Health Benefits & Nutritious Values of Dill Seed

Dill is an ancient herb that is commonly found in Asian and European countries. It is also called dill weed, the leaves are arranged alternatively in the slender stem, and it has brown, oval, flat seeds. The dill plant has a long history as a culinary spice.

The dill seeds have a citrus flavor with more aroma like the caraway seeds, and the dill leaves are sweet and grassy. This spice is also used as an herb, and also it elevates the flavor of the dishes. The dill seeds are commonly used in recipes, like potatoes, salmon, salads, soups, yogurt-based sauces, and also, it is used as a garnish.

During middle age, the dill is used as a medicine, so the people cultivate the dill plant as a medicine. The dill seeds are rich in nutrients, and it is traditionally used to treat digestive problems, bad breath, colic in infants, ailments, etc.

What Is Dill?

Dill weed is also a part of cumin, parsley, and bay leaf family. The scientific name of this herb is Anethum graveolens. The name dill defines soothe or calm. The name itself ensures its ability to soothe the stomach and colicky infants.

Dill weeds are grown up to 16-24 inches. The stems are hollow, slender, finely divided, alternate, and have very soft leaves which are 3.9-7.9 inches in height. The breadth of the leaf divisions is 1-2 mm, which is wider than the fennel leaves.

The dill weed flowers are turned white to yellow color, the diameter of small umbels is 0.79-3.54 inches. The seeds are 1mm thick and 4-5 mm long.

Table of Contents

History Of Dill

Since kiloannum, Dill has been used as a medicine as well as for culinary. Western Africa, Southern Russia, and Mediterranean region are the native of dill. It was mentioned in both Ancient Egyptian history and The Bible, which is most popular in ancient roman and greek cultures.

Dill is considered as a sign of wealth and is appreciated for its healing properties in ancient history. It was also known as “the father of medicine” and is used to clean the mouth. Soldiers used to burn dill seeds to heal their wounds. 

The healing properties of dill were clearly explained in history. Nowadays, dill is one of the notable herbs in cuisines of Central Europe, Scandinavia, Russian Federation, and North Africa.

Common Names Of Dill

Tamil Name: Sathakuppi Sompa

Hindi Name: Sowa

Kannada Name : Sabasige

Malayalam Name : Sathakuppa

Marathi Name: Surva, Shepu

Gujarati Name: સુવાદાણા – Suvadana

Telugu Name : Shatapushpamu, Vakataraha

Marathi Name: Shepu

Nepalese Name: Soup

Sanskrit Name: Madhura, Misroya, Satahva, Mishreya, Satapuspa

Other names of Dill

Aneth, American Dill, Aneth Odorant, Anethi Herba, Anethi Fructus, Anethum sowa, Anethum graveolens, Dill Oil, Dill Herb, Dilly, Dillweed, Eneldo, Dill Weed, Faux Anis, European Dill, Fenouil Bâtard, Huile d’Aneth, Fenouil Puant, Madhura, Indian Dill, Satahva, Peucedanum graveolens, Sotapa, Shatpushpa, Sowa.

Health Benefits Of Dill

Aid Insomnia

The essential oil of the dill has powerful properties. Due to the properties of this dill, it is considered as sedative, stimulating, and hypnotic medicine in ancient times.

The essential oil from the dill has flavonoids and a vitamin-B complex that activates certain enzymes and hormones. It helps to get calm and hypnotic effects so that it helps the people to get a peaceful night’s sleep.

Control Diabetes

Sathakuppai is highly recommended for diabetes; it has the ability to manage the insulin level in the body. Some studies indicated that the dill helps to reduce the fluctuation of serum lipids and insulin levels in corticosteroid-induced diabetes. Using the dill for 22 days will help to reduce the serum and insulin levels of people who have type 2 diabetes.
Also Read: Scientifically Proven Herbs for Diabetes

Maintain Bone Health

Dill has a high level of calcium, which means it contributes a sufficient level of calcium to the body so that it helps to protect the bones against bone loss and protect from the loss of mineral density.

