Carom Seeds (Ajwain) Benefits & Side Effects

Ajwain (also called carom seeds and ajowan caraway) is an Indian spice and ayurvedic medicines used in digestive ailment, mental diseases and respiratory disorders.

It is also a common home remedy used for a variety of health conditions such as abdominal pain, cramps, intestinal gas, indigestion, vomiting, and abdominal distension, and diarrhea, loose stool, breathing trouble and heaviness in abdomen after meal.

Botanical Description

Basic Information

Botanical Classification (Taxonomy)

Medicinal Parts

Seeds are used for therapeutic purposes.

Phytochemistry (Active Constituents)

Ajwain (carom) seeds contain saponins and phenolic compounds. The following volatile oils are also present in ajwain seeds.

• Thymol
• Para-cymene
• α- pinene
• β-pinene
• γ-terpinene

All these volatile oils are responsible for its medicinal properties given below.

Medicinal Properties

Ajwain (carom seed) has following healing properties.

1. Anti-inflammatory
2. Anti-arthritic
3. Antispasmodic
4. Carminative
5. Antiflatulent
6. Digestive Stimulant
7. Hypo-glycemic
8. Analgesic
9. Muscle relaxant
10. Anthelmintic
11. Galactagogue
12. Emmenagogue
13. Antifungal
14. Antioxidant
15. Antimicrobial
16. Antinociceptive
17. Hypolipidemic
18. Antihypertensive
19. Bronchodilator
20. Antitussive
21. Abortifacient (in excess amounts)
22. Antilithiasis
23. Diuretic
24. Antifilarial
25. Cardiac Stimulant

Culinary uses of Ajwain (carom seeds)

Ajwain or carom seeds have a great importance in Indian cooking. These seeds provide flavor and fragrance to food recipes. Carom seeds have a strong aroma and provide a unique taste to chapattis and recipes.

Indian people also believe using carom seeds in food also prevents indigestion, abdominal pain and all other abdominal disorders.

You should also remember that ajwain seeds contain volatile oil, so heat will destroy it. Therefore, you should add ajwain seeds after cooking or in final stage of cooking.

Powder of ajwain seeds is also added in cooked vegetables along with black pepper, long pepper and coriander seeds.

Therapeutic Indications

Ajwain (carom seeds) is helpful in following health conditions.

Digestive Health

• Loss of appetite
• Indigestion
• Gas or flatulence
• Bloating
• Abdominal distension
• Loose stools or diarrhea
• Abdominal pain or cramps
• Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
• Intestinal parasites or worms

Heart & Blood

• High cholesterol levels
• Atherosclerosis
• Bradycardia (Slow Heart Rate)

Lungs & Airways

• Chronic cough
• Asthma
• Productive cough with foul smelly sputum

Muscle, Bones & Joints

• Muscle spasm
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Gout (used with celery seeds)

Women’s Health

• Membranous dysmenorrhea
• Secondary amenorrhea
• Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)
• Backache during periods

Benefits & Medicinal Uses

Ajwain (carom seeds) are famous home remedy for abdominal pain. It is usually found in every Kitchen in India and used to enhance the flavor of the foods and prevents the diseases occurring due to gas formation in the abdomen. Its digestive action helps to promote digestion of the food and proper assimilation of the nutrients from the food into the blood. According to Ayurveda, it is potent AMANASHAK, which means it reduces toxin formation in the digestive canal restricting indigestion and malabsorption.

Disease Prevention

The general use of Ajwain (carom) prevent following health conditions:

• Loss of appetite
• Loss of feeling to eat
• Difficult to digest foods
• Malabsorption
• Intestinal Gas
• Bloating
• Worm infestation
• Spleen disorders
• Liver disorders
• Abdominal pains
• Dyslipidemia
• Atherosclerosis
• Dysmenorrhea

Loss of Appetite

The appetizer action of Ajwain is due its effect on the stomach and liver. In stomach, it modulates the gastric secretion and increases the digestive action. On liver, it is likely to reduce inflammation of hepatic tissue and treats fatty liver disease, which is also a common cause of poor appetite.

