Adding cilantro regularly to your food can reduce heavy metals from blood and tissue with virtually zero side effects, according to Dr Eric Berg, a chiropractor who specialises in healthy ketosis and intermittent fasting.
“Cilantro can act as a chelator and an antioxidant to reduce free radicals,” Berg said.
A chelator binds tightly to heavy metals in the bloodstream and is then filtered through the kidneys and removed from the body.
India’s top weight loss dietitian and nutritionist Anjali Mukerjee also stressed the detoxifying properties of cilantro, with her ideal remedy being a juice version made of cilantro, water, rock salt, lime, and a dash of cumin powder.
“It’s not only great tasting but is extremely effective for removing heavy metals from your body. It helps with digestion, improves your haemoglobin levels, and is excellent for general health as well,” she wrote in a post on Instagram.
It is anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, and the leaves are cooling for the body. Being alkaline when fresh and raw, it has a tendency to quickly wash out the toxins in the body.
Her recipe for cilantro juice:
Naturally Detoxifying Foods
Other natural foods that have been proven to detoxify by chelation and strengthen one’s internal detoxification system include:- Broccoli sprouts, or broccoli microgreens, which have many times more sulforaphane than adult broccoli,
- Garlic (allicin),
- Turmeric (curcumin), and
- Cruciferous vegetables.
While consuming very small amounts is not a concern, heavy metals can build up in our tissues and affect different parts of the body, including the heart, digestive system, neurons, and blood cells, hindering them from functioning properly.
The younger you are, the more susceptible you are to the damage as well.
Since it is impossible to avoid heavy metals altogether, Berg suggests consuming more organic foods and using a water filter as additional ways to help eliminate some of the toxicity.