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Jeeraka -
Cuminum Cyminum
Jeeraka - Cuminum Cyminum
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Cummin seed or jeera is seeds of flowering plant
Cuminum Cyminum . This plant, native of east India and east
Mediterranean, belongs to family Apeaceae. The herbaceous plant
Cuminum Cyminum grows to a height of 20- 30 cms. Leaves of this
plant are pinnate and bear thread like leaflets.
The seeds of Cuminum Cyminum have gained their place as main spice
in Indian, African, Chinese, Cuban and Mexican cuisines, due to
their distinctive popular aroma. It is mainly used to spice and
season variety of dishes like curries, chutneys, masalas etc. It is
extensively used in India to season dishes. Due to its numerous
medicinal properties, jeera is used as an ingredient in many home
remedies and ayurvedic preparations. The strong aroma of jeera or
cumin seeds is due to the presence of compound cuminaldehyde |
This spice has been praised as jeeraka , jarana and ajaaji for its
medicinal qualities in ayurvedic texts. These names refer to its
carminative and digestive properties. According ayurvedic principles
these seeds balance vata and kapha.
Medicinal properties of Jeera or Cumin
seeds:
According to ayurveda jeera exhibits the following medicinal
properties.
(Shubhrajeeram katu graahi paachanam
deepanam laghu
Garbhashayashuddhikaram ruksham balyam sugandhikam
Tiktham vamikshayaadhmanam vaatam kushtam visham jwaram )
- It reduces superficial inflammation and pain.
- Apart from kindling appetite, it digests food
and normalizes vata in digestive system.
- Reduces pain experienced during indigestion,
flatulence or heaviness of stomach .
- It purifies blood
- Cumin seeds act on female reproductive system
by reducing inflammation of uterus.
- It is eulogized for its galactogog
properties. (Increases milk production in lactating mothers).
- As it normalizes vata and kapha it acts as an
aphrodesiac.
- It is a skin friendly herb and reduces
itching.
Home remedies using jeera
- A fine paste of cumin seeds (cumin seeds
ground with water), when applied on boils or aching body parts
gives relief from pain.
- Water boiled with ground jeera has to be
given regularly to lactating mothers. This increases breast milk
and reduces inflammation of uterus.
- Boil ground jeera in water and allow it to
cool down. Add a pinch of cardamom to filtered jeera water.
Gargling with this flavored water helps to keep the mouth fresh,
heals mouth ulcers and eliminates foul smell.
- Roast jeera without oil till it warm. Grind
this to a fine powder along with rock salt. Massage gums with
this powder. This helps to prevent bleeding from gums and
strengthens them.
- Boil a tea spoon of jeera in a glass of
water, allow it to cool. Consuming this water frequently
relieves indigestion and flatulence.
- Consuming powdered jeera with honey reduces
colic pain and reduces diarrhea caused due to indigestion.
- A tea prepared by boiling cumin seeds and a
small piece of fresh ginger help to give relief in common cold.
- Mix a spoon of ground roasted cumin seeds ,½
spoon of fresh ginger juice and a pinch of salt in a glass of
butter milk. Frequent consumption of this butter milk helps to
relieve piles and sooths inflamed intestine.
- Patients suffering from irritable bowel
syndrome can use pomegranate juice mixed with roasted and ground
jeera powder. This helps to reduce frequency of stools and
sooths colon.
Precaution has to be taken while roasting cumin seeds
.Cumin seeds have to be roasted in low heat till it becomes warm and
should be taken off from stove when it is sufficiently warm to
touch. This precaution helps to prevent the escape of volatile
compounds of jeera.
Botanical Description of
Jeeraka - Cuminum Cyminum
| BOTONICAL
NAME |
Cuminum Cyminum
|
| FAMILY |
Apiaceae
|
| STRUCTURE |
The
Cuminum Cyminum plant is a
herbacious plant
Stem : slender, branched The mature stems may
vary from 20 to 30 cms .
Leaf :Pinnate
or Bipinnate and contain leaflets which are threadlike |
| HABITAT |
Needs hot Climate to grow. Grown mainly in Egypt, India, Mexico,
North Africa, China |
| PHARMACOLOGY |
|
| CHEMICAL
COMPOSITION |
Contains
cuminaldehyde, protein, carbohydrate, minerals, vitamins. |
Ayurvedic Description of
Ikshu - Saccharum officinarum
|
SANSKRIT
NAME |
Sanskrit name Jeeraka,
jarana, ajaaji |
LOCAL
NAMES
(in India) |
Jeera (Hindi),
Jeera(Bengali), Jeere (Marathi), Cumin Seeds (English), cheerakam
(Tamil), Jeerige (Kannada), Jeeru (Gujarati)
|
PROPERTIES
(ayurvedic) |
Guna
:- Laghu, ruksha
Rasa :- Katu
Veerya :-Ushna
Vipaka :- katu |
|
KARMA
(Action) |
Increases pitta
normalize vatta & kpha. A good carminative, digestive & galactogauge
. Recommended in nursing mothers, indigestion, inflammation
of uterus, reduced appetite |
The above mentioned details have
been collected by webmistress.We invite our visitors to send extra information
about this plant, apart from the points mentioned above.The best relavent
information will be published on this web site with author's short biodata.
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