It’s time to start raiding your spice rack.

A new study has revealed that cumin may just be the secret ingredient to successful weight loss. According to research from Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences in Iran, cumin was proven to help you lose weight, decrease body fat and improve high cholesterol levels. The study took two groups of women who were placed on the exact same controlled diet for three months. The only difference was one group of women were asked to eat 3g of cumin (one teaspoon) every day as part of their diet. The women in the spice group lost an extra three pounds of weight and their collective body fat drop was 14.64% - nearly three times the loss of the non-cumin group at 4.91%. The spice was also seen to drop the women’s bad cholesterol reading by 10 points. According to researchers, the plant chemicals in cumin prevent cholesterol being absorbed in our bodies, and may potentially increase our metabolic rate. So next time you’re roasting vegetables or making a curry, sprinkle some cumin over your food for an added weight loss boost! One handy way to up those efforts this January.