How ajwain or carom seeds can boost your health

Read this in Hindi, Marathi Your mother or grandmother hands out few seeds of ajwain (carom seeds or bishop’s weed) to you every time you have a stomach upset, and you feel relieved. What's more

By: Pavitra Sampath | | Updated: April 12, 2017 6:39 pm

Read this in Hindi, Marathi

Your mother or grandmother hands out few seeds of ajwain (carom seeds or bishop’s weed) to you every time you have a stomach upset, and you feel relieved. What’s more, ajwain is easily available in the Indian household and acts as an effective natural aid for a wide range of health issues. Here are top 10 reasons why you should chew few ajwain seeds or add them in your diet without fail!

1. Beat indigestion and flatulence

Ajwain contains high levels of thymol, a chemical, which aids the release of gastric juices from the stomach and thus, speed up the process of digestion. This is the reason, why ajwain plays a key role in relieving indigestion, flatulence, nausea and colicky pain in babies.

How to use it: Boil a teaspoon of ajwain seeds in a cup of water till it is reduced to half, strain and drink this water for instant relief from indigestion. Another good remedy for nausea is to take a teaspoonful of the seeds and wrap it in a betel leaf. Place this at the back of the mouth and swallow the juice slowly as long as the leaf is intact. Here are some more expert tips to beat indigestion.

2. Improves digestion during pregnancy or lactation

Due to its great anti-inflammatory and curative properties, ajwain is great for pregnant and lactating mothers. It helps to improve digestion, ward off constipation due to pregnancy and strengthens the muscles that make up the floor of the uterus. After pregnancy, ajwain is known to heal the woman’s body internally, reduce inflammation and helps maintain blood circulation. In some cases, it is also believed to improve breast milk production in lactating mothers.

How to use it: For pregnant women and lactating mothers, ajwain is given with gud (jaggery) to improve digestion. It is important that mothers-to-be do not eat too much of this seed as it is known to increase the heat (causing pitta levels to increase) in the body. This might cause problems with the pregnancy.

3. Relieves cough and asthma

The thymol, present in ajwain makes it a great local anaesthetic, anti-bacterial and anti-fungal compound. This herb is known to relieve congestion caused due to formation of phlegm (even in severe cases).

How to use it: Crush a few seeds of ajwain with a pestle, mix it with jaggery and eat the mixture like a toffee. Another quick method is to tie it in a soft cloth and heat the bundle over a warm tawa. Apply this warm bundle over the chest to relieve congestion immediately. Here are 7 things you should avoid when you’re suffering from a cough.

4. Helps ease rheumatic and arthritic pain

Due to its anti-inflammatory and anaesthetic properties, ajwain is a good way to get rid of pain due to rheumatism and arthritis. It also contains powerful antibiotic compounds that help in soothing inflammation and other symptoms such as skin itching, redness and pain caused due to inflammatory skin diseases.

How to use it: Try soaking your aching joints in a basin of warm water with a few seeds of ajwain. Alternatively you could crush the seed and apply the paste on the affected area for instant relief. Here are 6 natural remedies for arthritic pain you should try

5. Provide instant relief from earache

Earache is commonly caused due to cough and cold or inflammation of the ear lobes. However, ajwain contains antibacterial and anti-inflammatory compounds that help in relieving congestion.

How to use it: Due to its antiseptic properties ajwain mixed with garlic and sesame oil provides instant relief from earache due to boils. If a person is suffering from earaches due to congestion, a good remedy is to heat ajwain with milk. Putting a few drops of either of the mixtures in the ear can help relieve pain and discomfort.

6. Helps improve your sex life

Did you know that ajwain is a great natural aphrodisiac? Yes, this herb helps to spice up your sex life significantly along with giving your body a calm relaxing effect. Ajwain leads to greater sexual virility and higher libido in both the sexes by acting on the hormones responsible for sex drive.

How to use it: Mixing ajwain with the seeds of tamarind, honey, ghee and milk is a great way to increase vitality. Having the mixture every day helps improve vitality and libido. Here are home remedies to boost your sex life, increase your libido and last longer in bed.

7. Keeps the heart healthy

Due to the presence of niacin and thymol along with other vitamins, ajwain is very good in maintaining heart health. It has properties that improve nerve impulses and overall circulation within the heart.

How to use it: Have ajwain boiled in hot water on an empty stomach regularly to keep heart disease at bay.

8. Cures hiccups instantly

As mentioned earlier, ajwain has properties that help reduce inflammation and soothes irritated nerves. Because of this, it acts a great remedy to stop hiccups instantly. Know in detail about causes for prolonged hiccups and remedies to get rid of them.

How to use it: Have a few raw ajwain seeds with a few sips of water and watch your hiccups vanish instantly.

9. Acts as an effective remedy for acidity

Since it helps improve digestion, ajwain also helps in relieving acidity. The thymol content helps release stomach acids which helps reduce the regurgitation of acids.

How to use it: Mix one teaspoon of ajwain with one teaspoon of jeera (cumin) and boil them in a glass of water. The solution should have a golden colour. Drink this whenever there is an attack of acidity for an instant relief. Here are some food do’s and dont’s for acidity.

10. Relieves pain due to migraines

When the seed is burned or crushed into a poultice, it releases its essential oils high in thymol content; this gives it a pain relieving effect.

How to use it: Sniffing the fumes of ajwain or applying its paste on the head helps relieve the pain due to migraines. You can also put ajwain powder in a thin cloth and smell this frequently, to combat an acute attack of common cold and migraine headache. Read more about 8 yoga asanas to beat migraine.

Note: If any of your symptoms persist or you have a pre-existing condition, please consult your doctor. This is an educational article and not a substitute for proper medical care.

Image Source: Getty Images

Published: August 14, 2015 4:01 pm | Updated:April 12, 2017 6:39 pm

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