Cilantro is a commonly used aromatic vegetable that stimulates appetite and aids digestion. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) holds that cilantro expels all pathogenic qi and has the effect of warming the middle energizer and strengthening the stomach. People with a cold constitution can appropriately consume cilantro to alleviate symptoms such as stomach cold pain, indigestion, and incomplete measles rash.
However, individuals who are prone to catching colds should avoid cilantro. This is because such people often have varying degrees of qi deficiency. Cilantro's pungent nature can disperse qi, and excessive or long-term consumption can deplete qi, impair vitality, and consequently trigger or worsen qi deficiency, leading to more frequent colds. In addition to recurrent colds, those with qi deficiency often experience symptoms like excessive sweating, fatigue, and lassitude. Individuals with obvious signs of qi deficiency should consume cilantro sparingly or not at all. Postpartum and post-illness patients also often have a degree of qi deficiency, so they should also keep a distance from cilantro.
Although those who frequently catch colds should draw a clear line from cilantro, robust individuals with good constitution who only occasionally catch a cold can use it to treat colds. In clinical practice, TCM often uses pungent and warm herbs to release the exterior for treating wind-cold colds, and cilantro has exactly this effect. For wind-cold cold, one can take 9 grams of cilantro and 10 grams of scallion white, decoct them in water, add sugar for flavor, and consume. Furthermore, people with a cold spleen and stomach can moderately consume cilantro to warm the stomach, dispel cold, aid digestion, and relieve stomach pain. This can be done by making a cilantro porridge: add tangerine peel, which aids digestion and regulates qi, and ginger, which warms the stomach and dispels cold, while cooking the congee, and sprinkle in chopped cilantro just before serving. For those experiencing stomach pain due to stagnation from greasy food, cilantro can also help: take 50-100 grams of fresh cilantro, wash and pound it to extract the juice, which can effectively relieve stomach pain.