Cilantro

Coriandrum sativum · Coriander

Snapshot

Indications	Contraindications
Lipid profile support¹ Migraine prophylaxis² Postoperative constipation³ Sun-induced skin redness⁴	Spice contact allergy⁵ History of insulin autoimmune syndrome⁶

Cilantro (Coriandrum sativum), also called coriander, is an Apiaceae herb whose leaves and seeds serve as both culinary spice and traditional medicine, with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity as the main proposed basis⁷. Supplementation is used for lipid and blood pressure support in hyperlipidemic patients, migraine prophylaxis, skin inflammation, and digestive complaints such as constipation.

The human trials mostly test mixed products: the lipid trial paired coriander with garlic, and the constipation trial used a polyherbal capsule. A systematic review of herbal migraine trials called the coriander findings positive but preliminary, with high risk of bias in many studies². A preclinical systematic review found lower inflammatory mediators with coriander and no human study⁸. A 2021 in vitro study of Thai vegetable extracts found coriander inhibited diabetes-related enzymes, a finding not yet tested in humans⁹. Products listing cilantro number 627, and sampled labels are mostly liquid extracts; see Form comparison.

Spice patch-test studies include coriander among contact allergens, and one case report linked a coriander and ginger supplement, alongside omeprazole, to insulin autoimmune syndrome. Per product labels, a physician is consulted before use in pregnancy, nursing, or with medications¹⁰.

Last updated October 16, 2026. Read how we make monographs.

In the full monograph

42 sources, 34 studies

When to useThe situations practitioners use it for, each with the reason and the study behind it.
SafetyWho should avoid it, who needs extra care, and the side effects reported in studies.
Protocol notesThe doses used in studies, how and when they were taken, and how the forms on the market compare.
How it worksWhat it is and how it works in the body, in plain terms.
Published studiesThe studies behind each use, popular claims checked against them, and trials still under way.
Word of mouthWhat patients and practitioners report online, kept separate from the clinical evidence.
Clinical perspectiveA closing read of where the evidence is solid, where it is thin, and what has not been studied.

Snapshot

In the full monograph

Sources