The Indian cooking spice asafoetida1,2 — a reputation that interprets into “rotten resin”3 — also referred to as hing, hingu4 or heeng,5 is a gum obtained from a sort of large fennel. It has an offensive odor akin to that of rotting garlic and sweaty toes, however an appetizing savory, umami style. In France, the herb is called satan’s dung.
In response to GoodFood.com,6 Jain and Brahmin Indians have lengthy used it in lieu of garlic and onions. It’s additionally fashionable amongst these in whom onions trigger digestive hassle.
Whereas it’s typically attainable to find asafoetida in its uncooked gum kind, it’s mostly offered as a floor powder combined with flour, starch or turmeric. That is possible a very good factor, as consuming it uncooked may cause extreme diarrhea and/or vomiting.7 It has a really sturdy odor and ought to be utilized in very small quantities. As famous by GoodFood.com:8
“As soon as a container of asafoetida has been opened it’s finest to shut it as quickly as attainable. Then, maintain it hermetically sealed in an hermetic plastic container, or double wrapped — at the very least. If the aroma escapes you’ll awake to discover a home reeking of yesterday’s garlic …
Usually, the yellow, diluted asafoetida powder is utilized in in regards to the proportion of a pinch or two to 250g of the principle ingredient … longer cooking mellows it …
Asafoetida works finest when first fried for 5 to 10 seconds in sizzling oil till its pungency is dramatically apparent — be sure you have the extractor on or the window open. Then rapidly add different components to cease it burning.”
Well being Advantages of Asafoetida
With its onion-garlic taste, you need to use it as an alternative to both of these components. Many advocate utilizing it in bean-based dishes, because it helps stop gassiness.9
Its means to chop fuel is attributed to antibacterial compounds that impede the exercise of intestine micro organism accountable for flatulence.10 It additionally has a variety of different well being advantages,11 together with antibacterial, antiparasitic and antiviral properties.
In 2009, researchers found sure compounds within the herb have been more practical at killing the H1N1 influenza virus than the industrial antiviral drug amantadine.12,13
One other research14 discovered the ferulic acid in asafoetida has the flexibility to regulate fascioliasis,15 a zoonotic liver illness (which means it might unfold between animals and other people) brought on by consuming watercress or different water vegetation contaminated with Fasciola hepatica and/or Fasciola gigantica.
In response to a paper16 within the Pharmacognosy Evaluate, asafoetida additionally has antispasmodic, carminative, expectorant, laxative and sedative properties, simply to call a couple of. Historic makes use of embody the remedy of hysteria, nervous situations, bronchitis, bronchial asthma, whooping cough, childish pneumonia and flatulent colic.17
In response to the Pharmacognosy Evaluate paper, it’s notably useful for bronchial asthma, because of unstable oils which can be eradicated by the lungs. It’s additionally been proven to work as a pure blood thinner and helps decrease blood strain. In conventional medication in India, the herb is taken to assist break up and get rid of kidney stones and gallstones.18
Traditionally, it has additionally been used as an antidote to opium. In response to the Pharmacognosy Evaluate, “Given in the same amount as opium ingested by the affected person, it should counteract the impact of the drug.”19
Asafoetida Has Anticancer and Life Extending Properties
Asafoetida additionally comprises a variety of chemical substances proven to have anti-inflammatory, anticancer and antimutagenic actions.20 As reported within the Pharmacognosy Evaluate:21
“Dried resin, administered orally to Sprague–Dawley rats at doses of 1.25 and a pair of.5% w/w of the food regimen, produced a big discount within the multiplicity and dimension of palpable N-methyl-N-nitrosourea-induced mammary tumors, and a delay in imply latency interval of tumor look.
Oral administration to mice elevated the proportion of life span by 52.9%. Intraperitoneal administration didn’t produce any important discount in tumor development.
The extract additionally inhibited a two-stage chemical carcinogenesis induced by 7,12-dimethylbenzathracene and croton oil on mice pores and skin with important discount in papilloma formation.”
Equally, a research22 revealed within the Journal of Ayurveda and Integrative Drugs in 2017 confirmed the asafoetida resin had antitumor results in opposition to breast most cancers. In response to the authors:23
“Our outcomes confirmed that remedy with asafoetida was efficient in reducing the tumor weight and tumor quantity in handled mice. Physique weight considerably elevated in feminine BALB/c mice in opposition to management.