Most people are affected by osteoporosis at rheumatoid arthritis and after menopause. Dill is a key component for the good growth and development of the bones; it also helps to repair the injured bones.
Also Read: Best Herbs for Bone Health

Boosts Immunity

Dill has antimicrobial property. Therefore, using this herb in the food will help to reduce the number of microbial infections from the body, and also it prevents open wound infection and a small cut in the skin.
Also Read: Best Herbs to Boost Immune System

Prevent Excess Gas

Dill is a well-known carminative; it helps to avoid irritation because of the excessive amounts of gas. It does not only cause discomfort in public, and also the build-up of gas causes a dangerous situation when it presses on the delicate organs of the chest cavity.

The carminative of the dill forces down the gas through the digestive tract, and it allows gas excess in a safe way. Moreover, the dill increases the expulsion of gas, and it reduces the formation of gas.

Prevent And Cure Diarrhea

Indigestion and microbial action are the two main reasons for diarrhea. Due to the digestive property of the dill, it is very helpful to prevent indigestion.

Moreover, the essential oil from the dill has flavonoids and monoterpenes, which are bactericidal or germicidal in nature. These properties help to cure diarrhea by inhibiting microbial infection. 
Also Read: Natural Home Remedies for Diarrhea

Calm Down Hiccups

Usually, hiccups are caused by many reasons, but the basic reason for the hiccup is the gas is trapped and repeated upward in the food pipe. The other reasons for the hiccup are hyperactivity, hypersensitivity, allergies, and nervous malfunctioning.

Dill helps to prevent these problems. Dill acts as a carminative so that it helps to eject gases and reduce the formation of gas. It also performs as a sedative that helps to calm down the hiccups because of hyperactivity, allergies, or nervous disorders. 

Stimulates Menstruation

The essential oil of the dill stimulates the flavonoids. Also, it has the emmenagogue property, which is used as the folk medicine for stimulation of the emission of specific hormones so that it helps to the regular menstrual cycle for women.

Relieves Arthritis Pain

Dill is a well-known herb for its anti-inflammatory property; it helps to reduce inflammation and the related pains of the disorders like gout and rheumatoid arthritis. Dill is used as medicine from ancient times for this particular reason.
Also Read: Best Herbs For Inflammation

Oral Care

The leaves and seeds of this dill are the good mouth and breath fresheners. Moreover, the essential oil of the dill naturally has antioxidant, germicidal, and disinfection properties.

Due to these properties, it helps to reduce oral microbial infections. The antioxidant property of the dill helps to reduce the teeth and gum damages caused by the free radicals.

Treat Respiratory Problem

The Keampoferol and other components of the flavonoids and monoterpenes of the essential oil of the dill naturally have antihistaminic and anti-congestive properties. These properties help to clear the congestion in the respiratory system at the time of allergies, histamines, or coughs. You can also find some other best herbs for respiratory health.

Aid Digestion

The essential oil is naturally stimulating from the dill; it helps to activate the digestive juices and secretion of bile. The essential oil of the dill is also boosting the peristaltic motion of the intestine, which helps to improve the movement of the bowel; it is beneficial to get relief from the indigestion problem, and it provides better relief from constipation.
Also Read: Best Herbs To Boost Digestion

Best For Depression

Nowadays, depression becomes a serious problem among adults and teenagers. Dill has an anti-depression property that will naturally aid depression.

Some studies were conducted to find the analgesic and anti-depression properties in the dill extract. The extract of dill has powerful anti-depression properties and analgesic than sertraline and tramadol.

Moreover, the water extract of dill has a good amount of polyphenols, flavonoids, and tannins which does not have any side effects.
Also Read: Best Herbs To Treat Depression

May Benefit Healthy Heart

In this modern world, heart disease is the cause of death worldwide. High blood pressure, chronic inflammation, LDL cholesterol level, and triglyceride increase the risk of heart problems. Dill is one of the best herbs to protect heart health.

