Cumin

Cumin, a carminative and mild sedative, used to appear, not in cakes, but in most Roman recipes. It facilitates the digestion of big meals. It is indicated for gastric and intestinal pains accompanied by belching and flatulence, and in particular for postprandial bloating. Its therapeutic properties are similar, though inferior, to those of fennel, anise and cardun, so must be used in higher dosages. It possesses depressant properties on the SNC able to cause muscle relaxation, and an analgesic and soporific effect. Folk medicine believes that the fruit from cumin, improperly called seeds, has emmenagoghe and galactogogue functions and, for external use, skin stimulating properties.