Fact Check: Is a concoction of cumin and ginger enough to help you shed pounds? No

Hyderabad: Several social media users have claimed that drinking water infused with cumin and ginger essence will help you lose weight in 61 days.

According to a viral video, all you need to do is just boil cumin and ginger in water, and drink it consecutively for 61 days to witness a physical transformation by shedding excess fat. Obesity is quite a common condition nowadays and everyone desires to have a fit and healthy body. But there is no magic bullet practise for weight gain or loss. A persistent diet and regular exercise with better lifestyle could help way more than following unscientific home remedies.

Although, cumin has the potential to help lose weight because of a unique active ingredient called thymoquinone, a naturally occurring chemical that has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, does it mean one can miraculously shed unwanted fat through its consumption alone?

Fact Check

NewsMeter found the claim to be a hoax.

Does cumin help with weight loss?

According to an article on Healthline, “Cumin is a common spice with exceptional benefits for your health. Not only has it been shown to help jump-start weight loss, cumin can also reduce inflammation. Keep in mind that cumin isn’t a miracle ingredient. You’ll still need to commit to cutting calories and exercising regularly to experience its full benefits.”

It further states, “Cumin is safe for most people looking to reach a healthy weight and balance their blood sugar.”

Does ginger help with weight loss?

According to another article on Healthline, “Ginger has demonstrated potential as an ingredient to help you lose weight. When you take ginger along with other antioxidants, blood-sugar stabilizers and anti-inflammatory ingredients, you’re giving yourself a head start on moving the scale toward a healthier weight. But ginger alone won’t lead to a significant drop in excess weight. A healthy diet and regular exercise are still vital to overall weight loss.”

We further contacted an expert nutritionist, Sujatha Stephen RD, chief nutritionist, at Yashoda Hospitals to debunk the claim.

She said, “Cumin seeds and ginger have many good health benefits and we regularly include them in our daily cooking and for weight loss also this is beneficial in improving the metabolism and for digestion. But this alone will not help you lose weight. We need to have proper healthy diet and exercise and eating timely meals will help you to lose weight permanently and keep you fit.”

Hence, NewsMeter has confirmed that merely drinking a concoction of ginger and cumin will not help reduce weight.