If you’re traveling and you suddenly find yourself in a place with questionable tap water, don’t panic – just try some cilantro. Researchers from the Ivy Tech Community College in Indiana have found that cilantro can be used as a cheap way to filter heavy metals out of the water.
Heavy Metals in the Water
Now, more than ever, we’re living in a contaminated world. Not only are our air and soil polluted, but our water too. And some of the most dangerous pollutants are heavy metals often found in the water – lead, mercury, arsenic, nickel, etc. – which, in excess, can be toxic and very harmful to human health. In fact, many of today’s serious health problems and diseases are linked to high levels of toxicity, including various neurological disorders, developmental retardation, liver and kidney damage, even autism. Mercury and lead poisoning, for example, can lead to autoimmune dysfunction, kidney disease, and nervous system disorders.
So how can we get rid of these pollutants? When we’re talking about water, there are certain systems that can get these heavy metals out of the drinking water available. The problem is, since they’re quite difficult to develop, they’re usually very expensive, so most people don’t want or cannot afford to use them. Luckily, Mother Nature has a cheap, natural and easy solution to this problem: cilantro.
Cilantro, the Purifier
Ivy Tech researchers found that cilantro is a powerful bioabsorbant material, meaning it possesses great detoxifying abilities. This is because of the cilantro’s outer wall structure and the tiny cells that make it up – it appears they’re ideal for cleaning up heavy metals. The experiments showed that cilantro is particularly good at eliminating lead and nickel, and current studies are trying to find out if this herb is just as good at getting rid of arsenic and mercury.
The Cilantro Cleanse
According to the study, cilantro can be used as a cheap method to purify drinking water. It’s cheap, natural, and quite efficient, so be sure to give it a go.
The researchers say that a handful of cilantro can purify a pitcher full of highly contaminated water.
You can use a spring or two of fresh cilantro, throw it in a glass of water, wait a few minutes, and then drink it; or fill tea bags with dried cilantro and place them in water for a few minutes.
