Four seeds to relieve bloating
- Emma
- 6 days ago
- 2 min read
Christmas is often synonymous with socialising, celebration and, of course, eating! We may occasionally overindulge in some of the delicious festive dishes. This can lead to a feeling of discomfort and tightness from the build-up of pressure in the stomach. Generally, this is short-lived, however, if bloating is a regular occurrence, you should consult your doctor.
In the case of temporary bloating, easing up on the intake of rich food, reducing the size of servings, chewing slowly and taking some gentle exercise can help. In addition, a blend of four seeds may help you relieve bloating and abdominal discomfort. These four seeds are fennel (Foeniculum vulgare), Anise (Pimpinella anisum), Caraway (Carum carvi) and Cumin (Cuminum cyminum). You may already be familiar with some of these if you eat out at Indian restaurants where you are served Mukhwas at the end of the meal. Mukhwas is the colourful, aromatic seed mix which aids digestion and freshens the mouth [1], hence its name which translates as « mouth freshener ».
In French herbalism, the four seeds are referred to as the « quatre semences chaudes » (four warming seeds). Some authors include coriander (Coriandrum sativum) instead of caraway. The old French phamacopoeia, the quality standard for medicines and their ingredients, included this mix in its list of prescriptions in 1884. So, how do the four seeds help ?
Firstly, these four warming seeds are rich in aromatic volatile oils. These oils promote healthy digestion, reduce inflammation, soothe the gut wall and help the body eliminate gas from the digestive tract. Secondly, they are antispasmodic which means they ease muscle tension thus reducing muscle spasms. Thirdly, due to their antimicrobial properties, they decrease the number of microbes responsible for the production of intestinal gas [2, 3, 4].
The simplest way to take this mix is as a herbal tea. You will need to combine equal amounts of Fennel, Anise, Cumin and Caraway seeds and should count a heaped dessert spoon of the mix per cup. Place the blend into a saucepan cold water and bring to the boil. Turn off the heat, cover the saucepan with a lid and leave to infuse for 10 minutes. Filter the tea and drink half an hour after the meal.
Enjoy your meal!
[1] Nambiar, Vanisha & Ansari, Sabat. (2021). 'MUKHWAS' MIX -Indian Mouth Fresheners and their potential role in reducing micronutrient malnutrition. 7. 95-101.
[2] Badgujar SB & al., (2014) Foeniculum vulgare Mill: a review of its botany, phytochemistry, pharmacology, contemporary application, and toxicology. Biomed Res Int. 2014;2014:842674.
[3] Rakesh Kumar Joshi, Rachid Soulimani (2020). Ethno-medicinal and phytochemical potential of Carum carvi Linn. and Cuminum cyminum: A review. Int J Pharmacognosy Life Sci 2020;1(1):33-37.
[4] Shojaii A, Abdollahi Fard M. (2012) Review of Pharmacological Properties and Chemical Constituents of Pimpinella anisum. ISRN Pharm. 2012;2012:510795.
