Dil is known in modern times primarily as a seasoning herb in the kitchen, especially as an ingredient for salad dressings or for pickling cucumbers. But its uses are far more diverse. Dill has been used as a remedy for a variety of diseases. Even in ancient times, dill was used as a medicinal and seasoning herb by the Greeks and Romans.
Occurrence and cultivation of dill
As a medicinal herb, dill is used primarily for gastrointestinal complaints. For this purpose, a tea is prepared from the dried or fresh seeds. Common dill is an annual plant, which is distributed practically all over the world. It is also known as gille or cucumber herb. The plant, originally from the Near East, is one of the most commonly cultivated spice plants in German-speaking countries. Because the umbellifer is quite undemanding with regard to its location and requires little care, the plant is ideal for cultivation in your own garden. The plant reaches a growth height of up to 75 centimeters, but in individual cases can grow over a meter high. Characteristic are the narrow leaves and the typical fragrance of the plant. The scents are contained in all parts of the plant. They make it easy to distinguish dill from other umbellifers. The flowers are yellow and rather inconspicuous. From them develop the seeds used in medicine. As a medicinal herb, the ripe seeds are harvested from late summer until autumn. They should be dried for a few days in a warm, airy place and stored in an airtight container for better storage. The leaves as a spice can be harvested as early as June and processed as fresh as possible. The plant can be easily propagated by seed in the home garden. For this purpose, a single umbel is not harvested. The seeds fall out and germinate quite reliably in the following year in the same place. This ensures the harvest of the following year. Due to its low demands and small space requirements, cultivation in a flower pot is also successful. However, in this case, the height of the adult plant should be taken into account. Responsible for the effect of dill are the essential oils contained in it. Because these are best formed in the sun, as is the case with most aromatic and medicinal herbs, this should be taken into account when choosing a location for cultivation in your own garden. Those who do not have the opportunity to grow the plant themselves can obtain the dried seeds or even ready-made tea in pharmacies or drugstores.
Effect and application
As a medicinal herb, dill is used primarily for gastrointestinal complaints. For this purpose, a tea is prepared from the dried or fresh seeds: one to two teaspoons of the crushed seeds are poured over a cup of boiling water, drained after 5 minutes of infusion and drunk in small sips while still warm. This tea is very mild and can also be used on babies to relieve flatulence. Adults can also prepare a healing drink with wine. The preparation is similar to that of the tea, but the wine should only be lukewarm. This dill wine is also said to have a positive effect on problems with falling asleep or nervousness. For menstrual cramps, the tea, but prepared in appropriately larger quantities, can provide relief as a sitz bath. In addition, the tea can also be used internally. Nursing mothers appreciate the lactation-promoting effect of dill, which is why it is often included as an ingredient in nursing teas. For bruises and hematomas, the tea is used as a compress. For this purpose, a clean cloth is soaked with the tea and applied to the affected area. If necessary, the compress is changed and the treatment is repeated until improvement occurs. An oil extracted from the seeds, which is commercially available, can also be used to relieve hematomas. Another type of external application is the oil compress. For this, the seeds or even dried and crushed leaves of the dill plant are placed in a cloth soaked in olive oil. This compress is applied lukewarm and is said to have a healing effect on ulcers. For headaches, an oil can be prepared. To do this, two handfuls of dill are placed in a bottle with half a liter of olive oil and stored in a warm place for two weeks. After that, the oil is poured off and stored in a well-sealed container. Clinically proven is a progesterone-promoting effect of dill seeds.This results in a healing-supporting effect for cycle irregularities in women.
Importance for health, treatment and prevention.
Dill is a commonly used medicinal herb in today’s herbal medicine. The effect is similar to that of fennel, but dill is the milder remedy. Often, the seeds are found alongside other medicinal herbs in ready-made tea mixtures for indigestion or flatulence. The oil extracted from the seeds is also readily available in pharmacies and drugstores. There are no known side effects. So the only risk in using it is that it may not work to the extent desired. To support a low or no salt diet, dill weed can be used as a salt substitute to season food. Due to the easy self-cultivation or also the good availability in the trade, it is very suitable for the self-treatment of the aforementioned complaints. If, despite proper use, there is no improvement or the condition worsens, a doctor should be consulted.