In ayurveda, Ajwain is recommended for loss of appetite in following combination:

Flatulence & Intestinal Gas

Ajwain has potent carminative and antiflatulent action. It reduces gas formation in the intestine and also increases its elimination by removing the blockage due to thick and sticky stools.

3 grams Ajwain powder is advised to take with lukewarm water in the morning and evening for excess flatulence or gas problems.

Bloating & Abdominal Distension

The most common cause of bloating and abdominal distension is excess gas accumulation in the abdomen. Ajwain along with other herbs promotes elimination of gas and precludes excess gas formation. In India, it is added in foods because it prevents other foods to form gas in the abdomen and promotes their easier digestion. If condition is mild, then alone Ajwain is sufficient to cure this condition, but if one has obstinate abdominal distension, then following Ajwain combination is proved to be helpful.

Hookworm

However, Ajwain (carom) can help in all types of intestinal worms by stopping the growth of parasites, but is reported by ayurvedic practitioners that it is more effective in hookworm infestation.

Its extract called Ajwain Sat (Carom seed extract) is used in dosage of 125 mg twice daily for a week to eradicate hookworm from the alimentary canal.

Upper Respiratory Tract Infections

Ajwain (carom seeds) has bacteriostatic, bactericidal and antibacterial actions, which helps to fight off upper respiratory tract infections.

In many cases with chronic upper respiratory tract infections, bad odor with the sputum and altered taste of mouth due to it is a main concern reported by patients. In such cases, Ajwain is highly useful remedy. It reduces microbial growth and thickness of the mucus, and increases the expulsion of the accumulated mucus content from the lungs.

In ayurveda, Ajwain (carom seed) powder (Churna) is given along with Shringa Bhasma Praval Pishti and Sitopaladi Churna in following dosage.

Urticaria (Hives)

Ajwain (carom seed) appears to have similar action as modern antihistamine drugs work. In combination as follows, it reduces itching and a good alternative treatment for hives.

Some ayurvedic doctors also use 2 grams Ajwain Churna along with 2 grams jaggery and 125 mg Ras Sindoor to provide immediate relief from intense itching. With this combination effects start within an hour after its intake, which results in complete remission of intense itching within 3 to 6 hours.

Dosage

Ajwain seeds or carom seeds dosage varies according to health condition, age and symptoms. The general dosage table is as follows.

Caution & Side Effects

Ajwain (carom seeds) are LIKELY SAFE in food amounts. Ajwain seeds are also POSSIBLY SAFE in therapeutic dosage. The excess amount (exceeding 10 grams a day) can cause following side effects.

• Acidity
• Burning sensation
• Mouth ulcer

Contraindications

You should not eat ajwain in following conditions.

• Stomach ulcer
• Internal bleeding
• Ulcerative colitis (acute phase)
• Mouth ulcer

Ajwain (carom seeds) can exacerbate these conditions and increase the symptoms of these diseases.

Words of Caution

Some facts should be cleared as follows:

Constipation

Commonly or mistakenly Ajwain (carom) is advised to eat in constipation, but the fact is that it does not work in constipation if you have hard and dry stools or constipation with little lumps of the stools. In such cases, Ajwain must be avoided because it may cause more dryness and hardness of the fecal matter. In such cases, increase water intake, include fiber and you may require stool softeners or laxative medicines.

If you have soft, but sticky clay like stool or pasty and putty like stools with mucus content in the stool, and experience difficulty in bowel movement and feel incomplete emptiness of the bowel after defecation, then Ajwain (carom seeds) can be beneficial. In such case, it is common to have excessive flatulence. Ajwain reduces inflammation of the inner linings of alimentary canal, so it prevents mucus formation. This difference should be understood properly.