English : Cumin/White Cumin

Urdu : Zira sufaid/Zira Safed

Telugu : Jilakara/Jirake

Description :

This is a small, slender and glabrous annual herb 30-90 cm high with a long , slender and perpendicular root, much-branched stem, buish-green and slender leaves, white or rose-coloured flowers and greyish oval-shaped fruits about 4-6 mm long , tapering towards both base and apex having characterstic odour and taste like anise seeds. Black cumin is considered as a variety of Cuminum cyminum.

Action and Uses:

Cumin seeds are aromatic, stomachic , digestive, stimulant, astrigent , diuretic, emmenagogue and lithontriptic.

It is used internally in dyspepsia, flatulent abdomen and colic , hiccough, renal stones and obesity. It is also used for expectoration in chest affections and as a good relief in nausea and vomiting of pregnancy.

It is used externally as astrigent , cleansing and beautifying agent.

Ibn Sina’ s view:

It is warming, carmintive, reslovent, dissolvent , desicant and astrigent. It is healing agent especially wild variety. It is useful in dyspnoea and orthponea , chronic cold and catarrh and also palpitation. Good anti-epistactic and lithontriptic. Useful in urinary incontinence , haematuria, gripping and flatulence.