Carvi in Herbalist: Property of Carvi

Scientific name

Carum carvi L.

Family

Umbelliferae

Origin

Italy

Synonyms

Kummel or German cumin, caraway.

Used Parts

The drug is made up of fruits.

Chemical constituents

Essential oil (carvone and limonene).

Carvi in Herbalist: Property of Carvi

The essential oil of carvi (or cumin of the meadows if you prefer), but also the same infusions, are used to reduce spasms and the accumulation of gas in the digestive tract.

In phytotherapy the carminative properties of the cumin of the meadows are exploited for digestive purposes, through teas also present in Pharmacopoeia, or extracts to be used on medical prescription.

In cosmetics, carvi is used as a flavoring in products dedicated to a male audience. Similar use in the pharmaceutical industry (flavoring of some medicines). For the same purpose, the fruits of cumin are used to purify the breath and the mouth by gargling.

Biological activity

The carvi is endowed with stomachic properties (stimulates the appetite and promotes gastric secretion), carminative (reduces the formation and stimulates the expulsion of intestinal gases) and spasmolytic of the digestive tract (helps to calm colic and intestinal cramps).

More precisely, the activities carried out by carvi at the level of the digestive tract are mainly attributable to the essential oil obtained from it.

Furthermore, carvi has been shown to have interesting antibacterial and antifungal properties against microorganisms of the genera Bacillus, Pseudomonas, Aspergillus and Candida .

Carvi against dyspeptic disorders

The caraway - or better, the essential oil extracted from its fruits - has digestive, stomachic, carminative and spasmolytic activities.

For this reason, this plant is a valid and effective aid in the treatment of dyspeptic disorders and the symptoms associated with them, such as, for example, flatulence and a feeling of fullness.

For the treatment of the aforementioned disorders, carvi must be taken internally.

Generally, it is recommended to take 3-6 drops of essential carvi oil per day, to be administered in divided doses throughout the day.

Alternatively, the cumin can be taken in the form of infusions (for more information on this, see the article on "Cumin of the Meadows in Tisane").

Carvi in folk medicine and in homeopathy

In folk medicine, carvi is used as a remedy to promote the secretion of breast milk after birth (galactogogue remedy); in addition to being used to combat gastric disorders.

Externally, on the other hand, caraway essential oil is used by traditional medicine in solutions for gargling and rinsing and in revulsive liniments.

Carvi is also used in the homeopathic field, where it can be found in the form of granules, oral drops and mother tincture.

Homeopathic medicine uses this plant in case of colic, meteorism, gastrointestinal spasms, reduced saliva secretion, menstrual pain and reduction of the secretion of breast milk.

The amount of homeopathic remedy to be taken can vary from one patient to another, also depending on the type of disorder that needs to be treated and according to the type of preparation and homeopathic dilution that is intended to be used.