Chelation of Harmful Metals Using Cilantro Extract...Looking More Closely  

In 2022..

USA Today felt the need to address a 'social media claim' that cilantro may help the body reduce certain harmful metals in the body.

Referred to as 'chelation'.

Chelation : 'A method of removing certain heavy metals from the bloodstream...'. 

The writer of the USA Today article starts the article off by stating that they reached out to 80 health experts or scientists to discuss this claim, of which only 4 replied. 

Here are two of the responses the writer received and shared in the first few paragraphs of the USA Today article:

"I have to admit I had never heard of this," Flinn said. (Jane Finn, director of cognitive and behavioral neuroscience at George Mason University) "Plants can absorb metals but I don't know how it would get it out of the brain."

Dr. Maida Galvez, professor of environmental medicine and public health at Mount Sinai, said in an email there is insufficient evidence to prove the claim. 

At first glance of this article one might automatically assume that the claim about cilantro working to reduce heavy metals from the body is totally bogus, and then move on without even reading the rest of the article, let alone considering cilantro and chelation in actual research papers.

Which is exactly why I share them here. 

Is Cilantro helpful or useless? 

What about other, similar, common kitchen herbs?

As always, I say, read some studies, and then search for some more. 

Think hard.

Think for yourself. 

Be your own judge.

And try and enjoy the mystery of it all, and maybe even your own experimentation if you so desire.

Happy researching. :-)

STUDIES & RESOURCES:

(The studies below are nowhere near an exhaustive list. Always continue your own research and read the papers within each paper below.)

1) Cilantro—Culinary Herb or Miracle Medicinal Plant?

2) Heavy Metals Detoxification: A Review of Herbal Compounds for Chelation Therapy in Heavy Metals Toxicity

3) Scientific Research on Natural Heavy Metal Chelators: Testing What Works

4) Garlic, Cilantro and Chlorella’s Effect on Liver Histoarchitecture Changes in Cd-Intoxicated Prussian carp (Carassius gibelio)

5) Chelating Foods in Chronic Disease Treatment and Prevention

6) EVALUATION OF THE CHELATING EFFECT OF METHANOLIC EXTRACT OF CORIANDRUM SATIVUM AND ITS FRACTIONS ON WISTAR RATS POISONED WITH LEAD ACETATE

7) Morphohistometric Analysis of the Effects of Coriandrum sativum on Cortical and Cerebellar Neurotoxicity

8) Morphohistometric analysis of the effects of Coriandrum sativum on cortical and cerebellar neurotoxicity