The spice cumin is as effective as the obesity drug Orlifast for “anal leakage.”
In my video, “Friday’s Favorite: Benefits of Black Cumin for Weight Loss,” I discussed how a total of 17 randomized controlled trials have shown that the simple spice can lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels. And what are its side effects? Weight loss effect.
Saffron is another spice that has been found to be effective in treating depression, which is a major cause of suffering. In this study, the side effect was decreased appetite. In fact, when tested in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, saffron was found to lead to significant weight loss – 5 pounds more than a placebo over 8 weeks, and an additional inch lost from the waist. The dose of saffron used in this study was equivalent to drinking a cup of tea made with a large pinch of saffron thread.
Suspecting that the active ingredient might be crocin, which is responsible for saffron’s deep red color, researchers also tried administering only the purified pigment to people, as shown here and at 0:59 in my video “Friday’s Favorite: Benefits of Cumin and Saffron for Weight Loss.”
Although this still led to weight loss, it was not as effective as ingesting the full saffron extract, which resulted in only 2 pounds and a half inch of waist loss compared to the placebo. The mechanism for this appears to be appetite suppression, and as you can see below and at 1:21 of my video, the crocin group had an average reduction in calorie intake of about 80 per day, while the full saffron group had an average reduction in calorie intake of 170 per day.
A similar study looked specifically at snacking frequency. Researchers wondered if saffron’s mood-boosting effects might help reduce stress-related eating. In fact, taking saffron extract for 8 weeks cut snack intake in half compared to a placebo. There was also a slight but statistically significant weight loss of about 2 pounds, as you can see here and at 1 minute 41 seconds into my video. This is quite remarkable considering that a tiny dose of about 100 milligrams, equivalent to one-eighth of a teaspoon of spice, was used.
The problem is that saffron is the most expensive spice in the world. It is composed of delicate threads protruding from saffron crocus flowers. Each flower produces only a few threads, so it takes about 50,000 flowers to make one pound of spice. That’s enough flowers to cover a soccer field. So a pinch of saffron can cost you $1 per day.
That’s why in my 21 Tweaks to Accelerate Weight Loss in My No-Diet Method, as you can see here and at 2 minutes and 30 seconds into the video, I replace saffron with black cumin. And a quarter teaspoon of black cumin a day costs just 3 cents.
What about regular cumin? Used in cuisines around the world from Tex-Mex to South Asian cuisine, cumin is the second most popular spice on the planet after black pepper. Although it is one of the oldest cultivated plants with a variety of medicinal uses, it has only recently been tested for weight loss. Over a three-month period, people who were randomly selected to eat half a teaspoon at both lunch and dinner lost about 4 more pounds and an additional inch on their waists. The spice was found to be comparable to the obesity drug known as orlistat.
Orlifat, you may recall, is an “anal leakage” drug sold under the brand names Alli and Xenical. However, drug companies apparently prefer the term “fecal spotting” to describe the rectal discharge it causes. The drug company’s website offered helpful tips, including: “It would be wise to wear dark-colored pants and bring a change of clothes to work.” You know, in case their medication causes them to poop in their pants at the office.
I think I will continue to use cumin, thank you very much.
doctor’s note
The video I mentioned about black cumin is “Friday’s Favorite: Benefits of Black Cumin Seed (Nigella Sativa) for Weight Loss.”
My other videos about saffron can be found in related articles below.
For more information on weight loss, check out my book, How Not to Diet.
