The ancient Greeks and Romans grew it and used it to flavor foods. It is native to the eastern Mediterranean
region and western Asia. The word dill comes from the old Norse word dylla, meaning to soothe or lull. It
dates back in writing to about 3000 B.C. when it earned a mention in Egyptian
medical texts. In the 1st century Rome,
dill weed was considered a good luck symbol. Ancient Egyptians used it to ward
off witches and as an aphrodisiac.
To Greeks, dill signified wealth. Many cultures cultivated it for
medicinal qualities, particularly its ability to soothe an ailing stomach. In ancient
Greece athletes spread dill infused olive oil all over their body as muscle
toner. In Anglo-Saxon England dill was
made into a herbal tea according to a recipe borrowed from ancient Greek
medicinal texts and used to treat jaundice, headache, boils, lack of appetite,
stomach problems, nausea and liver problems.
Today dill is widely grown in Eurasia and other parts of the world where
its leaves and seeds are used as an herb or spice for flavoring soups, sauces
and salads. The aromatic fernlike leaves
of dill are used to flavor salmon and other fish dishes as well as cucumber pickles,
where the dill flower is sometimes used. Dill is best when used fresh as it
loses its flavor rapidly if dried. Dill
seed is used as a spice and dill oil, extracted from the leaves, stems and
seeds of the plant is used in the manufacturing of soaps.
Dill weed is a good source of calcium, manganese and iron, and as
an antioxidant food, its flavonoids provide anti-inflammatory and antiviral
properties that give it a whole host of incredible health benefits. A study published in the American Journal of Therapeutics investigated
the analgesic and antidepressant properties of dill from the South of Morocco.
Extract of the dill plant was administered to subjects and showed a significant
antidepressant and analgesic effect when compared with the drug references, sertraline
and tramadol, and dill had the advantage of no adverse effects.
Dill weed also has proven
cholesterol-lowering benefits. It aids in digestion and provides a source of
energy through beneficial fatty acids. A
study published in the Malaysian Journal of Medical Sciences found
that extract of dill had profound anticonvulsant activities making it a
potential natural alternative treatment for epilepsy.
The triacylglycerol structure
and distribution of fatty acids of seed oils determines the final physical properties
of dill oil that has a positive effect on absorption and metabolism. Regular consumption of fresh dill aids in the
digestion of some important fatty acids.
Dill oil has been
shown to be effective agent against several bacteria strains, completely
inhibiting the growth of Fusarium graminearum, a devastating wheat disease
caused by the fungal plant pathogen, as well five other toxic bacteria,
including Staphylococcus aureus.
Dill extracts taken from seeds stored for thirty-five years remained
potent enough to kill several fungal strains, such as the mold Aspergillus
niger and the yeasts Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Candida
albicans.
Dill also contains
monoterpene effects which help antioxidant molecules attach to oxidized
molecules that would otherwise do damage in the body. These antioxidant effects
are comparable to those obtained by ascorbic acid, alpha-tocopherol and quercetin. Thus, dill exhibits
anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties capable of fighting free radical damage associated with cancer.
