What is caraway? Properties and benefits

What is caraway and what is it used for?

caraway (Carum carvi) belongs to the Umbelliferae family anise, fennel and cumin. In fact, she is also known as persian cumin either meridian fennel. Like these, it is used as seasoning in stews and pastries.

grows wild on wet meadows and pastures in mountain areas of almost all of Europe, although in Spain it is restricted to the Pyrenees, localized points of the Iberian and Central system and Cantabrian mountains. Is a biennial plantlittle leafy, with umbels small white flowers.

In addition to his culinary useswith medicinal purposes the small fruits of the caraway are used. We can find it in various presentations: the dry plant for infusion, the powdered plant, the fluid and dry extracts, the tincture and the essential oil in a bottle.

Medicinal properties and benefits of caraway

Highlights the content in essence of its seeds –with 70% carvone and 30% limonene–, but the fruits also have flavonoids and caffeic acid. Like other umbellifers, caraway has properties carminative, antiflatulent, antiseptic and antispasmodic.

Caraway fruits against halitosis

It is used as a digestive tonic to whet the appetite in listless or convalescent people, and above all to avoid gasesthe bad taste in the mouth, halitosis and flatulence. The fruits –ground– can be taken alone or with yogurt: half a tablespoon of coffee, after the main meals, is enough to enjoy its properties against bad breath.

Caraway tea against abdominal swelling

To relieve abdominal swelling and flatulence, experts propose mix the fruits of caraway with other carminative plants such as fennel, licorice and green anisein equal parts.

How to prepare it: A tablespoon of this mixture is used per glass of water, boiled for three minutes and left to rest for another ten. It is then filtered and can be drunk throughout the day.

Infusion for infant colic

is used the caraway infusion with chamomilealso indicated to relieve gastrointestinal spasms, gastroenteritis and dyspepsia.

Relaxing scent: caraway seed essential oil

Of the caraway seeds an essential oil is obtained that is highly valued in aromatherapy. With a sweet and penetrating aroma, it is used to relax and regenerate the skin in baths and massages, although in the latter case it must be mixed with vegetable oils so that it does not irritate.

It is used in Oily skinseborrheic, in cases of acne and before insect bites.

Caraway for skin lesions: fungus, wounds and burns

In topical use, caraway is antiseptic and antifungal. It is used in fungal infections of the skin by fungi of the genus Trichophyton, Microsporum and epidermophytonamong others.

It is also used as a home remedy for clean and heal superficial woundsin otitis and about Burns and scalds. The ground fruits they also improve scratches, wounds and burns.

We can prepare a homemade formula against fungus skin combining caraway with pao d’arco, thyme and horsetailin equal parts.

How to prepare it: three tablespoons of the mixture per half liter of water. Boil for five minutes, rest for ten and filter. With the decoction, the affected area is thoroughly washed and left to act, without the need to rinse.

Advisor: J Mª Teixé, herbalist at “El Manantial de Salud”.