Products
The medicinal raw material, essential oil and medicines with caraway are available in pharmacies and drugstores. For example, caraway is commercially available in the form of teas, tea mixtures, drops, suppositories, capsules and as oil for external use.
Stem plant
Caraway, from the umbelliferae family (Apiaceae), is a biennial herb that is also native to Europe. In English, the plant is referred to as.
Medicinal drug
The fruits are used as a medicinal herb (Carvi fructus). Caraway consists of the whole, dried partial fruits of . The pharmacopoeia requires a minimum content of essential oil.
Ingredients
Caraway essential oil (Carvi aetheroleum PhEur) is obtained from the dried fruits using steam distillation and is present as a clear, colorless or yellow liquid. The main components are (S)-(+)-carvone and (R)-(+)-limonene.
Effects
Caraway has antiflatulent (carminative), digestive, antispasmodic, and antimicrobial properties.
Fields of application
Caraway is primarily used for flatulence and other gastrointestinal complaints such as abdominal cramps and indigestion. It is also a typical ingredient in breastfeeding teas to stimulate milk production during lactation. Caraway is also used as a spice, for example, in vegetables or baked goods such as Lentwähe, Basler Sunnereedli and apéro pastries. It is an ingredient of caraway liqueur (Kümmelschnaps).
Dosage
Caraway can be prepared as an infusion. It should be toasted for this purpose shortly before, so that the essential oil can escape. For the treatment of abdominal cramps, some remedies are also applied externally.
Contraindications
- Hypersensitivity (also to other umbellifers).
Full precautions can be found in the drug label.
Adverse effects
Possible adverse effects include allergic reactions.
