Cilantro

THE CILANTRO TREATMENT
courtesy of the ChiTrib

Even as we learned recently that almonds can carry salmonella germs, news came that cilantro kills them. Researchers have found a substance in cilantro called dodecenal that has twice the antibacterial power of the antibiotic usually used to treat salmonellosis. It explains an earlier finding: that salsa seems to fight bacteria. But while cilantro may be a great new antibiotic in this age of drug--resistant germs, salsa must have too little of it to make a difference--Mexico still has the world's 7th highest rate of salmonellosis, 40 cases per 100,000 population (Germany leads with 200). Bangladesh, though--which cooks almost everything with cilantro (aka coriander)--has the lowest rate-3 cases per 100,000.

Source: World Health Organization.