It seems that people either love cilantro or hate cilantro, and there is no in-between.
I’m in the “love” group.
Research suggests that there is a genetic component to whether you love or hate this herb. “Those who dislike cilantro tend to have a gene that detects the aldehyde part of cilantro as a soapy smell and taste.”[1]
But, I have a theory that the folks that can’t stand the taste and smell of cilantro may have an overload of heavy metals that need to be resolved.
Cilantro has long been known in the natural foods movement as a natural chelator of lead, copper, and mercury. And, science is slowly catching up.
“Ivy Tech Community College chemist Douglas Schauer presented work by undergraduate students showing that cilantro may be an effective biosorbent that can remove lead and other heavy metals contaminants from water.”[2]
If you think you have an overabundance of metals in your system, one easy way to start a detox is by incorporating cilantro (parsley too) into your diet on a more frequent basis and in larger quantities than just a spring or two.
That’s when herbal sauces and dressings come to the rescue.
Here is a delicious Cilantro and Parsley Pistou that you can slather on fish, chicken, meat or veggies to get your heavy metal detox journey started.
Enjoy!
- 1 cup cilantro, densely packed
- 1 cup parsley, densely packed
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
- ¼ cup lemon juice, plus zest of 1 lemon
- ⅓ cup extra virgin oil
- ¼ tsp. sea salt
- Put cilantro, parsley, garlic, lemon juice and zest, olive oil and sea salt into a food processor or blender.
- Pulse for one minute.
[1] https://health.clevelandclinic.org/do-you-love-or-hate-cilantro-the-reason-may-surprise-you/
[2] https://www.ibtimes.com/cilantro-could-help-purify-drinking-water-research-suggests-controversial-herb-might-1404762
Andrea Beaman is an internationally renowned Holistic Health Coach, Natural Foods Chef, Speaker, Herbalist and best-selling author. Named one of the top 100 Most Influential Health and Fitness Experts, she is also a recipient of the Natural Gourmet Institute’s Award for Excellence in Health-Supportive Education and a Health Leadership award from The Institute for Integrative Nutrition. Since 1999, Andrea has been teaching people how to harness the body’s own preventative and healing powers using food, herbal remedies and alternative medicine.
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