Cumin: New Herb for Weight Loss and Cholesterol

This controlled study looked at eighty-eight overweight women who were on calorie reduced diets. Half of them were randomized into a control group, and the other half took 3g of cumin twice a day. The cumin had a remarkable effect on cholesterol and weight. . . .

At the end of just three months, the women who had been taking cumin had managed to lower total cholesterol, heart harmful LDL cholesterol and triglycerides, while raising heart healthy HDL cholesterol. How effective was the cumin? Triglycerides plummeted by 23 points compared to just 5 points in the control group; LDL cholesterol dropped by 10 points in the cumin group, but by less than 1 in the control group.

As for weight loss, the women lost significantly more weight and percent body fat. They actually lost almost 50% more weight than the control group. The cumin group decreased their body fat percentage by 14.64%: almost three times the reduction experienced by the control group. Body Mass Index and waist circumference were also reduced significantly more in the cumin group than in the control group.

So cumin is an exciting new herb for people suffering from unhealthy blood fats, obesity and metabolic syndrome.

Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice 2014;20:297-301