Health Benefits of Ajwain (Carom Seeds)

About Ajwain/Carom Seeds

Ajwain is known as carom seeds in English, however most commonly famous as ajwain seed, ajwan, ajowan, ajwon and etc, belongs to the Apiaceae family. Ajwain plant is also known as bishop’s weed. It was first originated in the eastern Mediterranean regions like Egypt which was then spread to all across the world. Its seeds and leaves are used for the medicinal and cooking purposes in India. It is a seed having bitter and pungent taste with nice smelling and aromatic flavor. It is one of the highly cultivated seeds in India (highest production in Rajasthan) and Iran.

Benefits of Ajwain Seeds (Carom Seeds)

Ajwain seed is the most important spice of the Indian kitchen used for both purposes therapeutic and culinary. It is very beneficial for the health thus used by almost every Indian as a home remedy to treat various health disorders. Some of its most important nutritional and medicinal health benefits are mentioned below:

Benefits of Ajwain Seeds for Digestive System

Cures Indigestion and Flatulence

• Eating ajwain seeds or carom seeds helps in curing several digestive problems including indigestion and flatulence as it is contains a substance having therapeutic effects called tahymol which is specially found in only plant and very effective for stomach.

Speeds up Digestion Process

• It enhances the release of gastric juices in order to speed up the digestion process thus cures stomach pain, loss of appetite, gas, bloating, indigestion, flatulence, nausea, colic pain among kids and etc.

Cures Acidity

• It is a very good home remedy for curing acidity as it reduces acids regurgitation if ajwain and jeera seeds water (boil one tsf of both jeera and ajwain seeds into water) is taken during acidity.

Benefits of Ajwain Seeds during Pregnancy and Lactation

Cures Digestive Disorders

• Ajwain seed helps women during their pregnancy and breast feeding time by improving the digestion as well as curing lots of digestive disorders because of its anti-inflammatory and curative properties.

Provides Strength to Body

• Carom seed cures constipation and strengthens uterine muscles as well as enhances breast milk production after pregnancy among lactating mothers.

Purifies Blood

• Ajwain seed helps in purifying blood as well as reducing back pain during pregnancy.

Benefits of Ajwain Seeds and Ajwain Water after Delivery

Relieves Pain and inflammation

• Ajwain seed helps in after pregnancy wound healing and pain after the baby delivery by reducing inflammations and maintaining healthy blood circulation all over the body.

Benefits of Ajwain Seeds for Heart

Regularizes Heart Functioning

• Ajwain seed is very good home remedy for keeping heart healthy as it contains niacin vitamin and thymol compound which helps in regularizing heart functioning.

Induces Healthy Blood Circulation

• Carom seed improves nerve impulses as well as healthy blood circulation towards heart if little warm ajwain water is taken with empty stomach on regular basis.

Benefits of Ajwain Seeds for Diabetes Mellitus

Reduces Complications of Diabetes

• Ajwain seed helps in curing diabetes by reducing the complications (like excess urination, thirst and etc) of diabetes if one tsf of ajwain seeds is taken with four tsf of bael leaves juice two times a day.

Benefits of Ajwain Seeds for Weight Loss

Fastens Bowel Movements

• Ajwain seed is the appetite stimulator however it also has laxative property and fastens bowel movements thus reduces the weight if taken regularly.

Benefits of Ajwain Seeds for Skin

Treats Skin Disorders

• Applying the mixture of ajwain seeds paste and curd on the skin helps in treating pimples, scars, acne, blemishes, blackheads and rashes.

Cures Skin Infections

• Carom seed helps in curing skin infections including itching, ulcers and ringworm.

Benefits of Ajwain Seeds for Kids

Treats Bed Wetting Problem

• Ajwain seed helps in treating the most common bed wetting problems among kids if the mixture of carom seeds, black sesame and jaggery or gur is taken twice daily.

Benefits of Ajwain Seeds for Men and Women

Boosts Energy Level

• It helps in enhancing the sexual activities, libido and energy level among couples because of its natural aphrodisiac property if it is taken with honey, tamarind seeds, ghee and milk on daily basis.

Improves Sperm Quality

• Ajwain seed helps in improving sperm quality and count as well as treating disorder of premature ejaculation.

Cures Various Disorders

• It is a natural remedy to cure some women health disorders like leucorrhea, female infertility and etc.

Treats Menstrual Disorders

• Carom seed helps in relieving menstrual pain as well as treating other menstrual disorders like stopped menses, excessive bleeding, irregular menses and etc.

Other Health Benefits of Ajwain Seeds

Provides Relief from Respiratory Problems

• Thymol found in it acts as a local anesthetic agent as well as performs anti-bacterial and anti-fungal activities thus provide relief from common respiratory problems like cough and asthma by removing congestion due to phlegm. It can be taken directly by mixing with gur or indirectly as a chest massage with ajwain seeds oil.

Relieves Pain and Inflammation

• Carom seed provides relief from the pain and inflammation during rheumatic arthritis and arthritis if the affected area is soaked in the luke warm water having ajwain seeds for few minutes. Ajwain seeds paste can also be applied to the affected area directly for getting instant relief.

Instant Pain Reliever

• Its antiseptic property provides instant relief from the earache caused due to the boils if the extract of ajwain seeds and garlic into sesame oil is applied.
• It also provides relief from earache due to congestion if some drops of slightly warm ajwain extracted milk (heat some ajwain seeds into milk and let it cool at room temperature) is applied to the affected ear.

Soothes Irritating Nerve

• Carom seed helps in treating hiccups problem by soothing irritating nerve and reducing inflammation some ajwain seeds is taken with a cup of water.

