Dill

(Dill Weed, Anethum graveolens)

Evidence: Reasonable
Possible Benefits: Very Low
Safety: Very High

TABLE OF CONTENTS

What is dill?

Anethum graveolens, also known as dill or dill weed, is an adaptogenic herb with a long history of use as a traditional medicine. This herb is often used as a spice. It is sometimes sold as a dietary supplement but it isn’t very beneficial and would rarely be worth it. This article is about the main benefits of dill weed, its potential side effects, the best time to take it, and more.

Possible benefits

All of the potential benefits mentioned below are dose-dependent. As with other adaptogenic herbs, there is a sweet-spot dose that allows you to get most of the benefits without causing meaningful side effects or tolerance buildup in the body. We will discuss the best dosing protocol later in this article.

Minor benefits

  • Reduced menstrual cramps – Taking dill for three days at the start of pain can reduce pain in women with menstrual cramps.

Possible side effects

The side effects below are dose-dependent. The risk for them increases (often linearly but sometimes exponentially) as you increase the dose. Some of the side effects only apply to very high doses.

  • Allergic reaction – Some people are allergic to this herb and may experience an allergic reaction after they start taking it. Unlike the “initial adverse reaction,” allergic reactions typically don’t disappear until one stops taking the herb.
  • Nausea – This side effect is most common when people take the herb on an empty stomach.
  • Diarrhea – You can usually prevent diarrhea or stomach discomfort by taking this herb with a meal.
  • Contamination – If growing or storing conditions are not adequately controlled, dill can be contaminated with bacteria, molds, and other potentially harmful microorganisms. Some growers also use pesticides and herbicides that can be unsafe. Another issue is that herbal supplements can get contaminated with other supplements and chemicals during the manufacturing process. Choose the brand you get herbs and herbal supplements from wisely. It is often best to use websites like Amazon, where thousands of users have reviewed and rated the products. You are less likely to buy something of lower quality there.

Who should not take dill?

You should probably avoid taking dill weed if you:

  • are allergic to this herb
  • experience a severe adverse reaction after taking the herb (though a mild adverse reaction is usually a great thing as it is a sign that the supplement is working and causing a hormetic response that allows the body to adapt and become more resilient)
  • are pregnant or breastfeeding (while it can be safe to take this adaptogen during pregnancy or breastfeeding, it acts as a mild stressor and can cause some unnecessary risk to the child)

Who will benefit the most?

Dill weed isn’t too beneficial for health in any way. The only good reason to use it is for the taste of it.

How much dill should you take?

The LD50 for dill would be extremely high if it is achievable at all. Doses of up to 2 grams/kg of body weight are non-toxic. However, there are also little to no health benefits associated with taking this herb. Therefore, you can take as much or as little as you want. The most important thing to think about when choosing the best dose is the taste.

Best time to take dill

The time of the day you take dill weed doesn’t matter as there are not many (if any) benefits or side effects associated with taking this herb.

Where to buy dill?

In most countries, Amazon is the best option for ordering dill weed and other herbs and herbal supplements. They offer some very affordable products backed by many positive reviews. Also, you can choose from a wide range of brands without having to search through other markets on the internet.

Some brands display the dosage per serving instead of per pill or capsule. Therefore, you may accidentally buy something less potent than you intended. Do not fall for this marketing trick.

FAQ

You can and don’t have to. Dill is extremely safe but doesn’t have many benefits.

When you take a standardized extract, you know exactly how potent it is and how much you need to take to get the desired outcome. Herbal extracts also tend to be cheaper than unextracted powders in many cases. However, many of the potentially beneficial compounds get lost during the extraction process. Therefore, if you know how potent the unextracted powder is, it is almost always a better option.

All of these options are fine. The two most important things to consider are the price and dosing. Powders are almost always the cheapest form. However, you may need a highly accurate scale to dose them correctly (preferably 0.001g). You can get one for as little as $20 from Amazon. Dosing the powders also takes time which can add up over months or years. The disadvantage of capsules is that they are often made of bovine gelatine, which rarely comes from ethical sources.

Yes, you can. This herb should not impact your sleep in any negative way. Whether you take it in the morning or the evening typically doesn’t make much difference. Both options are fine so feel free to experiment.

This herb should not become harmful once it exceeds the expiration date, but it can lose potency over time. Keep this herb or herbal supplement in a cold, dark, and dry place and it should remain just as potent for many months or even years.

Not really. Doses of up to 2 grams per kilogram of body weight aren’t toxic at all. Even doses much higher than this may be safe but there is no reason to take so much.

Unfortunately, there is not much information about the half-life of dill in the body. However, the half-life of this herb isn’t very relevant in practice as this herb shouldn’t affect your health in any notable way.

This herb doesn’t have many health benefits so you aren’t likely to ever notice them.

Yes, dill weed is vegan-friendly. If you buy this herb in a capsulated form, beware that the capsules often contain animal-based gelatin. Instead, find a brand that puts its products into cellulose capsules.

No, it does not. The herb does not interfere with fasting in any significant way.

References

Most of the information in this guide is based on scientific research that can be found and verified in the PubMed medical library. We highly encourage you to use the library to verify anything you read in this article. We excluded from consideration studies that are either confounded or have a high conflict of interest.

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We hope this guide has helped you determine if you should add dill to your supplement stack and how to do it right.

If you have any further questions or want to share your feedback, feel free to send us an email!

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