Carom Seeds or Ajwain Seeds benefits includes relieving indigestion, boosting respiratory health, controlling cholesterol level, relieving arthritic pain, relieving menstrual pain and repelling mosquito. Other benefits includes preventing premature greying hair, can be used as a gargle for tooth aches, can relieve bloating and gas, can be used to clean wounds and may help promote weight loss.
What is Carom Seeds (Ajwain)?
If you’ve never heard of Carom Seeds or Ajwain Seeds as it is popularly known in India, that’s really not a surprise, as it seems to be heavily used on the Indian subcontinent and not much other places. However, that may just change after you read this and learn of all the things this versatile seed (or should we say fruit?) has to offer. First, a brief history lesson.
Carom seeds share a long storied past in the place they most likely originated from, India. Carom “seeds” are really not seeds at all, but rather the fruit of the plant. However, their tiny size and texture justifies why many people even confuse them in the first place. In contrast to many other kinds of seeds, however, they are rarely consumed raw; not for safety concerns, but due to their bitter taste.
Today, they are used widely in cooking in Asian and Middle Eastern countries, though their usage is also trickling down to international cuisines. They, however, have a very potent and overpowering flavor, which can easily spoil a meal if the cook is inexperienced. Thus, they are typically used in very tiny amounts and usually dry roasted or added to various sauces to account for their potent taste.
As more people are getting familiarized with this seed, they are coming to appreciate the benefits it can have on health, and seeking ways to incorporate more into their diets. If you’ve never heard of its wonderful benefits, then you’re in luck, as you’re about to get filled in!
Nutrition Info of Carom Seeds (per 100g)
Calories-305
Total Fat-25 g
Total Carbs-43 g
Dietary Fiber-39 g
Protein-16 g
11 Wonderful Benefits of Carom Seeds (Ajwain)
1. Can Help Relieve Indigestion
Carom seeds are used in conjunction with cumin and ginger in India to treat a host of digestive disturbances, most frequently including indigestion, acid reflux and heartburn. Though ginger is believed to worsen acidity on its own, that is actually not the case when it is combined with cumin and carom seeds.
2. Boost Respiratory Health
Carom seeds contain thymol, a compound found abundantly in Thyme and which possesses anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties. These properties make it uniquely poised to treat common respiratory ailments, including bronchitis, asthma and the common cold. A teaspoon of crushed carom seeds in water is also said to have expectorant properties, facilitating the removal of excessive mucus from the lungs via sputum.
3. Can Help You Control Your Cholesterol Levels
Do you struggle with keeping your LDL levels under control? If the answer is yes, carom seeds can help you out. Though a detailed cholesterol profiles entails LDL and many other aspects as part of the overall picture, often times LDL is the part people find the greatest difficulty to control. Carom seeds have good amounts of polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats, which have been studied and accepted as effective ways to reduce your LDL levels. The fiber content of the seeds also help to promote cholesterol excretion as bile, which in turn reduce cholesterol deposits on artery walls.
4. Can Relieve Arthritic Pain
Arthritis usually has two components that may for a very uncomfortable condition; pain and inflammation. While there are many treatments available to help with arthritis, they almost always possess side effects, ranging from stomach pain to blood disorders and more. When a natural remedy comes along that is able to address these issues, we graciously accept it. This time, you can thank carom seeds. Carom seeds have anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties thanks to its thymol presence, which eases both the swelling and pain familiar in arthritic joint. To benefit from its offering, consume a crushed teaspoon of the seeds daily in water.
5. Are A Great Mosquito Repellant
While it could be due to the presence of thymol in carom seeds, this natural repellant seems to work much better when combined with mustard oil. While this combination can be placed in a spray bottle and used as needed, you can alternatively soak pieces of cardboard in the solution and place strategically around your home. Just re-soak as necessary to keep the pesky blood suckers away.
6. Can Help Relieve Menstrual Pain
A woman’s monthly menstruation is rife with pain, bloating, and irritability to name a few. While some medications work to relieve spasms, carom seeds work to reduce nerve transmission that mediates the pain. It is well known that nerves have the final say when it comes to pain, so slowing down or reducing their transmission of pain will do wonders in making this time every month less of a pain.
7. Can Help Prevent Premature Greying Of Hair
While the greying of hair is a natural process, there is usually a time in life reserved for this to happen. Typically, this starts in our forties or beyond, but with each subsequent generation that passes, it seems like it speeds up by a decade or so. Today, it is not uncommon to see young people in their teens or twenties with greying of the hair occurring, but for the most part people think it is normal. However, it is usually as a result of excessive oxidative processes occurring at the cellular level, sometimes on DNA, causing premature aging. Carom seeds, thanks to their anti-oxidant properties, can buffer the likelihood of permanent DNA damage occurring and slow aging.
8. Can Be Used As A Gargle For Tooth Aches
Toothaches are horribly painful, as a result of the deep innervations teeth typically possess. When a tooth ache occurs, you will be lucky to find anything that offers even a little bit of relief, which is what carom seeds can offer. Grind some seeds, mix in water and add a dash of salt, then gargle as needed to keep the pain under control, until you visit your dentist to find the cause of your pain.
9. Can Help Relieve Bloating And Gas
Bloating and gas usually occur in response to the food we eat, or from excessive acidity in the stomach, which leads to gas production. It was already established that carom seeds aid digestion, but also can help manage gas and flatulence as a bonus. Since gas production tends to go up when indigestion occurs, it actually accomplished two goals in one.
10. Can Be Used To Clean Wounds
Carom seeds made into an essential oil can be used to clean wounds and prevent infection. Simply apply a few drops to some cotton wool and gently clean the affected area twice daily. Carom seeds can also reduce the tenderness associated with the wound as well.
11. May Help With Weight Loss
Carom seeds are rich in fiber, which is a positively associated factor in weight loss, but also enhances the breakdown of fat for use as fuel. This means that you can lose weight without exercise, as fat is burned by itself, it does, however, help if you consume a lot carb diet while attempting to lose weight, so fat will be more efficiently targeted.
Conclusion
There is a lot more to carom seeds than meets the eye, which is why it is worth the second look. Try adding it to more foods to increase your intake, since its taste is overpowering to many and will deter them from consuming it directly.
