6 Caraway belongs to a class of herbs called carminatives, which are plants helpful in easing gastrointestinal discomfort, including gas. The essential oils derived from this group of plants may help alleviate bowel spasm. In addition, test tube studies have shown that caraway oil has antibacterial and larvicidal properties. There are no human clinical trials on caraway as a single entity. A combination of caraway with the other carminative herbs anise and fennel has shown to be helpful in dealing with conditions of flatulence, especially in children.
Caraway is generally quite safe to take.
However, the essential oil should not be used by children under two years of age, as caraway and other herbs in the Umbelliferae family can be irritating to the skin and mucous membranes. Caraway's safety has not been established during pregnancy . At the time of writing, there were no well-known drug interactions with caraway. For the convenience of the reader, the information in the table listing the supplements for particular conditions is also categorized. Potter's New Cyclopaedia of Botanical Drugs and Preparation .