Cilantro: Embracing Holistic Nutrition for Optimal Liver Health

Cilantro! People either love it or hate it. Which camp are you in? Personally, I’m a cilantro enthusiast. I love the crisp texture and the hint of lemon in salsa, curry, spring rolls, and pesto. Lately I’ve been using it to make the garlicky chimichurri recipe below. And don’t forget fish tacos! Cilantro makes a fish taco.

My absolute favorite way to enjoy cilantro is by incorporating it into my morning green smoothie. Before you wrinkle your nose at the thought, let’s delve into the remarkable properties of cilantro, particularly its holistic nutrition benefits that cater to liver health. Cilantro possesses powerful detoxification properties, making it an excellent ally for the liver.

Cilantro’s detoxification powers

Among cilantro’s many benefits is its ability to support detoxification by promoting the transport of heavy metals from the body through the liver. In fact, cilantro has been hailed as the “poor man’s chelation treatment”.
Note: I like to do “chelation” the natural way, capturing the body’s innate energies and abilities to remove heavy metals from the bloodstream, by incorporating foods that support the process.

The liver is your almighty organ of detox

The liver is one of your body’s major multitaskers. Just like you, trying to keep pace with modern-day living, your liver is charged with juggling functions while working overtime to help you sort the pure from the impure.

Let’s take a peek at the daily grind for your liver…

• Bile production and secretion: aids in the digestion of fats
• Carbohydrate metabolism management: converts excess glucose for storage and later use, and secretes it as needed
• Hormonal regulation: breaks down and discards excess circulating hormones
• Filters the blood: scans for toxins, destroys and disposes of them

Unlocking the liver-loving benefits of cilantro

Whether you’re a cilantro enthusiast like me or prefer cilantro in smaller doses, we can all find more ways to incorporate this liver-loving herb into our every day. In whatever way it compliments your personal approach to holistic nutrition, consider how cilantro’s vibrant flavors and detoxification properties can be used to enrich your meals and enhance your well-being.

Cilantro Chimichurri

Chimichurri is traditionally made with parsley, but this recipe uses cilantro for a liver-loving twist. Cilantro Chimichurri pairs wonderfully with grilled fish and meat. It’s divine on roasted veggies, zoodles and kelp noodles. And, it makes a tasty tapenade or spread for a sandwich or wrap. As Rebecca Katz, author of The Cancer-Fighting Kitchen, likes to say, it’s a “dollop of yum” any way.

Makes about 1 1/2 cups of yum!

Ingredients

• 2 cups cilantro, stems removed
• 1/4 cup fresh lime or lemon juice
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1/2 fresh jalapeño, seeded
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp ground coriander
• 1/2 tsp sea salt or to taste

Preparation

1. Add garlic, jalapeño, and cilantro to the food processor and pulse until minced.
2. Add lemon or lime juice, olive oil, cumin, coriander, and salt.
3. Pulse until well combined.

By: Andrea Nakayama, FxNA Founder & Functional Medicine Nutritionist

Functional Nutrition Alliance provides the comprehensive online Functional Nutrition training in the Science & Art of the Functional Nutrition practice. Learn to address the roots of your clients’ suffering with client education, diet & lifestyle modifications.