DILL - HEALTH BENEFITS

DILL - HEALTH BENEFITS

Anethum graveolens 
Family: Asteraceae
Names:  Dilly, Aneton, Garden dill; Dill, Indische Dille.sowa (Hindi),

Dill or Anethum graveolens is a wonderfully scented annual herb that is used as dill weed and dill seed to enhance many recipes. The weed is gathered from the feather-like leaves of the plant, while the seeds come from the yellow flower “heads” after they have matured.

The word Dill comes from the Saxon word "Dilla" meaning soothe. It has long been taken as an aid to digestion and as a tranquillizer. It is an erect, fennel like plant that grows to a height of 4 feet.

The leaves and seeds get their slightly bitter, pungent flavor and aroma from carvone, which is also found in caraway and is used to flavor  kummel. The flavor of the leaves is a mixture of anise, parsley, and celery with a distinctive green bite on the sides of the tongue. The aroma is a clean combination of mint, citrus, and fennel with a touch of sea air. The seeds taste predominantly of caraway and anise.  Anethum sowa, Indian dill, resembles the European plant, but the seeds are longer and narrower, the ridges are paler, and they taste slightly different.

Health Benefits
1. Dill seed improves digestion and appetite and sweetens the breath.

2. The oil kills bacteria and relieves flatulence.

3. It is frequently used in Ayurvedic and Unani medicines for indigestion, fevers, ulcers, uterine pains and kidney and eye problems.

4. Ethiopians chew the leaves along with fennel to treat headaches and gonorrhea.

5. In Vietnam it is used to treat intestinal diseases.

6. Contemporary herbalists recommend chewing the seeds for bad breath and drinking dill tea both as a digestive aid and to stimulate milk production in nursing mothers.

7. The herb helps relax the smooth muscles of the  digestive tract.

8. One study shows it's also an antifoaming agent, meaning it helps prevent the formation of intestinal gas bubbles. 

9. Historically, injured knights were said to have placed burned dill seeds on their open wounds to speed healing.

10. A mixture of dill, dried honey and butter was once prescribed to treat madness.