Siddha Home Remedies: Medicinal Benefits of Cumin Seeds

Cumin seed is used extensively in Indian cuisine to add taste and aroma to the recipes.  The Tamil word for cumin seed is seeragam ‘the one that regulates and keeps the body healthy’.  It is an excellent coolant.  It adds vitality and freshness to those who take it regular.  Cumin seeds hold a special place in Siddha medicinal system.

A handful of cumin seeds can be taken either raw or in powered form in the mornings.  Regular consumption helps get rid of worms from the intestines.  Some may experience a sort of burning sensation in the stomach region.  This kind of persists even after drinking good amount of water.  Consumption of gassy foods (potato, cauliflower, cabbage, beans, broccoli, cheese, cream, beer etc) can lead to such conditions.  Or this can be due to indigestion.  To treat such conditions, a paste made by grinding cumin seeds to a fine consistency using a few drops of water, is applied on the stomach as a thin layer.

Pregnant women can tackle morning sickness and other similar problems with the help of cumin seeds.  During the early stages of pregnancy women tend to suffer from nausea and vomiting.  This pregnancy sickness can be a very debilitating and distressing one.  This occurs at any time of the day.  A handful cumin seeds powdered and taken with lemon juice is found to be helpful in dealing this condition.  Women who suffer from excessive menstrual bleed can benefit from taking cumin seeds. 

100 gm of cumin seeds is added to 2 litres of sesame oil and allowed to boil.  As the seeds start to break, the oil is removed from and heat and then stored in bottles.  Regular application of this oil onto the scalp is found to be helpful in treating headache, vomiting, vertigo etc.

Cumin seed is used in treating scorpion stings.  For this purpose a paste of powdered cumin seeds, salt, honey and butter is used.  This mixture is placed on the sting spot.  This helps to neutralize the toxin present in the venom.

Cumin seeds is helpful in treating constipation.  Patients suffering from chronic constipation should chew a few cumin seeds thoroughly and swallow down the juice.  This helps in curing indigestion as well as constipation.  A pinch of powdered cardamom and cumin seeds taken in equal quantity is found to benefit people who suffer from gas.  This can be taken three times a day for better results.  Also cumin seeds taken with palm candy, is an excellent rejuvenator.

Cumin seed water is a common drink in South India, especially Kerala.  This is prepared by adding a teaspoon of cumin seeds to boiling water (around 5 litres).  The water is boiled for a minute or two and then allowed to cool.  This cumin seed water is an excellent natural immune enhancer.  It is recommended for colic, diarrhea, constipation, indigestion etc.  It has antibacterial and antifungal properties.  It induces sleep.  Cumin seed water can help singers improve their voice.  It also helps them keep cough, throat irritation etc at bay.

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Siddha Home Remedies: Medicinal Uses of Flowers

Sapota Flower

Sapodilla or sapota (chikoo in Hindi) fruit grows in plenty in India. Both young and old love this exceptionally tasty fruit. It is rich in minerals, vitamins and anti-oxidant tannins. This fiber rich fruit is a good laxative and helps in relieving constipation. Ripe sapota is a storehouse of potassium, copper, iron, folate, niacin etc. Because of the carbohydrate content, people with diabetes should take this fruit in moderation.

The sapota flowers are rich in medicinal value. The flowers are small and have a bell-like appearance. You can find these flowers on the tree throughout the year. These flowers can be taken raw. A couple of these flowers when cleaned and taken raw can induce appetite.

Taking water steeped with well-dried sapota flowers helps in strengthening the gut and intestines. Similarly fresh flowers are soaked in honey for a few days and taken in the mornings and evenings. This is said to provide a nice glowing, sheen to the skin.

The sapota flower is ground to a fine paste using a few drops of water. This finely ground paste is then mixed in buttermilk. Taking this buttermilk is found to heal throat ulcers. This should be taken once everyday, till the symptoms disappear.

Guava Flower

Guava is yet another fruit that young and old love to eat. A very common fruit found in the Asian countries, this is available almost throughout the year. Guava is rich in folic acid, potassium, copper and manganese. It has a high concentration of Vitamin C. Due to its high fiber content, it relieves constipation and helps in easy bowel movement. The guava flower has numerous medicinal properties.

The flowers can be made to a thick chutney (thuvaiyal) with boiled split peas and taken with rice. This is said to have high nutritive value. Similarly fresh guava flowers are dried and then crushed and steeped in warm water. Drinking this water helps in relieving itchy skin, eczema, rashes etc.

Custard Apple Flower

Custard Apple is a tasty fruit rich in nutritional value. Custard apple is rich in Vitamin C. It also contains magnesium and potassium. The dietary fiber of the fruit helps in easy digestion. It also helps in curing vomiting, diarrhea, vertigo etc. The flowers of custard apple can be used in treating various health conditions.

Well dried custard apple flowers help in getting rid of lice and dandruff. For this the dried flowers are ground to a fine powder. While bathing the powder is applied onto the scalp and left for 5-10 minutes. The flower is also an excellent laxative. Taking custard apple flower steeped warm water in the mornings and evenings will help in easy bowel movement and prevent constipation.

Drinking custard apple flowers soaked milk is said to be helpful in treating diseases of the lungs. 5-10 flowers are to be soaked in a glass of milk for 2-3 hours.

Rectal prolapse in children is a very painful condition. To treat this, custard apple flowers are boiled in water and then allowed to cool to a bearable level. This water is used in cleaning the rectum after evacuation.

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Mango Flower for Mouth Ulcers and Throat Problems

Tamil culture regards mango, jackfruit and banana as ‘mukkani’ or ‘the three best fruits’ in terms of their taste and nutritional value. The flowers of mango, jackfruit and banana are also valuable medicinally and nutritionally. Siddha texts as well as local folklore recommend preparations made using these flowers to treat various ailments that afflict us. I will share with you tips on various flowers and their medicinal uses in my subsequent posts. To start with I will dwell upon the medicinal uses of mango flower.

Mango is indigenous to India and grows well in tropical and sub tropical areas. It is the national fruit of India. People in villages use the tender mango leaves to clean their teeth. Unripe mango has a sour taste and is used for making pickles. The kernel of mango seed has immense medicinal value.

In India, mango trees flower during the January - April period. Raw mangoes start arriving in the market in February, March followed by ripe mangoes from April to June, July etc.

Mango Flower for Throat Problems

Collect mango flowers and clean them thoroughly in pure water. Boil them in pure water for a few minutes. Collect the water after filtering out the flowers. Mix lemon juice to this water. This can be used as mouth gargle. This cures most of the throat ailments.

Remedy for Diarrhea

Collect handful of dried mango flowers. Add 1-2 teaspoons of cumin seeds to it and powder them. Mix a teaspoon of this powder in a glass of warm water. This is an ideal remedy for loose stools. Another alternative is to mix a teaspoon of dried mango flower powder in yogurt and taken as needed.

Mango Flower for Mouth Ulcers

Mix a spoonful of dried mango flower powder in buttermilk and take this thrice a day for a week. This is an effective remedy for treating mouth ulcers and stomach ulcers. Another method is to fry the flowers in sesame oil and taken as needed.

Strong Gums

Chew fresh mango flowers for strong teeth and gums.

My next post will elaborate on jackfruit flower remedies.




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