Description
Botanical Name– Carum carvi
English Name – Black Caraway, Black cumin
Sanskrit Name – Krishna jeerak, Kala jeera
Hindi Name – Kali jeera
Caraway is usually a biennial, 30-100 cm high herbaceous plant with small feathery leaves and a fleshy, fusiform tap root. It blooms once in every two years. Caraway seeds are similar in appearance to cumin, a well known Indian spice. It has a crescent shape, dark brown in color, with up to five stripes running lengthwise on their surface. It is cultivated widely in northern and central parts of Europe, North Africa and Asia Minor Regions including India.
Caraway has healing power and its oil, fruit, and seeds are used as medicine.
Caraway is used for digestive problems including acidity, heartburn, bloating, loss of appetite, and abdominal colic, mild spasms of the stomach and intestines. Jeera water strengthens you internally and also has huge benefits on skin and hair.
Jeera (also known as Cumin seeds in English language and botanically as Cuminum cyminum) is Indian Spices as well as ayurvedic medicine used for several diseases of the respiratory, digestive, circulatory and reproductive system.
Energetics of Caraway
According to Ayurveda
Rasa (Taste) – Katu (Pungent)
Guna (Physical Property) – Laghu (Light), Ruksha (Dry)
Virya (Potency) – Ushna (Hot)
Vipaka (Taste Conversion After Digestion) – Katu (Pungent)
Effect on Doshas : It pacifies Kapha and Vata Dosha and increases Pitta Dosha.
(reduces SAMA PITTA condition). Classical Categorization Charaka Samhita – Shoola prashamana (group of herbs that relieve abdominal pain) Sushruta and vagbhata– Pippalyadi group of herbs |
Chemical Constituents
It has 4–7% volatile oil which consists of approx. 60% carvone. Other constituents include carveol, carvacrol, dihydrocarvone and terpene limonene. The most important constituent of the oil is a hydrocarbon named ‘carvene’ and an oxygenated oil ‘carvol’.
Caraway is an excellent source of essential minerals like iron, calcium, copper, potassium, manganese, magnesium, selenium, and zinc.
- Copperis required for red blood cells production.
- Iron is also required for red blood cell formation.
- Zincis a co-factor in many enzymes that regulate growth and development, digestion and nucleic acid synthesis.
- Potassiumis an important component of cell and body fluids which help regulate heart rate and blood pressure.
- Manganeseused by the body as a co-factor for the powerful antioxidant enzyme, superoxide dismutase.
The caraway seeds also contain many vital vitamins including Vitamin-A, vitamin-E, vitamin-C as well as many B-complex vitamins like thiamine, pyridoxine, riboflavin and niacin.
Role
- Anti-inflammatory
- Anti-bacterial
- Anti-fungal
- Analgesic
- Antioxidant
- Digestive
- Carminative
- Anti-flatulent
- Diuretic
- Aphrodisiac
- Anti-cancer
- Anti-diabetic
- Antispasmodic
Benefits
General Wellness
Basic herbs in our kitchen like jeera, ajwain, haldi, tulsi are very helpful in maintaining overall health. Also known as ‘The wonder condiment’, jeera or cumin is available through all seasons, lends strong flavor and aroma and spices up your cuisine.
Skin and Hair
A glowing and healthy skin is the dream of every person. It is also a sign of good health.
- Free radical scavengers present in cumin makes it an excellent detoxifier and cleanser.
- Minerals keep the skin soft, supple and smooth.
- It is also helpful in skin conditions like acne, itching and scabies.
- Caraway is also used in mouthwashes and in skin rubs to improve blood flow.
- Caraway improves our digestive system, thereby helps skin absorb essential nutrients effectively and also nourishes the skin.
- It also possess anti-oxidative and anti-ageing properties, thus prevents premature aging of skin.
- It also helps reduce burning sensation and soothes the skin.
Vitamins and minerals present in Caraway nourishes the hair from the roots, keeping them healthy and strong. It also adds extra shine to the hair making it silky and lustrous.
Digestive Disorders
Caraway has digestive properties, which makes it essential element in Cooking practices.
- Helps stimulate secretion of enzymes that break carbohydrates and fats.
- increases digestive fire and metabolism
- Helpful in digestive issues like diarrhea, indigestion, ulcers, acidity, heartburn, malabsorption, nausea, flatulence, bloating and morning sickness.
- Caraway seeds are a rich source of dietary fiber. It increases the bulk of the food and helps prevent constipation by speeding up its movement through the gut.
- Dietary fiber binds to the toxins in the food and helps protect the colon mucosa from cancer.
- Antioxidants (present in jeera)help flush out toxins from the body and promotes better functioning of the liver and the stomach.
- It is very beneficial in digestive problems including Loss of Appetite, Loss of Desire to Eat & Loss of Taste, Nausea & Vomiting, Diarrhea, Abdominal colic.
- It reduces the AMA (toxins)formation in the alimentary canal.
Treats Anemia
Caraway is a natural remedy for treating anemia. As it contains iron, it helps in the formation of red blood corpuscles in the blood.
Boosts Immunity
Vitamins A and C found in jeera have antioxidant benefits and boosts your immune system.
Female Health
Cumin seeds are rich in iron, which makes it beneficial for pregnant as well as lactating women. It helps nourish the fetus in the womb. It also relieves inflammation of the uterus and menstrual cramps. It is also used in treating Leucorrhoea.
- Low Breast milk Supply
At times, after delivery women face issue with low breast milk supply. Cumin has galactagogue action, which promotes the production of milk. It also improves the quality of the milk and makes it easily digestible for the baby and improves the digestive health of the baby.
- Postpartum Debility
It is one of the most common herbs used along with Ajwain (carom seeds) and jaggery (Gur) after delivery to restore the health, treat weakness and the postpartum debility. It also cleanses the uterus, increases milk production, and increases strength and stamina.
Heart Care
Cumin helps regulate blood pressure since it is high in potassium content. Dietary fibers present in Cumin bind to bile salts (produced from cholesterol) and decrease their re-absorption in the colon, and thus help in reducing serum LDL cholesterol levels.
Respiratory System
Cumin is very good herb for your respiratory system. It is anti-congestive and dilutes the mucous accumulated in the chest, enabling discharge of the mucous. It has antiseptic properties and kills microorganisms responsible for cold, cough and fever.
Prevents Neurological Problems
Cumin is rich in flavonoid antioxidants. They remove harmful free radicals from the body and thus protects from cancer, infection, ageing and degenerative neurological diseases.
It also improves brain power and memory. It is also used in the treatment of Insomnia.
Other Uses
- Fights several infections and diseases.
- helps to lose weight
- Also used in the treatment of
- Worm infestation, Scorpion stings
- It is helpful in fevers both acute and chronic.
- Used as a fragrance in toothpaste, soap, and cosmetics.
Why Ayurveda24 CARAWAY?
Concentrated with 250 mg extract of Caraway?
MORE POTENT
Organic product
Less dosage – one capsule a day will be sufficient.
We will soon witness the day where Modern Medicine and Herbs (opposite fields of medicine) will work together for the Treatment and Benefit of the human.
CALL US FOR FREE CONSULTATION
WE PUT LIFE INTO LIFE