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 kind of big fennel. It has an offensive scent akin to that of rotting garlic and sweaty toes, however an appetizing savory, umami style. In France, the herb is called satan’s dung.
According to GoodFood.com,6 Jain and Brahmin Indians have lengthy used it in lieu of garlic and onions. It’s additionally well-liked amongst these in whom onions trigger digestive hassle.
While it’s generally attainable to find asafoetida in its uncooked gum kind, it’s mostly bought as a floor powder combined with flour, starch or turmeric. This is probably going factor, as consuming it uncooked could cause extreme diarrhea and/or vomiting.7 It has a really robust odor and must be utilized in very small quantities. As famous by GoodFood.com:8
“Once a container of asafoetida has been opened it’s finest to shut it as quickly as attainable. Then, hold it hermetically sealed in an hermetic plastic container, or double wrapped — at the least. If the aroma escapes you’ll awake to discover a home reeking of yesterday’s garlic …
Generally, the yellow, diluted asafoetida powder is utilized in concerning 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 shortly add different elements to cease it burning.”
Health Benefits of Asafoetida
With its onion-garlic taste, you need to use it as an alternative choice to both of these elements. Many advocate utilizing it in bean-based dishes, because it helps forestall gassiness.9
Its means to chop fuel is attributed to antibacterial compounds that impede the exercise of intestine micro organism chargeable for flatulence.10 It additionally has a lot 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 business antiviral drug amantadine.12,13
Another examine14 discovered the ferulic acid in asafoetida has the power to regulate fascioliasis,15 a zoonotic liver illness (which means it may possibly unfold between animals and folks) attributable to consuming watercress or different water vegetation contaminated with Fasciola hepatica and/or Fasciola gigantica.
According to a paper16 within the Pharmacognosy Review, asafoetida additionally has antispasmodic, carminative, expectorant, laxative and sedative properties, simply to call a number of. Historical makes use of embrace the remedy of hysteria, nervous circumstances, bronchitis, bronchial asthma, whooping cough, childish pneumonia and flatulent colic.17
According to the Pharmacognosy Review paper, it’s significantly helpful for bronchial asthma, because of risky oils which are eradicated via the lungs. It’s additionally been proven to work as a pure blood thinner and helps decrease blood stress. In conventional medication in India, the herb is taken to assist break up and remove kidney stones and gallstones.18
Historically, it has additionally been used as an antidote to opium. According to the Pharmacognosy Review, “Given in the same quantity as opium ingested by the patient, it will counteract the effect of the drug.”19
Asafoetida Has Anticancer and Life Extending Properties
Asafoetida additionally comprises a lot of chemical compounds proven to have anti-inflammatory, anticancer and antimutagenic actions.20 As reported within the Pharmacognosy Review:21
“Dried resin, administered orally to Sprague–Dawley rats at doses of 1.25 and a couple of.5% w/w of the weight loss program, produced a big discount within the multiplicity and measurement 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.”
Similarly, a examine22 revealed within the Journal of Ayurveda and Integrative Medicine in 2017 confirmed the asafoetida resin had antitumor results in opposition to breast most cancers. According to the authors:23
“Our outcomes confirmed that remedy with asafoetida was efficient in lowering the tumor weight and tumor quantity in handled mice. Body weight considerably elevated in feminine BALB/c mice in opposition to management.
Apart from the antitumor impact, asafoetida decreased lung, liver and kidney metastasis and likewise elevated areas of necrosis within the tumor tissue respectively.”
Other research24 have additionally discovered the remoted ferulsinaic acid in asafoetida has life extending functionality, growing 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 considered chargeable for this impact. According to the authors, “Ferulsinaic acid had therapeutic efficacy as an antioxidant with the possibility of its use as an antioxidant drug.”
Asafoetida’s Usefulness in Treatment of Women’s Ailments
Asafoetida can also be helpful within the remedy of a wide range of feminine well being illnesses, reminiscent of sterility, untimely labor, painful and extreme menstruation and leucorrhoea.
The Pharmacognosy Review25 suggests taking 12 centigrams of asafoetida gum fried in ghee with 120 grams of recent goat’s milk and 1 tablespoon of honey, thrice a day for 4 weeks, to extend secretion of progesterone, which may 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 should be used should you’re pregnant or planning to develop into pregnant,27 nevertheless, as asafoetida additionally has the power to stop 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 circumstances.28,29
Breastfeeding ladies must also keep away from asofoetida as it may be transferred by way of breast milk to their child, in whom sure chemical compounds within the herb might contribute to sure blood issues.30 To deal with colic, asafoetida is usually utilized to the toddler’s navel within the type of a paste, against being ingested.31
Brain and Cardiovascular Benefits
As talked about, the herb has been proven to decrease blood stress, and seems to be fairly efficient at this, the Pharmacognosy Review notes.32 One of the mechanisms chargeable for this hypotensive impact is vasodilation. Tinctures and water extracts of dried gum resin has been proven to have a big clean muscle relaxant and anticoagulant results.33
Moreover, sure compounds seem to have the power to inhibit acetylcholinesterase,34,35 which implies it might 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 Gut Health
Another space wherein this smelliest of herbs may be helpful is for the prevention and remedy of assorted intestine illnesses. One examine37 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 examine:39
“In the double-blinded, placebo-controlled examine, 43 topics recognized to have reasonable 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. At the top of the examine, 66% of topics within the Asafin group remained symptoms-free.
Although the signs rating improved considerably in each the teams … the relative proportion of topics within the Asafin group with greater than 80% discount in numerous 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 antagonistic 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, But It Helps the Cook,”40 revealed in The Seattle Times, Monica Bhide particulars tips on how to use it in cooking, and supplies you with a recipe for savory cheesecake topped with purple pepper and inexperienced tomatillo chutney to get you began.
Additional cooking suggestions may be discovered on NDTV’s Food Channel,41 and a recipe for lemon-asafoetida water is given on netmeds.com.42