Cumin

Studies in people

• Open question

  Allergic reactions in children³

  A child had a severe allergic reaction after breathing in cumin, though spice allergies in children are rarely reported.

• Benefit

  Cholesterol levels⁴

  In people, taking cumin lowered total and "bad" cholesterol and raised "good" cholesterol.

• Benefit

  Weight and insulin in overweight adults⁶

  Overweight adults who took cumin for eight weeks lost about the same weight as those taking a weight-loss drug.

Study type not stated

• Benefit

  Blood sugar and allergies⁸

  Cumin extracts are reported to have antiallergic and blood sugar-lowering properties.

Allergies and intolerances

These are about people with an allergy, an intolerance or coeliac disease. The signal is about the ingredient itself, and these are about the person eating it, so the signal does not count them.

• Spice allergy⁵

  Cumin can cause allergic reactions, and it often cross-reacts with other umbelliferae.

• Spice allergy reactions⁷

  Some people allergic to birch or mugwort pollen also react to cumin, likely because of similar proteins in both.

How it’s made and used

• Saltiness perception²

  Two compounds in cumin made low-salt chicken broth taste saltier in taste tests.

The signal at the top counts the findings in people and in animal and lab studies. A concern in studies of people outranks animal and lab studies, and “No concerns” needs at least one finding in people. When most findings in people point one way, the page leans that way (“Mostly”), and every finding is still shown. Findings whose study type is not stated are shown but not counted. This page is a reference, not medical advice. It describes what regulators and published research say. Talk to a doctor or dietitian about your own diet.