Ajwain (Carom Seed)

Have you heard of ajwain, or carom seeds? It is a popular spice used in Indian cooking. It is also loaded with lots of nutrients! The scientific name of ajwain (carom seed) is Trachyspermum Ammi and is commonly known as ajwain. These are the fruits of the ajwain herb. Ajwain or carom has a bitter, pungent taste and closely resembles thyme because of its aroma and taste.

These seeds with all the benefits are a must add to your diet and the best way to consume them is by making their tea. The benefits of carom seeds tea include:

Good for digestive disorders:

Carom seeds are effective for digestive disorders and are often suggested in herbal medication. Consuming carom seed improves your gut health and helps your body combat peptic ulcers.

According to studies, they are effective for the stomach, small intestine, and esophagus ulcers. A study on rats was conducted to observe the effect of carom seeds extract on the ulcers caused by ibuprofen.

These seeds are suggested by herbalists to treat chronic indigestion and gas problems. Indigestion causes pain in the upper stomach which is due to the pressure caused by the food. Carom seeds extract helps to speed up the process of food passing through the stomach and improve your digestion.

The best remedy for irregular periods:

Oligomenorrhea is the term used for irregular periods and is one of the common problems women face. Many factors cause disturbance in your menstrual cycle which includes your lifestyle, weight loss, your health conditions, and hormonal issues. Disturbance in your regular cycle causes anxiety and stress which leads to looking for better solutions around you.

Natural remedies are the best solution for this problem as these do not cause any side effects. Carom seeds act as a muscle relaxant and help to relieve menstrual cramps. Besides relieving cramps, a concoction of carom seeds and jaggery helps to induce your periods.

Ajwain nutrition:

Carom seeds are full of nutrition and include protein, fat, and fiber. They also contain a significant amount of calcium, potassium, sodium, phosphorous iron, niacin, and thiamine. These seeds also yield thymol which is an essential oil.

Helps to relieve arthritis pain:

Carom seeds help to reduce the redness with the antibiotic properties and helps to combat inflammation. These seeds also possess anti-inflammatory activity that helps to relieve pain and swelling. Chronic inflammation has negative impacts on your body and can increase the risk of many diseases.

A study conducted on rats indicated that carom extracts have significant anti-inflammatory effects. According to another study, rats with arthritis were treated with carom extracts for 21 days. Administration of this extract in the body helped to improve the arthritis markers which include elastase, one of the enzymes associated with inflammation.

Prevents coughing and helps to improve airflow:

Carom seeds provide relief from coughing. They produce a more anti-coughing effect, especially when compared to codeine, which is commonly suggested for cough. The metabolites found in carom seeds help to improve the airflow in your lungs thus also helps to treat asthma patients. Carom seeds are effective to increase the airflow in 30 to 180 minutes after administration.

Helps to lower the blood pressure:

Hypertension or high strain on your blood vessels increases the risk of heart diseases and stroke. The way adopted to treat high blood pressure is to block the calcium receptors to enter your heart. Blockage of these receptors causes relaxation in the vessels and helps them to expand which results in low blood pressure.

Thymol, a major constituent of carom seeds helps to block these calcium receptors and thus helps to lower your blood pressure. Studies also demonstrate that the carom seeds help to reduce the blood pressure level in rats.

For toothache and ears:

Carom extracts also help to relieve toothaches and the dreaded ear pain. Even inhaling the fumes of carom seeds tea can do wonders to aching tooth. It also helps to combat the smell in the mouth caused by different bacteria.

The thymol found in carom seeds also possesses antifungal and antibacterial activity. Because of this property, it is suggested to clean the wounds with carom seed extracts. Moreover, if consumed as a tea, it helps to treat internal infections and boost your immune system.

How to make Ajwain Tea (Carom Seed Tea):

The best way to make the tea is to take four glasses of water in a pan and add four tablespoons full of carom seeds to this water. Allow it to boil for 20 to 30 minutes so that the volume of water reduces to one glass (8 oz). Now strain this carom seed tea with a strainer and consume it. The tea with all the health benefits is ready to consume. You can add your favorite sweetener to improve the taste but consuming it unsweetened is suggested. Enjoy!