Benefits of Dill - Shepu Leaves

Belonging to the same family as parsley and bay leaf, dill herb is one of the best known leafy vegetable consumed in most part of the world. It has a unique flavour and hence is eaten as a vegetable preparation (sabji) or also used to season certain recipes. In India, we know dill as shepu. Dill in Hindi are called Shepla. Here in India, Shepu is cooked as a vegetable similar to any other leafy vegetable. Few of us, use shepu or dill in a recipe only after boiling it for a certain time. This is done to remove the pungent taste. But one can use dill directly if you don't mind it's overpowering aroma. Dill is used to flavor stews and stocks, chicken and fish dishes. But apart from it's use in culinary preparations, dill or shepu leaves have loads of benefits. Some of the benefits of Dill or shepu leaves are as follows:

1. Being a rich source of calcium, dill leaves or shepu intake is good for your bones. Regular intake of shepu or dill can help prevent osteoporosis.

2. Dill contains large amount of iron and magnesium. So stay healthy by including dill or shepu leaves in your daily diet for staying healthy.

3. Dill or shepu leaves has been known for it's anti-inflammatory and anti-viral properties.

4. Dill or shepu leaves also contain flavonoids which act as anti-oxidants.

5. With it's anti-bacterial properties, dill or shepu leaves can keep bacterial infections away.

6. If you include dill or shepu leaves in your daily diet, then no need to worry about bad stomach, diarrhea or acidity. Dill or shepu can solve these problems.

7. No more bad breaths, as dill or shepu is known to balance stomach acidity levels.

8. No more worries about hiccups! Just add some fresh dill or shepu leaves in boiling water and boil for a couple of minutes. Strain, cool and drink the liquids. Dill will help you get rid of hiccups.

9. The same liquids prepared with dill or shepu leaves can help get rid of chronic headaches.

10. Including dill or shepu leaves in your regular diet helps fight insomnia, as dill is known for it's calming effect.