The herb dill may contain a number of nutrients and compounds that are thought to help aid digestion and reduce excess gas. It may also soothe menstrual disorders and boost the immune system. As it is also an anti-inflammatory substance, its compounds can help protect against arthritis and other inflammatory diseases.
What is Dill?
Dill (Anethum graveolens) has been used for culinary and medicinal purposes for hundreds of years. Apart from giving a strong, tangy, appetizing flavor, and taste, it may possess plenty of medicinal properties. These properties come from certain compounds called monoterpenes, as well as flavonoids, minerals, and amino acids. [1]
Dill can be a perennial or annual herb, depending on where in the world it is cultivated. It can be used as a flavoring and garnish for a number of meals, but it is also used as an ingredient in many meals. For herbalists who want to grow their own dill, it is important to cultivate this herb in warm to hot summers, with plenty of sunshine.
Dill Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size : | |
|---|---|
| Nutrient | Value |
| Water [g] | 7.7 |
| Energy | 305 |
| Energy [kJ] | 1276 |
| Protein [g] | 15.98 |
| Total lipid (fat) [g] | 14.54 |
| Ash [g] | 6.62 |
| Carbohydrate, by difference [g] | 55.17 |
| Fiber, total dietary [g] | 21.1 |
| Calcium, Ca [mg] | 1516 |
| Iron, Fe [mg] | 16.33 |
| Magnesium, Mg [mg] | 256 |
| Phosphorus, P [mg] | 277 |
| Potassium, K [mg] | 1186 |
| Sodium, Na [mg] | 20 |
| Zinc, Zn [mg] | 5.2 |
| Copper, Cu [mg] | 0.78 |
| Manganese, Mn [mg] | 1.83 |
| Selenium, Se [µg] | 12.1 |
| Vitamin C, total ascorbic acid [mg] | 21 |
| Thiamin [mg] | 0.42 |
| Riboflavin [mg] | 0.28 |
| Niacin [mg] | 2.81 |
| Vitamin B-6 [mg] | 0.25 |
| Folate, total [µg] | 10 |
| Folate, food [µg] | 10 |
| Folate, DFE [µg] | 10 |
| Vitamin A, RAE [µg] | 3 |
| Vitamin A, IU [IU] | 53 |
| Fatty acids, total saturated [g] | 0.73 |
| 12:0 [g] | 0.01 |
| 14:0 [g] | 0.01 |
| 16:0 [g] | 0.58 |
| 18:0 [g] | 0.1 |
| Fatty acids, total monounsaturated [g] | 9.41 |
| 16:1 [g] | 0.05 |
| 18:1 [g] | 9.36 |
| Fatty acids, total polyunsaturated [g] | 1.01 |
| 18:2 [g] | 0.96 |
| 18:3 [g] | 0.15 |
| Phytosterols [mg] | 124 |
| Threonine [g] | 0.58 |
| Isoleucine [g] | 0.77 |
| Leucine [g] | 0.93 |
| Lysine [g] | 1.04 |
| Methionine [g] | 0.14 |
| Phenylalanine [g] | 0.67 |
| Valine [g] | 1.12 |
| Arginine [g] | 1.26 |
| Histidine [g] | 0.32 |
| Sources include : USDA [2] | |
The health benefits of dill may be derived from its organic compounds, vitamins, and minerals. These include powerful monoterpenes like limonene, carvone, and anethofuran, as well as flavonoids like vicenin and kaempferol. As for vitamins and minerals, as per the USDA National Nutrient Database, it might have a significant amount of vitamins A and C, as well as trace amounts of folate, iron, and manganese. [3] [4]
Health Benefits of Dill
Let’s explore these potential health benefits of dill in detail below.
May Aid Insomnia
The essential oils found in herbs may have peculiar and powerful properties. They are considered to have ancient medicinal properties that might be simultaneously stimulating, sedative, and hypnotic. The essential oils in dill are no exception. The flavonoids and vitamin-B complex present in its essential oils may activate the secretion of certain enzymes and hormones which are considered to have calming and hypnotic effects, thereby helping some people get a good night’s sleep. [5]
Loose bunch of fresh green dill leaves Photo Credit: Shutterstock
Might Help Maintain Bone Health
The calcium content of dill means that it may contribute to adequate levels of calcium in the body, which in turn might help against the important element in protecting you from bone loss and the loss of bone mineral density. Osteoporosis affects millions of people each year, and calcium, along with other essential minerals, is a key component in the proper growth and development of bones and the repair of injured bones as well. [6] [7]
May Help Manage Diabetes
Dill has long been associated with diabetes and the management of insulin levels. Despite the fact that research is somewhat limited in this area, particularly on human subjects, studies have indicated that it may help reduce the fluctuations of serum lipids and insulin levels in corticosteroid-induced diabetes. One study published in the journal Phytotherapy Research stated that laboratory rats that had corticosteroid-induced type 2 diabetes may have showed a decrease in serum glucose and insulin levels when they were given dill extract for 22 days. [8]
May Help Prevent Excess Gas
As a well-known carminative, dill may help prevent the embarrassing condition of extreme flatulence. It is not only an uncomfortable condition to experience in public, but if gas continues to build up, it can actually be a dangerous situation where it presses on the delicate organs of the chest cavity. A carminative may help force the gas downward through the digestive tract and allow it to leave the body in a safe way. [9]
May Boost Immunity
Dill has long been associated with antimicrobial activity. Therefore, frequent use of this herb in meals may help reduce the incidence of a number of microbial infections throughout the body, as well as infections that may result in open wounds or small cuts on the skin. [10]
May Help Calm Hiccups
Hiccups occur for various reasons, but primarily due to trapped gas and its repeated upward movement through the food pipe. The second cause is due to certain allergies, hypersensitivity, hyperactivity, and nervous malfunctioning. Dill may help in these situations. As a carminative, it might help the expulsion of gases and also reduce gas formation; while as a sedative, dill is thought to help calm down hiccups due to allergies, hyperactivity, or nervous disorders. [11]
May Diminish Diarrhea
Diarrhea is mainly caused by two things; indigestion and microbial action. In terms of indigestion, dill may be quite helpful, as it has very good digestive properties. Secondly, the herb may also help due to the monoterpenes and flavonoids present in its essential oils, which are germicidal or bactericidal in nature. They might help relieve diarrhea by inhibiting microbial infections that try to attack the body. [12]
May Relieve Arthritis Pain
Dill has long been known as an anti-inflammatory herb, meaning that it might help reduce inflammation and the associated pain of diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and gout. Dill has been used since ancient times for precisely this reason. [13]
May Stimulate Menstruation
The flavonoids in the essential oil of dill are stimulating and have emmenagogue properties, which are thought in folk medicine to stimulate the secretion of certain hormones that might help maintain proper menstrual cycles in women. [14]
May Help Treat Respiratory Disorder
Kaempferol and certain other components of flavonoids and monoterpenes in the essential oils of dill might be anti-congestive and antihistaminic in nature. They are thought to help clear congestion in the respiratory system due to histamines, allergies or coughs. [15]
May Improve Oral Health
Dill seeds and leaves may act as good mouth and breath fresheners. Apart from that, the essential oils in it are germicidal, antioxidant, and disinfectant in nature. Due to these properties, they might help alleviate oral microbial infections and their antioxidants minimize the damage caused by free radicals to gums and teeth as well. [16]
Other Benefits
Dill is a relaxant, and it increases strength and urination to help in the removal of toxins, excess salts, and water from the body. Furthermore, it is a carminative (helps remove excess gas), antispasmodic (prevents cramps), and an antiflatulent substance. [17]
