Health Benefits of Caraway Seeds
By Madhusudhan Tammisetti
The scientific name of caraway is Carum carvi, but it's also known as Apium carvi, which is derived from its geographical location. You may find it in abundance across the Middle East and Europe. It's also found in much of northern Africa and used in local cuisine for generations, and health professionals recognize its medical properties worldwide.
Caraway seeds provide a variety of health benefits, including boosting breast milk production, decreasing high blood pressure, combating germs, preventing intestinal worms, soothing spasms, and relieving cough. Other advantages include increasing and supporting good sleep, lowering stress and weariness, boosting eye health, maintaining healthy skin, being rich in fiber, and promoting heart health.
Good for Cough
Caraway seeds contain antitussive and expectorant properties, which help reduce coughing in two ways. Its expectorant qualities aid in the mucus breakdown and removal from the lungs, and its direct suppressive action on the brain reduces the urge to cough. Its expectorant characteristics are best for chesty coughs, whilst its antitussive effects are better for dry coughs.
Rich in Fiber
Caraway seeds provide around 10 percent of the daily required fiber intake in only one tablespoon serving. This is a vast quantity, equivalent to numerous full servings of vegetables and fruits. Fiber helps keep the digestive system running smoothly.
Good for Eye Health
Caraway seeds include a small amount of Vitamin A and the carotenoid antioxidants zeaxanthin and lutein. These antioxidants help slow down macular degeneration, maintain the health of the optic nerve, and reflect some UV radiation to protect the eyes.
Anti-Bacterial Properties
Regular intake of caraway seeds may help you avoid certain bacterial diseases and recover faster if you fall ill. Some bacterial strains are inhibited in their development and reproduction by essential oils present in caraway seeds, making it simpler for immune cells to take care of the rest.
Stimulate Appetite
When you're sick, your appetite suffers, and you find it difficult to eat as much as you should. This period is critical since you must eat to rebuild your health and strength, as nutritional shortages will further hinder the recovery. To re-stimulate your appetite, make a tea with caraway seeds and consume it once a day.
Good for Heart Health
Because of its high level of phytocompounds and minerals, caraway seeds are ideally suited to promoting several aspects of heart health. Potassium, for instance, aids in the dilatation of blood vessels and the removal of excess fluid from the body. Fiber also aids in cholesterol removal, inhibits atherosclerotic plaques from forming on the walls of the blood vessel, and protects the endothelial lining of walls of the blood vessels from oxidative damage.
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