DILL

OTHER NAME(S):

American Dill, Aneth, Aneth Odorant, Anethi Fructus, Anethi Herba, Anethum graveolens, Anethum sowa, Dill Herb, Dill Oil, Dill Weed, Dillweed, Dilly, Eneldo, European Dill, Faux Anis, Fenouil Bâtard, Fenouil Puant, Huile d'Aneth, Indian Dill, Madhura, Peucedanum graveolens, Satahva, Shatpushpa, Sotapa, Sowa.

Overview

Overview Information

Dill is a plant that is used as a cooking spice and as a fragrance in soaps and cosmetics. People have also used dill seeds and the parts of the plant that grow above the ground as medicine.

People use dill for digestion problems, liver problems, urinary tract disorders, infections, and many other conditions, but there is no good scientific evidence to support these uses.

How does it work?

Some chemicals contained in dill seed might help relax muscles. Other chemicals might be able to fight bacteria and increase urine production like a "water pill."

Uses

Uses & Effectiveness?

Insufficient Evidence for

  • Aging skin. Applying dill seed extract to the skin may reduce the size of skin wrinkles and improve the firmness of skin. But this benefit is probably small. And applying dill doesn't reduce the number of skin wrinkles.
  • Menstrual cramps (dysmenorrhea). Early research shows that taking dill for three days at the start of pain reduces pain in women with menstrual cramps.
  • High levels of cholesterol or other fats (lipids) in the blood (hyperlipidemia). Early research shows that taking dill by mouth for 6 weeks while following a cholesterol-lowering diet doesn't lower blood fats in people with high cholesterol and clogged heart arteries (coronary artery disease, CAD).
  • Labor pain. Early research shows that taking dill seeds at the beginning of active labor might help shorten the duration of labor. But it doesn't seem to reduce labor pain.
  • Bronchitis.
  • Colds.
  • Cough.
  • Digestive tract problems.
  • Fever.
  • Gallbladder problems.
  • Infections.
  • Intestinal gas (flatulence).
  • Liver problems.
  • Loss of appetite.
  • Sleep disorders.
  • Sore mouth and throat.
  • Spasms.
  • Urinary tract problems.
  • Other conditions.
More evidence is needed to rate the effectiveness of dill for these uses.

Side Effects

Side Effects & Safety

When taken by mouth: Dill is LIKELY SAFE when consumed as a food. Dill is POSSIBLY SAFE for most people when taken by mouth as a medicine. Some people are allergic to dill.

When applied to the skin: There isn't enough reliable information to know if dill is safe. Dill can cause skin irritation in people with dill allergies. Also, fresh dill juice can also cause the skin to become extra sensitive to the sun. This might put you at greater risk for sunburns and skin cancer. Avoid sunlight. Wear sunblock and protective clothing outside, especially if you are light-skinned.

Special Precautions & Warnings:

Pregnancy and breast-feeding: It's POSSIBLY UNSAFE to use dill as a medicine if you are pregnant. Dill seed can start menstruation and that might lead to a miscarriage.

There isn't enough reliable information to know if dill is safe to use when breast-feeding. It's best to stick to food amounts.

Allergy to plants in the carrot family: Dill may cause allergic reactions in people who are allergic to plants in the carrot family. Some of these include asafoetida, caraway, celery, coriander, and fennel.

Diabetes: Dill extract might lower blood sugar in people with diabetes. Watch for signs of low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) and monitor your blood sugar carefully, if you have diabetes and use dill extract in amounts larger than the amounts normally found in food.

Underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism):People with underactive thyroid don't make enough thyroid hormone. Taking dill as a medicine seems to lower thyroid hormone levels. This might worsen symptoms in people with underactive thyroid, who already have low levels of thyroid hormone. Don't taking dill as a medicine if you have underactive thyroid.

Surgery: Dill extract might lower blood sugar. There is concern that using dill extract might interfere with blood sugar control during and after surgery. Stop taking dill extract at least 2 weeks before a scheduled surgery.

