Text verified by dietician Aleksandra Dziura, M.Sc.

Roman cumin comes from the eastern regions of the Mediterranean Sea, so it is a well-known spice of many delicious dishes of the Mediterranean cuisine, Arabian cuisine, and is even included in Indian cuisine. It also has medicinal properties, making it possible to lose unnecessary fat tissue more efficiently and eliminate digestive ailments such as diarrhea or constipation.

It is more and more often associated and even identified with cumin. However, these are two completely different spices and with different properties. For this reason, it gives spices a spicy taste and has a positive effect on human health.

Roman cumin is an annual plant that belongs to the celery family. Its Latin name is Cuminium cyminum. In our country it is also popular under several other names such as cumin, quinoa, Egyptian cumin, bug cumin.

Roman cumin is a rather slender plant, characterized by a narrow stem that is frail and often bends under its own weight. It can reach a maximum height of half a metre but is usually 30-40 cm. The cumin leaves are needle-like, pinnate and composed of thread-like segments. This plant produces flowers with petals in white, charming or pink. They are gathered in a compound umbel with lids that characterizes plants of the celery family – on the stalks of umbels of the first order there are umbels of the second order (the so-called umbels).

The most important and edible part of the caraway is the fruit in the form of a double split that splits into two, one inside which contains the seeds, which are used in non-conventional medicine and gastronomy.

Roman cumin most likely originated in the eastern areas around the Mediterranean Sea. Nowadays, this plant is not found in the wild, so it is only found in cultivation. The largest crops of cumin are grown in India, China, Uzbekistan, Turkey, Morocco, Syria, Chile, Mexico, as well as in a few European countries. In our country it is grown really rarely, because it does not show enough resistance to low temperatures.

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Seeds of Roman cumin support elimination of flatulence and colic. They are characterized by a windmill effect, soothing indigestion and stimulating the stomach to secrete digestive juices. They can be successfully used in many ailments of digestive system and prevention of related diseases.

It also has antiviral,diuretic, purgative and sudorific properties. Therefore, it can be used by people with urinary tract problems, also with colds, so you can quickly get rid of their symptoms and shorten the duration of the disease. The plant not only helps to get rid of infections, it also has an anti-allergic effect. It has a wide range of health effects, including strengthening blood vessels, reducing the viscosity of red blood cells, i.e. erythrocytes, and protecting the liver. It is the largest chemical laboratory in the human body, whose proper work supports the entire body. Women, on the other hand, like to use cumin to regulate menstruation.

Fruits and herbs of cumin significantly stimulate the heart and respiratory system. They strengthen all blood vessels, reducing the viscosity of red blood cells, i.e. erythrocytes, and also protect the liver. This is the largest chemical laboratory in the human body, whose proper work supports the entire body. Women like to use Roman cumin to regulate menstruation.

You can use the plant medicinally. Then you need to make an infusion of a teaspoon of seeds, which will be poured into a glass of boiling water. After steeping for 10 minutes under a lid, the cooled infusion can be strained and then drunk. I also recommend an infusion of puree.

Cumin is most often used as a spice. It is a very important ingredient of curry and many oriental dishes. When ground with salt and pepper it is often used as a marinade for meat. It is a perfect addition to stews, Mexican dishes, but also to heavy dishes such as bigos.

Experts from Iran conducted a certain experiment. Its results prove that the popular Roman cumin is an amazing remedy for weight loss. A representative group of people who struggle with overweight and obesity was invited to the study. During the three-month trial, the subjects had to consume a limited number of calories per day, so the daily supply was reduced by as much as 500 kcal. However, the subjects were supervised at all times by specialists, such as dieticians. The researchers of this experiment created two groups. One of them consumed one teaspoon a day of powdered romaine cumin, which was added to the dishes. The other group was a control group.

The three-month study by the Iranian researchers showed that the people who consumed the cumin daily lost more than a kilogram more than those who did not add cumin to their meals. Because of this, they also had a much greater loss of body weight and body fat (14.6%), while the loss in the others was barely 4.9%.

Roman cumin will also work on triglycerides and bad cholesterol levels. Those who consume the spice saw a 23-point drop in triglyceride levels, while the others saw only a 5-point drop. This is very important because such excess in the body should lead to cardiovascular disease, type II diabetes, obesity, atherosclerosis and heart attack.

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