Can Hamsters Have Cilantro?

The debate on whether or not hamsters can have cilantro is long over. In this article, I will explain what cilantro is and why hamsters cannot eat it!

Cilantro, also known as coriander leaves, is a small green herb used as an ingredient in many Asian dishes, such as Thai and Indian curries. Cilantro tastes like parsley but with a distinct citrusy flavor. It is known to have very potent antimicrobial properties that are good for the digestive system.

Cilantro tastes great and is healthy, so why are hamsters not allowed to eat it? The answer lies in the Latin name of the herb: Coriandrum sativum. Cilantro, also known as coriander leaves, is a small green herb used as an ingredient in many Asian dishes, such as Thai and Indian curries.

All parts of the plant, including the roots and seeds, contain a chemical compound called L-canavanine. L-canavanine is known to destroy the intestinal walls of all rodents, which causes a disease called lathyrism. Lathyrism is so toxic that it can even damage the spinal cord of rats.

The root cause of this fact was discovered in 1887 by French biologist Louis Naudin. He found that feeding squirrels corn seeds had harmful effects on their hind legs and nervous system. This eventually led him to believe that a specific toxin was present only in the roots of corn plants.

In 1891, a German botanist named Hermann Oscar Hertwig found that the root of corn plants contained an unknown toxic agent, which was later discovered to be L-canavanine. L-canavanine is found in all parts of the coriander plant and is also known to be toxic to humans.

Cilantro is not just a food for humans. Many animals in the wild, such as primates, kill each other for it! This may seem strange initially, but it makes sense considering that cilantro can be used as an effective anti-parasitic agent.

Evolutionarily, we can understand why humans find cilantro so appealing. Many animals in the wild, such as primates, kill each other for it! This may seem strange initially, but it makes sense considering that cilantro can be used as an effective anti-parasitic agent.

Cilantro has been found to have powerful anti-parasitic properties. The leaves are chewed up and cooked with a small amount of water to make tea or stew. We know from previous research that humans have never consumed water from cilantro because L-canavanine cannot be broken down by human digestive enzymes (a process known as hydrolysis). This is why we find many plants with such potent anti-parasitic properties.

Since the neurotoxin in cilantro hinders the motor movements of your nervous system, it would be impossible for rats to eat anything, such as coriander leaves, without suffering harm done to their nervous system.

The only way a hamster could eat cilantro is if it chewed up the leaves and then spit out what remained since hamsters cannot taste the calcium channel blockers. It would also have to be drenched in water since L-canavanine cannot be dissolved in average amounts of water (water does not contain L-canavanine’s molecular structure). If this were possible, a hamster would get diarrhea and probably die.

So, I suggest not giving your hamster any part of the coriander plant. The toxicity of cilantro to rats is far from being limited to the coriander root and leaves. The coriander seeds also contain a toxic compound called canavanine which is even more lethal than the root, and what’s more, it makes its way into your hamster’s system through crop dusters.

The only way that a rat could consume cilantro seeds without suffering harm would be if the naked or seedless seed coat were eaten or if the seeds were boiled before being consumed. But again, this is still impossible since birds and mice cannot taste calcium channel blockers.

Cilantro is a dangerous plant for hamsters to eat. The coriander seeds are both poisonous and toxic, and birds and mice (the only animals that can eat them) cannot taste this compound. So do not give your hamster any part of the coriander plant!

The only way a rat could consume cilantro seeds without suffering harm would be if the naked or seedless seed coat were eaten or if the seeds were boiled before being consumed. But again, this is still impossible since birds and mice cannot taste calcium channel blockers. In conclusion, cilantro is a dangerous plant for hamsters to eat.