Asafoetida

Asafoetida has many various uses including as a digestive (an aid to improve digestion), a headache remedy, as a remedy to counteract various poisons, and as a help to the throat an lungs - as an 'expectorant'. It is also helpful for nervous conditions such as mild anxiety.

Asafoetida is called "Food of the Gods." The resin is the part of the plant commonly used. The resin contains a volatile oil which is a main contributer to the activity of asafoetida.

The herb was said to be used frequently as a flouring agent by Alexander the Great. That was back in 4 B.C. It was known to help digestion by reducing gas and bloating. Asafoetida is now widely used in the Indian subcontinent in cooking. In the UK, it is one of the main flavorings in Worcestershire sauce. This is a main ingredient in 'Bloody Mary', or its non-alcoholic equivalent, 'Virgin Mary'.

As mentioned earlier, it works on gas and the bloating associated with it but further it also eases indigestion, rids stomach cramps, and helps with constipation, which is Asafoetida's contribution to digestive comfort. For headaches, when Asafoetida is mixed with water it is showing great promise for the treatment of migraines and tension headaches. As an antidote, it shows promise when used for snake bites. It also has insect-repellant properties when it is mixed with garlic.

As an expectorant the Asafoetida oil helps to rid the body of excess mucus and eases the respiratory system. Many use it for whooping cough, asthma, and bronchitis. Where expectoration is a problem asafetida helps in expelling accumulated cough. Some mixtures that seem to blend together well for coughs and as expectorants are roasted fresh resinous gum powder with real ghee or a mixture of asafetida powder with honey, white onion juice, betel nut juice and dry ginger.

Asafoetida has a very unpleasant odor to it, so bad that many call it the "Devil's Dung." The foul odor comes from the resin that is removed from the plant's stem and root. Asafoetida is a species of the fennel plant but a relative to the carrot. The wicked odor is formed from the organic sulfur compound found as part of the essential oils. When it comes to the value of the Asafoetida tree, the older, the better and trees less than four years of age are virtually worthless.

When buying Asafoetida in the marketplace it will likely be available in three different forms, one is called tears which are commonly sold in Chinese pharmacies and characteristically may have fragments of root and earth. It is also sold in a paste which is very commonly used as a condiment for flavoring such dishes as curry, to flavor beans, sauces, pickles, and many use it as a substitute for garlic.

Asafoetida is also reputed to increase the chances of male fertility. There is no scientific evidence for this. Finally, local doctors in the Far East are said also to use it for toothache.