy and hard to digest.
Cumin counters this heavy quality and adds its highly regarded flavor, improving digestion and absorption of nutrients.
CCF Tea
One of my favorite drinks, which I shared with you some blogs ago, is the Cumin, Coriander, and Fennel (CCF) Tea, a powerful and well-known traditional remedy in Ayurvedic medicine.
Cumin combines so well with fennel and coriander, making this tea one of the best teas for digestive difficulties. These herbs together stoke your digestive fire without creating too much heat in your system.
Cumin, Coriander, and Fennel (CCF) Tea
Here is the recipe.
Combine in an airtight container equal parts of cumin seeds, coriander seeds, and fennel seeds.
To make the tea: combine 1 teaspoon of the mix with 1 cup of water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and let the tea simmer for 5 to 10 minutes depending on how strong you need it to be. Remove from heat, strain, and serve!
Tip: lightly crush the seeds first so the volatile oils can be more easily infused into the water.