Caraway

Carum carvi · Caraway oil · Caraway seed

Snapshot

Indications	Contraindications
Functional dyspepsia¹ Bloating and flatulence² Epigastric pain³ Irritable bowel syndrome⁴ Postoperative bowel motility⁵	Apiaceae family allergy⁶ Mugwort or birch allergy² Gallstones or biliary disorders² Liver disease²

Caraway (Carum carvi) is the fruit of an Apiaceae herb, used traditionally as a carminative for bloating and gas². Caraway oil is mainly taken with peppermint oil for functional dyspepsia, and warm caraway oil pads are used for irritable bowel syndrome symptoms⁷. Single trials also tested an aqueous extract for appetite in women and a seed preparation for bowel recovery after caesarean section. The typical patient is an adult with postprandial fullness, bloating, or epigastric discomfort.

A duodenal-release caraway oil and menthol trial found no overall symptom difference versus placebo in the full population⁸. A 2026 narrative review of dietary and nutraceutical options for functional dyspepsia lists peppermint-caraway among the options showing benefit, with safety remaining product-specific⁹. Roughly 155 products listing caraway are marketed, mostly as capsules and liquids; see Form comparison.

The allergy caution reflects cross-reactivity across Apiaceae foods including celery, carrot, anise, fennel, and caraway¹⁰. Health Canada labels ask for a practitioner's advice before use in pregnancy, breastfeeding, or acute abdominal pain⁶.

Last updated October 16, 2026. Read how we make monographs.

In the full monograph

46 sources, 44 studies

When to useThe situations practitioners use it for, each with the reason and the study behind it.
SafetyWho should avoid it, who needs extra care, and the side effects reported in studies.
InteractionsThe medicines and supplements it interacts with, the effect of each, and what labeling says to watch.
Protocol notesThe doses used in studies, how and when they were taken, and how the forms on the market compare.
How it worksWhat it is and how it works in the body, in plain terms.
Published studiesThe studies behind each use, popular claims checked against them, and trials still under way.
Word of mouthWhat patients and practitioners report online, kept separate from the clinical evidence.
Clinical perspectiveA closing read of where the evidence is solid, where it is thin, and what has not been studied.

Snapshot

In the full monograph

Sources