CHAPTER 13. Dill (Anethum graveolens, Anethum foeniculum, Peucedanum graveolens, Anethum sowa)

Dill is a popular culinary herb in Scandinavia, Russia, Finland, Iran, China and India. Its leaves, seed and oil are added to baked goods, snacks, condiments, and meat products. Dill is also used in cosmetics, perfumes, creams and lotions, as well as detergents. Employed in witchcraft practices in Europe in the Middle Ages, it has been used in traditional medicine in Eastern and Western traditions, mostly for digestive and urinary complaints. Research, mainly from the Indian subcontinent and the Middle East, with a small number from Europe, provides evidence of dill possessing a range of bioactive properties although the body of research is not large for some. These properties include its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, glucose lowering, anti-diabetic, lipid lowering, hepato-protective, chemopreventive/anti-cancer, neuroprotective/memory enhancing, anxiolytic (calming), anti-epileptic and antimicrobial properties. Dill is also reported to affect fertility, decrease labour during pregnancy, possibly due to its contractile properties, and may be of use in the management of dysmenorrhea due to its analgesic properties. There are also reports that it may affect the elasticity and pigmentation of skin.