How Daily Teaspoon of Cumin Help You Lose 3 Times As Much Body Fat

Some of the most unassuming spices can be amazing sources of health. Not many would guess that the small and ordinary looking cumin seed can become your faithful weight loss aide. 

A study published in the journal Complimentary Therapies in Clinical Practice was the first to reveal the potential cumin seeds have for dieting. Using this spice can help you lose weight quicker and influence the body’s fat profile in a positive way by reducing the levels of harmful lipids in the blood.

Research on Cumin and Body Fat

Iranian scientists from the Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences included 88 women who were considered overweight or obese into their study. They randomly divided them into two groups.

• One group ate 3 grams of cumin powder daily, mixed into 5 grams of yogurt.
• The control group consumed yogurt too, but without any additions.
• Both groups received dietary advice and reduced their daily caloric intake by 500 calories.

Study Results

Different body measurements and parameters were taken before the study and after 3 months of dieting.

• Women who were eating cumin, lost 3 pounds (1.4 kilograms) more compared to those in the non-cumin group.
• More impressively, the cumin group members decreased body fat percentage by 14.64%—almost triple the 4.91% loss posted by the control group—apparently due to the addition of the fat-burning spice.

The women in the treatment group also experienced reduced levels of fasting cholesterol, triglycerides (a type of fat associated with atherosclerosis, heart disease and diabetes) and LDL (bad) cholesterol, while their levels of HDL (good) cholesterol increased.

Furthermore, the ladies who took cumin had larger reductions in body mass index and waist circumference.

The authors of the study concluded that cumin powder can significantly boost the success of a weight reduction diet.

How does Cumin Work?

Cumin is rich in antioxidants and phytosterols. Phytosterols are natural substances of plant origin that are similar to cholesterol in their structure and function. They inhibit the absorption of harmful cholesterol in the digestive tract, which could be the explanation for their weight-reducing effect.

Previous clinical trials have shown that consumption of foods enriched with at least 0.8 grams of plant sterols or stanols lowers the levels of LDL cholesterol.

Cumin has also been associated with cancer prevention. The seeds are an excellent source of iron and support the function of the immune system.

How to Consume Cumin?

3 grams of cumin powder, the dose that was used in the study, comes to a little less than a teaspoon. If you find the mixture of yogurt and cumin slightly unappetizing, you can try other ways to incorporate the powerful spice into your diet:

1. Add ground cumin to roasted or sautéed veggies.

2. Use it when you make hummus or guacamole.

3. Make a cup of warming beverage by boiling cumin seeds in water and letting them steep for 10 minutes.

4. Sprinkle it over nuts or other healthy snacks.

5. Use it to spice your lentil soup.

6. Add it to plain brown rice to give it an exotic kick (you can also mix in dried apricots and almonds).