Cures Migraine Problem

• It helps in curing migraine problem by reducing pain during migraine whether ajwain fume is inhaled or ajwain seeds paste is applied on the head.

Clears Respiratory Passage

• It is a good broncho-dilator thus inhaling ajwain smoke makes breathing easier during cold, cough, asthma.

Dissolves Kidney Stones

• Carom seed helps in dissolving kidney stones as well as removing out through the urine if the mixture of ajwain seeds, honey and vinegar is taken regularly for two weeks.

Reduces Poisonous Effect

• Its pain killing property helps in reducing the effects of venomous insect bite pain (scorpion bite).

Cures Fever

• Ajwain seed also helps in curing fever, liver enlargement and spleen swelling.

Good Mosquito Repellent

• Carom or ajwain seed is a good mosquito repellent ajwain paste and mustard oil is sprinkled in the corners of room.

Benefits of Ajwain Oil

Rich Source of Essential Oil

• It contains various essential oil having properties like antiseptic, germicidal, fungicidal and antispasmodic thus helps in curing nausea, cholera, vomiting, colic pain, diarrhea, flatulence, dyspepsia, indigestion, arthritic pain and etc.

Treats Arthritic Pain

• Ajwain oil massage on the affected joints and areas helps in treating arthritic pain.

Benefits of Ajwain Water/Ajwain ka Pani

Helps to get away from Alcohol Addiction

• Carom seed water helps in getting away from the bad habits of alcohol addiction if boiled ajwain water is taken during sleeping time for two months regularly.

Cures Cholera

• It helps in curing cholera as it has ability to reduce the effects of thread worms as well as intestinal infection due to bacteria.

Cures Tooth Pain

• Gargling mouth with the ajwain water helps in curing tooth pain.

Benefits of Ajwain Tea

Cures various Health Disorders

• Ajwain tea has lots of health disorders curing properties instead of having pungent smell. It can be easily prepared at home by boiling some ajwain seeds into water. Some other things like elaichi, gur, black pepper, milk and ginger can also be added according the taste and requirement.

Treats Seasonal Disorders

• It is very effective for treating cold, cough, seasonal disorders especially during rainy and winter seasons and etc as it is rich source of all the macro and micro nutrients.

Benefits of Ajwain Leaves

Treats Common Health Disorders

• Ajwain leaves are very beneficial to the health and used for various purposes to treat common health disorders like cold, cough, fever and etc among kids.

Relieves Digestive Disorders

• It also provides relief from digestive disorders such as gas, flatulence, abdominal discomforts and vomiting as well as improves digestion and stimulates appetite.

Relieves Colic Pain

• It is antiseptic in nature used during colic pain among babies.

Inhibits Pathogenic Bacterial Growth

• Ajwain leaves extract helps in treating dysbiosis (microbial imbalances) in the body by inhibiting the pathogenic bacterial growth in the intestine.

Nutritional Benefits of Ajwain Seeds per 100 g

Energy: 305 calories

Carbohydrate: 43 g

Fibers: 39 g

Protein: 16 g

Fat: 25 g

Saturated Fat: 4 g

Polyunsaturated Fat: 15 g

Monounsaturated Fat: 5 g

Sodium: 10 g

How to Select and Store

Ajwain is commonly available all through the year on the stores thus can be easily found anytime. Always buy seeds of the ajwain instead of buying its powder or other forms as they may have impurities. Select nice smelling ajwain with heavy weight, fresh look and natural color ajwain packed in the air tight container or poly bags from the market.

Avoid buying opened packing of the ajwain seeds having no smell or changing its color as they may have no flavor due to the loss of essential oils found in fresh ajwain. It can be stored at home for long time by packing it in the airtight container and placing at cool, dry and dark place away from direct sunlight and humidity.

How to Enjoy

Ajwain seeds can be enjoyed in many ways in Indian kitchen. It can be enjoyed as ajwain water, powder, oil, leaves, soup, tea and etc. It can be added to many recipes to add flavor and nice smell like ajwain parantha, laddoo, pickles, curry, fried rice, snacks, biscuits, cookies, sauce, flavor drinks and so many. Ajwain leaves are used to prepare some delicious Indian dishes like pakaura, bajji, thambuli and etc.

Precautions, Side Effects and Disadvantages of Ajwain

Ajwain is commonly used spice in the Indian kitchen for therapeutic, cooking and home remedy to cure common problems of skin, hair and etc however it needs some precautions because of the side effects and disadvantages which are mentioned below:

• As it enhances gut secretions thus it may lead to the risk of some digestive disorders like stomach ulcer, intestinal ulcer, bleeding, liver diseases, colon ulcer, diverticulitis and etc.
• It may lower down the blood pressure and heart rate thus should be avoided during pregnancy or person suffering from some serious health disorders.
• In large quantity it may lead to the headache, nausea, vomiting, eye problems and etc. Even some people are allergic to it and may develop rashes, running nose and weakness.
• Its excess use causes skin to become more sensitive to the sun rays which lead to the development of skin cancer.
• It may enhance uterus contractions thus avoided during pregnancy or breast-feeding.
• Because of its tendency of lowering down the blood pressure and slowing down the blood clotting process, it should be avoided before and after the surgery. It should also be avoided with the medications taken to lower BP and slow blood clotting.

How Much Ajwain to Eat a Day

Ajwain is a spice having medicinal property instead of being small in size however it may cause some serious health disorders if taken irregularly, without any need or excess amount. Thus it should be used carefully whether in the kitchen or as a medicine.