Other
Coriander-garlic pesto
The same honesty as with the coriander smoothie: this pesto does not draw heavy metals out of you. It has been studied in the laboratory and in animals with promising results, but never properly shown in people.
What it is, on the other hand, is a very good pesto.
Coriander and garlic, olive oil, lemon and salt. No parmesan, no pine nuts, no expense. It is green, sharp and good on toast, in a salad or stirred through warm pasta.
Treat it as food that happens to be healthy. That is a perfectly legitimate reason to make something.
Ingredients
- 2 large handfuls fresh coriander, stalks included
- 2 garlic cloves
- 100 ml olive oil
- Juice of ½ lemon
- ½ tsp salt
Equipment
- Blender or food processor
- Clean bowl or jar with lid
- Spatula
Method
- 1
Blend coriander, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice and salt.
Dosage
1-2 tbsp with a meal, as often as you like.
Use the stalks too. They taste stronger than the leaves and contain at least as much.
Pour a thin layer of olive oil over the top in the jar. It keeps the air out, and the pesto keeps its colour instead of browning.
Shelf life
5-7 days refrigerated under a layer of olive oil. Can be frozen in an ice cube tray and then keeps 3 months.
Safety
If you genuinely suspect heavy metal exposure — old amalgam fillings that have broken, old paint, contaminated drinking water, or work with lead, mercury or cadmium — get a blood test. Actual heavy metal poisoning is treated with medical chelation, not with pesto.
Coriander can cause an allergic reaction, particularly if you react to carrot-family plants such as celery, carrot or mugwort.
Raw garlic is blood-thinning. If you eat large amounts daily and take anticoagulants, or face surgery, mention it to your doctor.
Raw garlic can cause heartburn and stomach irritation. Two cloves in a batch of pesto is a culinary amount, not a medicinal one.
Wash coriander thoroughly. Leafy greens are among the crops where pesticide residues are most often found.
Homemade pesto with raw garlic in oil must be refrigerated and used within a week. Garlic in oil at room temperature is one of the classic places botulism can arise. Refrigerated and under a week, there is no risk.
How the herbs work
Coriander is rich in vitamin C, vitamin K and antioxidants, and the leaves are among the most nutritious green herbs in the kitchen. The stalks contain at least as much as the leaves.
Garlic contributes allicin, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory. The olive oil contributes monounsaturated fats and polyphenols, and the fat makes the fat-soluble vitamins in the coriander available.
On heavy metals: laboratory and animal studies have shown that compounds in coriander can bind certain metals and increase excretion. This has not been confirmed in controlled human trials, and must not be confused with the chelation used medically in actual poisoning.
So: a nutritious pesto with well-documented individual ingredients, and a detoxification claim that does not yet hold.
The content here is general knowledge and folk herbal lore, not medical treatment. In illness, pregnancy, breastfeeding or alongside medication: always talk to your doctor first.