These are the ajwain plant’s seeds, also known as Trachyspermum ammi. Indian cuisine frequently uses them.
Despite their name, carom seeds are actually the fruit of the ajwain plant.
They have a strong, bitter taste and are a little green or brown in color. Even though they look like cumin seeds, they smell and taste more like thyme.
You can buy them whole, but you can also grind them into a powder and use them as a spice in food.
Carom seeds are very healthy because they have a lot of fiber, enzymes, vitamins, and minerals. Traditional Indian treatments have long used carom seeds because of their health benefits.
Here are the six best ways to use and gain health benefits from carom seeds.
1. Fight off germs and fungi.
The carom plant’s seeds are highly effective at killing bugs and fungi.
Two of its active chemicals, thimol and carvacrol, have been shown to stop the growth of bacteria and fungi, which is likely why it does this.
Studies in test tubes show that these chemicals may be able to fight germs like Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Salmonella is known to be responsible for causing food poisoning and various health issues.
One test-tube study found that carom seeds were better than other liquids at killing bacteria and fungi that are resistant to multiple drugs. These bacteria and fungi included Candida albicans, Candida krusei, and Streptococcus mutans.
However, more research is required to determine how the seeds might influence the growth of bacteria and fungi in humans.
2. Lower blood pressure.
Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is a common problem that makes you more likely to get heart disease and stroke.
Traditional treatment involves the use of calcium-channel blockers and other drugs. These blockers stop calcium from getting into your heart cells. They also relax and widen blood vessels, which lowers your blood pressure.
Some studies suggest that thymol, which is a big part of carom seeds, may help lower blood pressure by blocking calcium channels.
For example, research has shown that carom seed oil lowers rats’ blood pressure.
However, there is still not a lot of research on how well carom seeds lower blood pressure. We need to conduct more research to understand the potential effects of the seeds on people’s blood pressure.
We need to conduct more research to determine how the seeds might impact people’s cholesterol levels.
3. Get your cholesterol numbers down.
Studies on animals show that carom seeds may lower levels of cholesterol and triglycerides. Heart disease is more likely to happen if you have high amounts of cholesterol and triglycerides.
Triglyceride, LDL (bad) cholesterol, and total cholesterol levels all went down in a study with rabbits that used carom seed powder.
Similarly, a study on rats showed that carom seed extract could lower levels of total cholesterol, triglycerides, and LDL (bad) cholesterol while also raising levels of HDL (good) cholesterol, which is good for the heart.
Still, in both tests, carom seed powder worked best to treat high cholesterol levels when used in large amounts that you wouldn’t normally get from eating the seeds.
4. Relieves indigestion
Ayurvedic medicine frequently uses carom seeds as a home remedy for stomach issues.
Peptic ulcers are spots in the esophagus, stomach, or small intestine. Some studies show that carom seed extract may help treat them.
For instance, a two-week study on rats showed that treating gut ulcers caused by ibuprofen with carom seed extract made them better.
The extract had the same effect as a well-known medication for treating peptic ulcers, according to the research.
Carom seed extract may also help treat and stop gas and indigestion that won’t go away. Indigestion is characterized by persistent pain in the upper part of the stomach. One common cause of indigestion is a stomach that doesn’t empty completely at the appropriate time.
Interesting research has shown that carom seed spice speeds up the passage of food through rats’ stomachs, potentially helping those who struggle with digestion. Still, tests on people have not shown this to be true.
5. Improve airflow and coughing
There is some evidence that carom seeds may aid coughing.
There isn’t a lot of research on this topic, but one study on guinea pigs found that carom seeds stopped coughing better than codeine, which is a popular cough medicine.
Carom seeds may also help the lungs get more air.
People with asthma experienced improved airflow to their lungs 30 to 180 minutes after receiving 0.057 to 0.113 ml per pound (0.125 to 0.25 ml per kg) of carom seed extract.
The effect was about the same as that of theophylline, which is a popular asthma drug.
In the end, more research is required to fully understand how carom seeds affect people’s coughing and other breathing problems.
6. Anti-inflammatory effects
Pain and swelling are both good and bad Inflammation is your body’s natural way of keeping itself from getting sick or hurt.
Chronic inflammation, on the other hand, can hurt your body and make you more likely to get some illnesses.
Studies have demonstrated the ability of carom seeds to reduce inflammation, suggesting they could potentially aid in reducing inflammation within your body.
A study with rats showed that taking carom seed extract as a supplement had big benefits for reducing inflammation.
In the same way, a recent study found that giving carom seed extract to rats with arthritis for 21 days reduced inflammatory markers and the amount of the enzyme elastase that is involved in inflammation.
Scientists think that carom seed extract might be able to help treat inflammatory diseases, but they need to do more study to be sure.
7. Weight Loss
Ajwain is known to boost metabolism, which can aid in weight loss. Regular consumption of ajwain water on an empty stomach is believed to help in shedding extra pounds by improving digestion and increasing metabolic rate.
Are carom seeds okay to eat?
Carom seeds are safe for most people to eat. Still, women who are pregnant or nursing should stay away from them because they could have harmful effects on the health of the unborn child, such as birth defects or even miscarriage.
If you are pregnant, you should talk to your doctor before taking carom seeds in any form, including seeds, puree, or powder.
There have also been stories of people feeling sick after eating a lot of carom seeds. Because of this, you should only eat a few seeds at a time.
The bottom line
Indian food and Ayurvedic treatments have both used carom seeds for a long time.
They have demonstrated antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. They may also help treat peptic sores and lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
Even so, most of the data comes from studies on animals and test tubes. To fully understand how carom seeds can improve human health, more research is required.
Most people think that carom seeds are safe. However, pregnant women should avoid eating the seeds due to their potential negative effects on unborn babies.
If you want to include carame seeds in your diet, you can purchase them in stores or online.
