How does it feel?
Coriander is native to the Mediterranean, but is now cultivated globally for the culinary market. It is an annual plant with tall stems, standing up to 3 feet high. The leaves are small and divided up the length of the stem and the flowers are a pale mauve colour appearing in umbels at the top of the plant. The fruit is a globe shape and contains clusters of seeds. All parts of the plant can be used in both a medicinal and culinary purpose, however, it is the seeds that are predominantly used in a medicinal capacity.
What can I use it for?
Coriander contains a high level of natural essential oils which stimulate the digestion and support digestive metabolism. It encourages the production of digestive enzymes and supports a sluggish or slow digestion. It can be classified as an aromatic carminative.
Into the heart of coriander
Coriander is an aromatic carminative, supporting and stimulating digestive processes and metabolism. Despite this herb being stimulating, it also has a cooling and moistening nature. Coriander will cool any excess heat throughout the body, but particularly where there is hot irritation in the digestive, urinary and respiratory tracts. The cooling and clearing properties of coriander also make it effective for encouraging expectoration and sweating in the form of a diaphoretic.
Traditional actions
Herbal actions describe therapeutic changes that occur in the body in response to taking a herb. These actions are used to express how a herb physiologically influences cells, tissues, organs or systems. Clinical observations are traditionally what have defined these actions: an increase in urine output, diuretic; improved wound healing, vulnerary; or a reduction in fever, antipyretic. These descriptors too have become a means to group herbs by their effects on the body — herbs with a nervine action have become the nervines, herbs with a bitter action are the bitters. Recognising herbs as members of these groups provides a preliminary familiarity with their mechanisms from which to then develop an understanding of their affinities and nuance and discern their clinical significance.
Traditional energetic actions
Herbal energetics are the descriptions Herbalists have given to plants, mushrooms, lichens, foods, and some minerals based on the direct experience of how they taste, feel, and work in the body. All traditional health systems use these principles to explain how the environment we live in and absorb, impacts our health. Find out more about traditional energetic actions in our article “An introduction to herbal energetics“.
Did you know?
Coriander is a member of the Umbelliferae family, which also includes fennel and cumin. The seeds of the coriander plant were renowned for having an unpleasant smell, and the English name for the plant was derived from the latin ‘koros’ meaning ‘bug’. Interestingly, the initial unpleasant smell of the seeds dissipates over time to become the characteristic fragrant aromatic scent associated with the plant.
Additional information
Safety
No drug herb interactions are known.
Dosage
1–30g/day or 3–15ml/day of a 1:3 45% tincture
