Jeeraka

Cumin (Cuminum cyminum) is a small annual herb which grows up to 30-50 cm in height. Its leaves are alternate, compound, filiform segment, with sheeting bases. The flowers are small white, found in compound umbels or umbrella-like clusters. The flowers have both male and female structures together and an inferior ovary that develops into a very characteristic fruit called a cremocarp.

Fruits are greenish, turns grey when ripe, tapering towards both ends, covered with papillose hairs. Though these grain-like fruits are called the seeds, the true seeds are within them and come out only during germination through disintegration of the fruit wall.

Cumin seeds resemble caraway seeds, being oblong in shape, longitudinally ridged and yellow-brown in color, like other members of the Umbelliferae family such as caraway, parsley and dill.

The common chemical constituents of cumin are Cuminaldehyde, cymene and terpenoids. It contains 2- 4% of volatile oil called cumin oil.

Classification

Botanical name
Cuminum cyminum

Kingdom
Plantae

Sub kingdom
Viridiplantae

Division
Tracheophyta

Class
Magnoliopsida

Order
Apiaceae

Genus
Cuminum

Species
Cyminum

Family
Umbelliferae

Habitat

Cultivation of cumin needs hot Climate to grow around 30 c temperature. It is native to mainly in Egypt, India, Mexico, and North Africa, China.

Vernacular Names

Latin – Cuminum Cyminum
Common name – Jeera
Sanskrit – Jiraka
English – Cuminum seeds
Hindi – Safed jeera, jeera
Kannada – Jeerige

Malayalam – Jorekam
Telugu – Jeelakari
Bengali – Jeera
Marathi – Jire
Gujarathi – Jeeru
Tamil – Cheerakam

Ayurvedic Properties

Hindi / Sanskrit		English
Rasa	Katu	Taste	Pungent
Guna	Laghu, Rooksha	Physical Property	Light, Dry
Virya	Ushna	Potency	Hot
Vipaka	Katu	Metabolic Property (After Digestion)	Pungent

Effects on Doshas

It is Kaphavatahara that helps to pacifying the vitiated kapha and Vata doshas and increases pitta dosha in body.

Charak Samhita	Sushrut Samhita	Vagbhata
Shoolaprashamana – (Relieves abdominal pain)	Pippalyadi	Pippalyadi

Practical Uses of Cuminum Cyminum

It helps in enhancing appetite and helps in digestion.
It is very useful in vomiting and nausea.
It is also useful in treatment of piles, leucorrhea, and skin diseases.
It also acts as natural aphrodisiac that increases the libido and sperm count in males.
It is very good for eyes.
it is very useful in the treatment of fever (Jirna Jawar or Chronic Fever)
It gives Stamina and strength.
It also promotes lactation in mothers.
It is also good for heart and prevents heart related diseases.
It is very much useful in diarrhea, bloating, flatulence.
It is helpful in diabetes also.
It plays a good role in improving immunological strength.
It stimulates the taste buds and promotes salivary secretion.
It is a very good natural antioxidant.
It is useful in the treatment of respiratory diseases like tuberculosis.
It reduces the cholesterol level and helps in weight loss.