Herbs & Spices
Cumin
Overview
Why use cumin?
Cumin is a warm, earthy spice that carries a surprising mineral load for its size, especially iron. You use it by the teaspoon rather than the cupful, so it works as a flavour tool first and a small nutrient bonus second, letting you season generously without adding meaningful calories, sodium or sugar.
Good to know: The impressive 100 g figures are mostly theoretical, since a typical teaspoon is only about 2 g, so treat cumin as a seasoning rather than a mineral supplement; toasting the whole seeds briefly before grinding brings out far more aroma.
Unusually iron-dense
Cumin seed supplies 66 mg of iron per 100 g (369% DV), and even a 1 tsp serving gives 1.39 mg (8% DV) to support oxygen transport in the blood.
Magnesium and potassium
Per 100 g there is 366 mg of magnesium (87% DV) and 1,788 mg of potassium (38% DV), minerals involved in muscle function and normal blood pressure regulation.
Flavour without salt
With just 3.5 mg of sodium and about 8 kcal per teaspoon, cumin lets you build deep savoury flavour while keeping added salt in check.
Overview drafted with AI from USDA FoodData Central figures. For education, not medical advice.
Nutrition facts
What’s in cumin?
Calories
375kcal
Protein
18g
Carbs
44g
Fat
22g
Fiber
11g
Sugars
2.3g
Minerals
- Calcium931 mg72%
- Iron66 mg369%
- Magnesium366 mg87%
- Phosphorus499 mg40%
- Potassium1,788 mg38%
- Sodium168 mg7%
- Zinc4.8 mg44%
- Copper0.87 mg96%
- Selenium5.2 µg9%
Vitamins
- Vitamin A64 µg7%
- Vitamin C7.7 mg9%
- Vitamin E3.3 mg22%
- Vitamin K5.4 µg5%
- Thiamin (B1)0.63 mg52%
- Riboflavin (B2)0.33 mg25%
- Niacin (B3)4.6 mg29%
- Vitamin B60.43 mg26%
- Folate10 µg3%
% Daily Value is based on FDA reference amounts for adults. Bars cap at 100%.
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Source: USDA FoodData Central, “Spices, cumin seed” (SR Legacy, FDC ID 170923).View the USDA record ↗ (opens in a new tab).