Interactions

Interactions?

Moderate Interaction

Be cautious with this combination

!

  • Lithium interacts with DILL

    Dill might have an effect like a water pill or "diuretic." Taking dill might decrease how well the body gets rid of lithium. This could increase how much lithium is in the body and result in serious side effects. Talk with your healthcare provider before using this product if you are taking lithium. Your lithium dose might need to be changed.

Dosing

Dosing

The appropriate dose of dill depends on several factors such as the user's age, health, and several other conditions. At this time there is not enough scientific information to determine an appropriate range of doses for dill. Keep in mind that natural products are not always necessarily safe and dosages can be important. Be sure to follow relevant directions on product labels and consult your pharmacist or physician or other healthcare professional before using.

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View References

REFERENCES:

  • Cenizo, V., Andre, V., Reymermier, C., Sommer, P., Damour, O., and Perrier, E. LOXL as a target to increase the elastin content in adult skin: a dill extract induces the LOXL gene expression. Exp.Dermatol. 2006;15(8):574-581. View abstract.
  • Chiu, A. M. and Zacharisen, M. C. Anaphylaxis to dill. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2000;84(5):559-560. View abstract.
  • de Sousa, D. P., Farias Nobrega, F. F., and de Almeida, R. N. Influence of the chirality of (R)-(-)- and (S)-(+)-carvone in the central nervous system: a comparative study. Chirality 5-5-2007;19(4):264-268. View abstract.
  • Elgayyar, M., Draughon, F. A., Golden, D. A., and Mount, J. R. Antimicrobial activity of essential oils from plants against selected pathogenic and saprophytic microorganisms. J Food Prot. 2001;64(7):1019-1024. View abstract.
  • Freeman, G. L. Allergy to fresh dill. Allergy 1999;54(5):531-532. View abstract.
  • Hajhashemi, V. and Abbasi, N. Hypolipidemic activity of Anethum graveolens in rats. Phytother.Res 2008;22(3):372-375. View abstract.
  • Hosseinzadeh, H., Karimi, G. R., and Ameri, M. Effects of Anethum graveolens L. seed extracts on experimental gastric irritation models in mice. BMC.Pharmacol. 12-19-2002;2:21. View abstract.
  • Jirovetz, L., Buchbauer, G., Stoyanova, A. S., Georgiev, E. V., and Damianova, S. T. Composition, quality control, and antimicrobial activity of the essential oil of long-time stored dill (Anethum graveolens L.) seeds from Bulgaria. J Agric.Food Chem. 6-18-2003;51(13):3854-3857. View abstract.
  • Kaur, G. J. and Arora, D. S. Antibacterial and phytochemical screening of Anethum graveolens, Foeniculum vulgare and Trachyspermum ammi. BMC.Complement Altern.Med. 2009;9:30. View abstract.
  • Kojuri, J., Vosoughi, A. R., and Akrami, M. Effects of anethum graveolens and garlic on lipid profile in hyperlipidemic patients. Lipids Health Dis. 2007;6:5. View abstract.
  • Madani H, Mahmoodabady NA Vahdati A. Effects of hydroalchoholic [sic] extract of Anethum graveolens (DILL) on plasma glucose an [sic] lipid levels in diabetes induced rats. Iranian Journal of Diabetes & Lipid Disorders 2006;5(2):E13.
  • Monteseirin, J., Perez-Formoso, J. L., Hernandez, M., Sanchez-Hernandez, M. C., Camacho, M. J., Bonilla, I., Chaparro, A., and Conde, J. Contact urticaria from dill. Contact Dermatitis 2003;48(5):275. View abstract.
  • Monteseirin, J., Perez-Formoso, J. L., Sanchez-Hernandez, M. C., Hernandez, M., Camacho, M. J., Bonilla, I., Guardia, P., and Conde, J. Occupational contact dermatitis to dill. Allergy 2002;57(9):866-867. View abstract.
  • Panda, S. The effect of Anethum graveolens L. (dill) on corticosteroid induced diabetes mellitus: involvement of thyroid hormones. Phytother.Res 2008;22(12):1695-1697. View abstract.
