Asafoetida / Hing (ہنگ) also known as Ferula Asafoetida, is a latex gum extracted from several species of a perennial herb, Ferula. This potent-smelling spice is commonly used in Persian and Indian cooking for flavoring, food preservation and fragrance. From a nutritional perspective, asafoetida provides protein, fiber, carbohydrates, calcium, phosphorus, iron, niacin, carotene and riboflavin.

Along with its culinary uses, asafoetida has a prominent place in traditional medicine. Its health benefits come from its carminative, antiviral, antibacterial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticoagulant, antispasmodic, expectorant, sedative, diuretic, vermifuge, emmenagogue, aphrodisiac and anti-carcinogenic properties.

Health Benefits:

1. This herbal spice makes an amazing anti-ageing agent. It offers the goodness of reducing wrinkles, fine lines and age spots from the face. Asafoetida can be mixed with rose water and fuller’s earth to form an effective anti-wrinkle face mask.

2. Asafoetida can be used as a whitening agent that promotes fairness and demotes dark spots, acne marks and oiliness. It naturally hampers the production of Tyrosine in the skin. Tyrosine promotes the production of melanin in human skin that leads to skin darkening, premature ageing and dullness. Asafoetida keeps a check on the production of tyrosine. Thus, you can flaunt a blemish-free and radiant, younger skin with the use of Asafoetida face masks largely.

3. Asafoetida might be just the magic ingredient that you were missing in your skin care regimen till now. This amazing herbal formula hampers the production of acne causing bacteria on the skin. It makes skin conditions unfavorable for the growth of bacteria. Thus, it can put an end to your year’s long acne as well.

4. Asafoetida works like a radiance enhancer that imparts a never ending glow to the skin. It increases the supply of oxygen to facial tissues, which makes them lively and plump.

5. Pollution and stress leaves the skin and hair dry and damaged. Asafoetida works like a dryness repairing agent that offers smooth and moist skin. It can erase all the visible signs of skin dryness like dullness, peeling, cracking, freckles, wrinkles and pigmentation.

6. Other than making the skin blemish free, Asafoetida also works to cure skin allergies and corns. Different skin allergies resulting from sun damage or dryness can be cured using Asafoetida within a few weeks of use.

7. Asafoetida can also be used to make hair conditioning masks. It effectively works to trap moisture in the scalp. This amazing benefit makes it a deep moisturizing product that can control the problem of hair dryness and frizz to a large extent.

8. Asafoetida improves the texture of the hair. It also guards the hair against un-natural and heavy hair fall. It is therefore used as a solution to baldness in males and thin hair in females. You must look forward to the amazing hair follicle strengthening and dandruff controlling benefits of Asafoetida, since it controls hair fall and makes hair thicker.

9. Scalp gives rise to hair follicles. When the scalp health dis-orients, it directly turns the hair roots weaker. This leads to hair fall and hair damage. Asafoetida restores and maintains the normal PH level of the scalp. It also keeps the scalp safe from sweat, oil and acne. It naturally removes the scalp issues like acne, oil, dandruff and dryness. As a result, the overall hair strength, texture and quality improve.

10. Asafoetida constricts and hampers the growth and reproduction of harmful viruses like H1N1. When this herbal spice comes in contact with the influenza causing virus H1N1, it triggers the production of natural antibiotics against a viral attack.

11. Asthma and bronchitis are two acute respiratory syndromes. Asafoetida is a natural foe to these respiratory syndromes largely. It triggers the production of natural antibodies as soon as a person catches cold. This powerful boost in immunity triggers the process of easing respiration. Thus, it is a powerful remedy against cold, asthma and bronchitis.

12. Current lifestyle, devoid of much movement and physical work, leads to digestive problems easily. Asafoetida is a natural armour of preventing and curing such digestive issues easily. It flushes out the toxins from the human digestive tract. It is a natural foe to such toxins that slow down the process of digestion in humans.

13. Asafoetida works like a natural alkali that dilutes excessive acids in the stomach. It eases intestinal gastric issues as well. Thus, it is an amazing antiflatulent agent that eases gastric and acidic pain.

14. Asafoetida increases the body’s metabolism largely. This improves digestion. Thus, it triggers fat metabolism too. This hampers the circulation of LDL (bad cholesterol) in human blood. Thus, Asafoetida keeps you safe of all the heart problems resulting from cholesterol formation and accumulation.

15. Asafoetida works towards increasing and maintaining the heart health. It is also a beneficial respiratory medicine against cough and breathing issues. Thus, it is clear that this herbal spice increases the supply of blood to all tissues and cells. This increases and ensures that every cell gets the required oxygen content. Thus, it reduces physical fatigue by offering the tired tissues a chance to get repaired.

16. Asafoetida is a powerful natural ingredient that can be used to treat a few problems related to impotency. It increases sexual drive in females and offers freedom from the problem of premature ejaculation largely. It is already a proven stress regulator. This also aids in improving the sexual drive of males.

17. Menstrual Cramps are nightmares for all women suffering from them. Asafoetida eases this problem by reducing pain sensation around the waist and lower abdomen.