The flavonoids, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties of the dill help to avoid heart problems. The extract of the dill seeds has the ability to lower cholesterol and triglyceride, and it helps to maintain the HDL cholesterol level in the blood so that you can avoid the risk of heart attack and stroke.

Anticancer Property

The Monoterpenes compound of the plant is more important for the antiviral, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, and antifungal properties. This monoterpenes compound is naturally found in the essential oil of dill; it is related to the anticancer property.

Moreover, studies say d-limonene is the type of monoterpene, which helps to treat breast, lung, and colon cancer. The dill has a high level of d-limonene; it provides the anticancer property to the dill. The extract of the dill seeds is used to treat cancer.
Also Read: Best Herbs to Treat Cancer

External Use

Applying the dill seed paste with licorice, tagara, sandalwood, kushta, and ghee will help to relieve shoulder pain, back pain, and headache.

Safety Concerns Of Dill

Consuming the dill with the food is very safe to use, and it is possibly safe when taken by the mouth as a medicine. Applying the dill paste on the skin may cause skin irritation.

The fresh juice of the dill will cause extra sensitivity to the skin. It may put risk on sunburns and skin cancer. If the light-skinned person uses the dill, they have to avoid sunlight and try to wear protective clothing and sunblock.

Special Precaution And Warnings

• The dill is unsafe for pregnant women. The dill seeds cause menstruation so that it may lead to miscarriage.
• If you are breastfeeding, then you have to know about the safety information about the usage of dill as a medicine. It is better to use dill with food.
• The extract of the dill helps to lower the blood sugar level for people who have diabetes. If you have diabetes, you have to check your blood sugar level carefully and use the dill extract larger than the normally used in food.
• Dill is one of the species from the carrot family, so it may cause allergy to the people who have an allergy on the plant in the carrot family. The caraway, asafoetida, coriander, celery, and fennel are also included in this list.
• The extract of the dill will help to lower the blood sugar level. Using the dill extract might cause the problem to control the blood sugar level during and after the surgery. So it is recommended to stop using the dill extract 2 weeks before the surgery.

Dosage Of Dill

• Dill leaves – used as a food
• Dill Seed oil – 1-3 drops
• Dill Seed Powder – 1-3 gm per day

Nutrition Value Of Dill

Nutritional Facts of Dill Seeds

The various nutritional contains and the value of 100 grams of Dill

Nutrient	Value
Calories	43
Protein	3.5 gm
Total Fat	1 gm
Carbohydrate	7 gm
Fiber	2 gm
Vitamin A	7.7 mg
Vitamin C	1.7 mg
Folate	38%
Riboflavin	17%
Calcium	208 mg
Iron	6.6 mg
Magnesium	55 mg
Phosphorus	66 mg
Potassium	738 mg
Manganese	1.3 mg

Types Of Dill

Dill is one of the well-known cooking herbs for kiloyears. It belongs to the carrot family. The flavourful leaves and stinky seeds are the most valuable part of this herb. 

Different varieties of dill that grow in home-based gardens were found and are given below; 

Bouquet Dill

You can easily identify the bouquet dill with its yellow flower. It will develop into a big size of almost 3-feet in height. This type of dill is perfect to grow in the backyard of your house. Sunset climate zones are the area that has cold winters and hot summers.

It is best to cultivate all types of dill. But Bouquet dills grow in the spring and fall seasons. Plant this in a well-drained and loamy soil after the frost has gone. It means you have to wait until May according to the zone.

Plant the dill seeds every 3 weeks to make sure that you continuously get the dill seeds until the end of summer. Reseed it after the cold weather falls.

Dukat Dill

Dukat dill is also known as tetra dill, which is mostly cultivated for its rich foliage. This type of dill is suitable to add to salads. The dukat dill seeds are a great choice for seasoning unique spices.