  • Rafii, F. and Shahverdi, A. R. Comparison of essential oils from three plants for enhancement of antimicrobial activity of nitrofurantoin against enterobacteria. Chemotherapy 2007;53(1):21-25. View abstract.
  • Razzaghi-Abyaneh, M., Yoshinari, T., Shams-Ghahfarokhi, M., Rezaee, M. B., Nagasawa, H., and Sakuda, S. Dillapiol and Apiol as specific inhibitors of the biosynthesis of aflatoxin G1 in Aspergillus parasiticus. Biosci.Biotechnol.Biochem. 2007;71(9):2329-2332. View abstract.
  • Singh, G., Kapoor, I. P., Pandey, S. K., Singh, U. K., and Singh, R. K. Studies on essential oils: part 10; antibacterial activity of volatile oils of some spices. Phytother.Res 2002;16(7):680-682. View abstract.
  • Stavri, M. and Gibbons, S. The antimycobacterial constituents of dill (Anethum graveolens). Phytother.Res 2005;19(11):938-941. View abstract.
  • Tuntipopipat, S., Muangnoi, C., and Failla, M. L. Anti-inflammatory activities of extracts of Thai spices and herbs with lipopolysaccharide-activated RAW 264.7 murine macrophages. J Med.Food 2009;12(6):1213-1220. View abstract.
  • Altay M, Ates I, Kaplan Efe F, Karadag I. Does use of Anethum graveolens affected thyroid hormone levels and thyroid nodules? Am J Ther. 2017;24(5):e627-e629. View abstract.
  • Electronic Code of Federal Regulations. Title 21. Part 182 -- Substances Generally Recognized As Safe. Available at: https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfcfr/CFRSearch.cfm?CFRPart=182
  • Fetrow CW, Avila JR. Professional's Handbook of Complementary & Alternative Medicines. 1st ed. Springhouse, PA: Springhouse Corp., 1999.
  • Hekmatzadeh SF, Bazarganipour F, Allan H, Aramesh S, Mohammadi J. Effects of boiled dill seed on anxiety during labor: A randomized clinical trial. Chin J Integr Med. 2020;26(2):100-105. View abstract.
  • Hekmatzadeh SF, Bazarganipour F, Malekzadeh J, Goodarzi F, Aramesh S. A randomized clinical trial of the efficacy of applying a simple protocol of boiled Anethum Graveolens seeds on pain intensity and duration of labor stages. Complement Ther Med. 2014;22(6):970-6. View abstract.
  • Omidvar S, Nasiri-Amiri F, Bakhtiari A, Begum K. Clinical trial for the management dysmenorrhea using selected spices. Complement Ther Clin Pract. 2019;36:34-38. View abstract.
  • Sifton D, ed. The PDR family guide to natural medicines & healing therapies. New York, NY:Three Rivers Press, 1999.
  • Sohm B, Cenizo V, André V, Zahouani H, Pailler-Mattei C, Vogelgesang B. Evaluation of the efficacy of a dill extract in vitro and in vivo. Int J Cosmet Sci. 2011;33(2):157-63. View abstract.

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CONDITIONS OF USE AND IMPORTANT INFORMATION: This information is meant to supplement, not replace advice from your doctor or healthcare provider and is not meant to cover all possible uses, precautions, interactions or adverse effects. This information may not fit your specific health circumstances. Never delay or disregard seeking professional medical advice from your doctor or other qualified health care provider because of something you have read on WebMD. You should always speak with your doctor or health care professional before you start, stop, or change any prescribed part of your health care plan or treatment and to determine what course of therapy is right for you.

This copyrighted material is provided by Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database Consumer Version. Information from this source is evidence-based and objective, and without commercial influence. For professional medical information on natural medicines, see Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database Professional Version.
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