Cumin

Cuminum cyminum

Snapshot

Indications	Contraindications
Fasting glucose¹ Lipid profile^{2, 3} Body mass index^4–7 Waist circumference⁴ Metabolic syndrome components⁴ Dry mouth in hemodialysis⁸	Known cumin allergy⁹ Apiaceae spice allergy^{9, 10}

Cumin (Cuminum cyminum) is an Apiaceae seed spice whose volatile oil is rich in cuminaldehyde, and its extracts show hypoglycemic and antioxidant activity¹¹. Supplementation follows from those metabolic effects: blood glucose, blood lipids, and body weight and waist measures in adults with metabolic disorders. Cumin also appears in herbal dry-mouth products, where trials are few.

The evidence is split. Single trials in nonalcoholic steatohepatitis and in metabolic syndrome found no effect on most outcomes. A 2023 review of spice essential oils, cumin among them, summarized laboratory antimicrobial activity against urinary tract infection pathogens¹². More than 600 products listing cumin are sold as seed, powder, capsules, teas, and essential oil liquids; see Form comparison.

Allergy is the main reported concern.¹⁰ Cumin shares cross-reacting allergens with birch and mugwort pollen, and anaphylaxis, including by inhalation in a child, has been reported^{9, 10}. For blood pressure, some United States product labels advise consulting a healthcare practitioner with hypotension, hypertension, or antihypertensive use¹³.

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

In the full monograph

51 sources, 44 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.
InteractionsThe medicines and supplements it interacts with, the effect of each, and what labeling says to watch.
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