Long Island Mammoth Dill

Long Island Mammoth type dill is generally cultivated by commercial producers. This type of dill is specially cultivated for both seeds and leaves. The leaves reach approximately 30-inches height.

Use loose and well-drained soil for cultivation and plant it under the full sun for good growth. This type of dill is best to grow outdoors and so you can directly sow the dill seeds on earth.

You can also grow the long island mammoth dill in a special type container, but make sure the depth of the container is at least 12 inches. Because the dill weed has a long taproot.

Superdukat Dill

Superdukat dill weeds are the tastiest. The growth of this hybrid plant reaches up to 2 feet. When comparing it with the bouquet dill, its growth is very slow.

Moreover, the flowering of this dill type is very slow than other types, which means you have to wait for a longer time to use this type of dill. You can cultivate this if you don’t need the dill seed for each week. You can use the superdukat dill leaves rather than seeds.

Fernleaf Dill

Actually, fernleaf dill is a type of dwarf dill. If you don’t want to wait until May to cultivate this herb, then you can choose this dwarf dill. Like other types of dill, fernleaf dill will not bloom in cold and hot climates, so you can grow this herb inside your home.

This variety is an ideal choice for urban gardeners and people who really want to experience the herb year-round. Fernleaf dill is actually grown in 60 and 68 degrees Fahrenheit that reach up to 18-inches in height. Place this herb near the window where it can get for at least 6 hours of sunlight everyday. 

Research About Dill

Studies say that the dill has anti-diabetic property so that it is suggested to the people who have diabetes. The studies also say that dill helps to control cholesterol levels. But some of the research shows the dill has no effect on it, so it is unclear to support as the evidence of the benefit.

• Scientist has also conducted research on whether the dill has an effect on metabolic syndrome or not. By using the dill extract for a week will have a great effect on controlling the triglyceride level.
• One study with 91 people has a high triglyceride and cholesterol level by using the 6 dill extract tablet for 2 months ensures it will help to control the triglyceride and cholesterol level as well as it does not make any changes in the HDL cholesterol level.
• In another study with 150 people with high triglyceride and cholesterol levels, there are no changes in the triglyceride and cholesterol level of the blood after the 6 weeks of dill tablet intake daily.
• Several studies by testing the animals with diabetes show that the daily dosage of dill extract tablets will be fastening the blood sugar level significantly. As well as the research conducted by using humans is limited.

Uses Of Dill In Foods

Dill is one of the flavorful ingredients so that you can easily add it with your foods.

Here we suggested some ways to use dill with your foods:

1. Used with the potato salads or on roasted or baked potatoes.
2. Used it as a garnish for roasted vegetables or soups.
3. Stir it in the yogurt-based dips, such as tzatziki.
4. Sprinkle it on the cold cucumber salads.
5. Chopped dill can be added to the salads.
6. Place it over gravlax.
7. Used to add flavor for lamb, fish, and egg dishes.
8. Used in the baked bread.

Dry dill is also used to add flavor to the potato, marinades, chicken, dips, and tuna salads.

 The dill seeds can be crushed and used in soups, bread, and vegetable dishes. It is also used to prepare dill pickles.

Common Questions

Can I freeze Dill?

Dill can be frozen like most of the herbs, but the texture will slightly change when freezing the dill. Cooks can use it in different methods. The easiest way to use it is to wash and dry the dill, and then place it in the freezer. Place the frozen dill into the airtight bag and then place it back in the freezer.

Are Dill seeds and Dill Weeds the same?

No, It comes from the same plant. But the dill weed is a fresh leaf; it has a light fresh flavor. The dill seeds have a strong flavor that is similar to the caraway. The dill seed has more pungent.

What is the suitable dill substance for food recipes?

Fennel and tarragon are commonly used substances for fresh dill recipes. If you can’t be able to get the fresh dill, you can use the dry dill. But you have to use less dried dill because it has a strong flavor than the fresh one.