Other than the antitumor impact, asafoetida decreased lung, liver and kidney metastasis and likewise elevated areas of necrosis within the tumor tissue respectively.”
Different research24 have additionally discovered the remoted ferulsinaic acid in asafoetida has life extending functionality, rising the imply life span of Caenorhabditis elegans by as a lot as 18.03%, and their most life span between 8.33% and 41.6%.
Improved warmth stress tolerance and reductions in lipid peroxidation are regarded as accountable for this impact. In response to the authors, “Ferulsinaic acid had therapeutic efficacy as an antioxidant with the potential for its use as an antioxidant drug.”
Asafoetida’s Usefulness in Remedy of Girls’s Illnesses
Asafoetida may be helpful within the remedy of quite a lot of feminine well being illnesses, akin to sterility, untimely labor, painful and extreme menstruation and leucorrhoea.
The Pharmacognosy Evaluate25 suggests taking 12 centigrams of asafoetida gum fried in ghee with 120 grams of contemporary goat’s milk and 1 tablespoon of honey, 3 times a day for 4 weeks, to extend secretion of progesterone, which will be useful in these conditions.
In male rats, asafoetida at doses between 25 and 200 mg/kg has been proven to considerably improve the quantity and viability of sperm, thus enhancing fertility.26
Care have to be used when you’re pregnant or planning to change into pregnant,27 nevertheless, as asafoetida additionally has the flexibility to forestall being pregnant and induce miscarriage. Antifertility results have been famous in rats at a dosage of 400 mg/kg, stopping being pregnant in 80% of instances.28,29
Breastfeeding girls must also keep away from asofoetida as it may be transferred by way of breast milk to their child, in whom sure chemical substances within the herb could contribute to sure blood problems.30 To deal with colic, asafoetida is usually utilized to the toddler’s navel within the type of a paste, against being ingested.31
Mind and Cardiovascular Advantages
As talked about, the herb has been proven to decrease blood strain, and seems to be fairly efficient at this, the Pharmacognosy Evaluate notes.32 One of many mechanisms accountable for this hypotensive impact is vasodilation. Tinctures and water extracts of dried gum resin has been proven to have a big easy muscle relaxant and anticoagulant results.33
Furthermore, sure compounds seem to have the flexibility to inhibit acetylcholinesterase,34,35 which suggests it could be helpful in opposition to Alzheimer’s illness.36 In animal trials, asafoetida at doses of 200 to 400 milligrams per kilo has additionally been proven to enhance reminiscence formation.
Asafoetida Helps Promote Intestine Well being
One other space during which this smelliest of herbs will be helpful is for the prevention and remedy of assorted intestine illnesses. One research37 asafoetida’s results on purposeful dyspepsia (FD), a continual dysfunction of the higher digestive tract,38 discovered it to be each secure and efficient. As reported on this research:39
“Within the double-blinded, placebo-controlled research, 43 topics recognized to have average to extreme discomforts of nonulcer FD have been randomized to obtain hard-shell capsules (250 mg × 2/day) of both placebo or a food-grade formulation of asafoetida (Asafin) for 30 days.
When evaluated by a set of validated indexing instruments … virtually 81% within the Asafin group confirmed important enchancment within the total rating and high quality of life as in comparison with the placebo. On the finish of the research, 66% of topics within the Asafin group remained symptoms-free.
Though the signs rating improved considerably in each the teams … the relative share of topics within the Asafin group with greater than 80% discount in varied signs have been: bloating (58%), urge for food (69%), postprandial fullness (74%) movement illness (75%), and digestion (77%) as in comparison with lower than 10% nonspecific enchancment within the placebo group.
All the topics remained secure with no opposed occasions or variations in haematological and biochemical parameters.”
Cooking With Asafoetida
If the concept of smelling up your kitchen isn’t a deterrent, contemplate spicing up your meals with this medicinal herb.
In “Asafoetida Stinks, However It Helps the Cook dinner,”40 revealed in The Seattle Instances, Monica Bhide particulars the best way to use it in cooking, and offers you with a recipe for savory cheesecake topped with purple pepper and inexperienced tomatillo chutney to get you began.
Further cooking ideas will be discovered on NDTV’s Meals Channel,41 and a recipe for lemon-asafoetida water is given on netmeds.com.42
