8 Super Health Benefits of Ajwain (Carom Seeds)

Ajwain is a plant native to Egypt which also grows throughout India, Asia, and Europe. Health benefits of ajwain include lower inflammation, improved heart health, better digestion, and other benefits.

Ajwain is a plant native to Egypt which also grows throughout India, Asia, and Europe. The seeds are commonly used in traditional medicine and food as a spice. 

Ajwain is the carom plant, also known as ajwain, bishop’s weed, jain, yamini, or carom seeds. It goes by two species names, Trachyspermum ammi or Carum copticum, and it belongs to the Apiaceae family.

The plant is an annual herb with umbels of small, white flowers that look like lace umbrellas, similar to the flowers of Queen Anne's lace. The plant grows best in hot, dry areas. It produces a small fruit called a schizocarp. This fruit is yellow with light yellow lines. As the fruit ripens, it splits into single seeds. 

People have used ajwain as traditional medicine for thousands of years to treat digestive and lung issues. Today, you can find ajwain as a spice, liquid extract or tincture, powder supplement, and essential oil.  

Based on early studies, ajwain has promising health benefits. 

Source of nutrients

Ajwain fruit and seeds offer a variety of nutrients. They mostly contain carbohydrates but also consist of a lot of fiber, protein, and fat. Ajwain is also rich in vitamins and minerals like iron, calcium, phosphorus, and B vitamins.

Rich in polyphenols

Ajwain is rich in natural plant chemicals called polyphenols, including saponins, glycosides, flavonoids, and phenols. The fruit or seeds also contain essential oil with individual compounds like thymol and carvacrol. 

These plant chemicals have antioxidant activity, which means they neutralize unstable molecules in your body that cause damage. Studies suggest that a diet rich in polyphenols can help protect against heart disease, diabetes, and some cancers.  

Antimicrobial

People often use ajwain as a treatment for intestinal worms or parasites. Modern research shows that the seeds have antiparasitic and antifungal activity. 

In a few animal studies, ajwain seed extracts killed different parasites and worms in pigs, sheep, and chickens. The effectiveness depended on the dose and concentration, though. 

In other lab dish studies, researchers looked at ajwain seed extract against 10 different fungi. They found the extract blocked the growth of all types of fungi by 72 percent to 90 percent. The active antimicrobial compounds are thymol and carvacrol.

Might ease coughs and colds

Ajwain essential oil has antitussive properties, meaning it can ease coughing. Researchers tested aerosols of ajwain extract on guinea pigs and compared it to aerosols of salt water, codeine, and carvacrol. Aerosols are tiny droplets suspended in the air. 

They found the guinea pigs coughed less after exposure to ajwain rather than codeine. Higher doses of the extract were also more effective. 

Aromatherapy diffusers disperse essential oil droplets, and sometimes water, in the air for easy inhalation. In theory, diffusing ajwain essential oil could help ease coughing.  

Might lower inflammation

In an animal study, researchers compared three different ajwain extracts from powder carom seeds against a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, or NSAID. The ajwain extracts were more effective than the NSAID at lowering swelling and inflammation in rats, but only at very high doses. The plant extracts were effective for up to 2 hours and gradually wore off. 

Experts believe that ajwain blocks inflammation-causing chemicals and increases the release of a brain chemical called GABA. One problem with this study is the high dose. It was most effective at 1000 milligrams per kilogram of weight and only for a limited time. 

Assume a person of about 150 pounds or 68 kilograms and that the extract has a density of 1 gram per milliliter, like water. According to measurements in this study, that works out to a human dose of about 68 milliliters of liquid extract. The recommended daily limit of ajwain liquid extract is only 6 milliliters, so that would be too much. 

Might improve heart health

Ajwain extract might improve heart health by lowering blood levels of fat. Experts gave albino rabbits 2 grams of powdered ajwain extract per kilogram and compared it to a cholesterol medication. Ajwain powder lowers blood levels of lipids by 49 percent and triglycerides by 53 percent.

The study also found it improved cholesterol levels, too. At the same dose, ajwain powder lowered total cholesterol by 71 percent and LDL or bad cholesterol by 62 percent. They found the powder worked just as well as the cholesterol drug. 

Might help with bladder stones

Bladder stones, or urinary stones, are hardened lumps of minerals in your bladder. They happen when you don't fully empty your bladder, causing the urine to become concentrated and mineral salts to crystallize. 

Ajwain might help treat bladder stones. In a study of 350 patients with urinary stones, ajwain removed 100 percent of calcium oxalate stones and 53 percent of uric acid stones. 

Might help digestion

Traditionally, people use ajwain seeds to ease gas and stomach cramps and stimulate digestion, and modern research confirms these uses. Studies show ajwain extract has anti-ulcer activity in animals and stimulates digestion by increasing digestive enzyme activity and bile secretion. 

Ajwain is a popular spice and safe food additive. The recommended dose is 3 to 6 grams of powdered ajwain, 125 grams of dried extract, or 6 milliliters of tincture or fluid extract per day. While you can buy different supplements, powdered seeds might work better. There are some possible risks, though. 

Pregnancy and breastfeeding

In the 1980s, ajwain extract was tested on pregnant women in India during a small study. Of the 75 pregnant women in the study, 50 had a pregnancy loss while using ajwain. The paper says there were also higher-than-normal birth defects in that area during that time, though, so it may be unrelated.

That being said, the herb is also rich in estrogen-like plant chemicals that can boost milk production. Still, based on this information, avoid ajwain tinctures and supplements during pregnancy. 

Skin irritation

The thymol and carvacrol in ajwain essential oil are highly irritating to the skin. Common reactions include redness and burning, but these are avoidable with proper dilution. Mix your ajwain essential oil in a fatty carrier oil like sweet almond oil or jojoba oil putting it on your skin.

Carom seeds are a popular ingredient in curry and other dishes. Ajwain tinctures, powdered supplements, and essential oil are also popular. If you’re thinking about taking ajwain supplements, talk to your doctor first.