in pictures and a few words
What it is and why
Dill is a familiar herb from the garden. Scientists gave people dill supplements and saw good changes in tests.
- Fasting insulin in tests became lower
- "Bad" cholesterol went down
What insulin is
Insulin is like a key: it opens the door to cells so sugar from the blood can get inside.
- Sometimes cells do not hear insulin well
- Then the body has to release more of it
How dill helps
In people who took dill supplements, fasting insulin became lower.
- The body needed less of this hormone
- How the cells respond was not measured directly
Cholesterol
In tests, "bad" cholesterol went down, the one we watch for the sake of blood vessels and the heart.
- Blood lipids changed more with larger doses and longer courses
- You can retest after a few months
How to add it to food
Dill comes in different kinds: fresh, dried, ground to powder, seeds.
- In the studies, people took dill supplements by mouth
- Leaf powder: a little at a time, with food
- Fresh goes in at the end, do not boil it
What to put on the plate
Dill goes well with eggs, fish, chicken, cucumbers and avocado.
- Omelet with dill for breakfast
- Cucumber and avocado salad for lunch
- Fish with dill and lemon for dinner
What else helps
Alongside dill, a simple daily routine.
- Walk after eating
- Sleep well
- Have vegetables and herbs on every plate
Who should see a doctor first
Pregnant and breastfeeding women, and those treating blood sugar or cholesterol, before taking capsules or powder.
- Prescribed treatment is not changed on your own
- With an allergy to celery or carrot, it is better not to add dill
Important. Important: if your blood sugar is often too low or too high, see a doctor.
In one sentence
Dill, an ordinary herb: supplements made from it lowered insulin and "bad" cholesterol.
Key points
Dill is a familiar herb, and supplements made from it have been studied in randomized trials. In the pooled result of 7 such trials (330 adults), "bad" LDL cholesterol (low-density lipoprotein) was lower by 0.40 mmol/L (15.64 mg/dL), fasting insulin by 2.28 μU/mL (about 14 pmol/L), and the HOMA-IR insulin resistance index by 1.06 (Mousavi S M Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr 2022. PMID 33624557[1]). Lower fasting insulin is an indirect sign that the body needs less of this hormone. People were given dill by mouth as a supplement: powder, extract or tablets. Below are the doses, forms of dill, a 7-day menu and when to see a doctor.
| Substance | Amount per day (in studies) | Why it helps | What studies showed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dill: leaf powder or extract | 3 g of powder for 8 weeks; 600 mg of extract for 12 weeks | The supplements lowered "bad" LDL cholesterol and fasting insulin | Pooled result of 7 trials, 330 adults: LDL lower by 0.40 mmol/L (15.64 mg/dL), fasting insulin lower by 2.28 μU/mL (about 14 pmol/L), HOMA-IR lower by 1.06 |
What the studies showed
The most detailed trial was done in people with type 2 diabetes and digestive complaints: 48 people were randomized, 42 finished. The dill group took 3 g of dried leaf powder a day for 8 weeks (capsules of 1 g after breakfast, lunch and dinner), the comparison group took starch capsules. Fasting insulin fell from 13.27 to 10.54 μU/mL (about 80 to 63 pmol/L), while in the placebo group it was 11.61 and 12.12 μU/mL (about 70 and 73 pmol/L). LDL fell from 2.09 to 1.84 mmol/L (from 81.00 to 71.23 mg/dL), while in the placebo group it was 1.85 and 1.93 mmol/L (71.71 and 74.80 mg/dL). "Good" HDL cholesterol (high-density lipoprotein) rose from 1.08 to 1.16 mmol/L (from 41.85 to 44.80 mg/dL), while in the placebo group it was 1.12 and 1.08 mmol/L (43.14 and 41.76 mg/dL). Complaints about the colon also became less frequent (Haidari F Trials 2020. PMID 32503652[2]).
In people with high cholesterol, total cholesterol after 2 months of dill tablets was 18% lower than at baseline and triglycerides 7.38% lower; participants reported no side effects, and 35 people completed the trial in the dill group (Mirhosseini M J Res Med Sci 2014. PMID 25422662[3]).
In the pooled result, larger doses and longer courses changed blood lipids more, and a dose-response analysis showed a drop in fasting glucose at 1,500 mg a day (Mousavi S M Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr 2022. PMID 33624557[1]). A second review of 6 trials (171 people in the dill groups) also noted lower total cholesterol, LDL and triglycerides (Sadeghi M Curr Probl Cardiol 2022. PMID 34838903[4]).
How to add dill
| Form | Amount guide | How to use | What is known |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dried leaf powder | 3 g a day (about 1 tablespoon of dried dill), 1 g with meals | In the trial, capsules after meals. At home you can grind dried dill in a coffee grinder and add it to omelets, yogurt, soup, sauces | This dose was tested in capsules for 8 weeks in type 2 diabetes |
| Dried dill | 1 teaspoon is about 1 g | In soups, stewed vegetables, meat, fish at the end of cooking | Similar to the powder in composition |
| Fresh dill | About 20 g, a small bunch, close to 3 g of powder by dry matter (calculation) | In salads, eggs, fish, cold soups; add at the end, do not boil | As a food herb it was not tested separately in these trials |
| Dill seeds | A pinch as a spice: 1 teaspoon is about 2 g | In marinades, fermented vegetables, with cabbage and fish | Where the plant part is stated, leaves or the above-ground part were used; seeds were not tested |
The amount of dry matter and the weight of the spoonfuls are calculated from USDA food composition data: fresh dill is about 86% water, dried dill about 7%.
What to do alongside dill
Dill fits well into a simple routine: a 10-15 minute walk after meals, 7-8 hours of sleep, fiber on every plate. Vegetables, herbs, nuts, avocado and olive oil are the basis of the menu below.
7-day menu
| Day | Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Omelet of 2 eggs with dill and spinach | Cucumber, avocado and dill salad, baked chicken | Salmon with dill and lemon, broccoli |
| 2 | Plain yogurt with cucumber, dill and walnuts | Cauliflower soup with dill, turkey | Stewed beef with zucchini and dill |
| 3 | Soft-boiled eggs, avocado with dill and olive oil | Salad of tuna, cucumbers, greens and dill | Chicken thighs with green beans and dill |
| 4 | Cottage cheese with cucumber, herbs and dill | Cold kefir soup with cucumber, egg and dill | Cod with yogurt dill sauce, asparagus |
| 5 | Omelet with zucchini and dill | Warm salad of chickpeas, vegetables and dill | Turkey patties with dill, cabbage salad |
| 6 | Baked eggs with spinach and dill | Soup with meatballs, vegetables and dill | Mackerel with dill, stewed cauliflower |
| 7 | Yogurt with almonds, seeds and dill, cucumber slices | Salad with shrimp, avocado and dill | Baked chicken with vegetables and dill |
The menu is an example. In it, dill changes form: fresh in cold dishes, dried or powder in hot ones.
Which tests to check
It is worth discussing fasting insulin, HOMA-IR and LDL with your doctor and retesting them after 3 months.
Who should see a doctor first
Glucose: see a doctor if it is repeatedly below 3.0 mmol/L (54 mg/dL) or above 8.9 mmol/L (160 mg/dL). If you do not have diabetes, the same limits apply; with diabetes, targets are individual under your doctor's plan, and anything below 3.0 mmol/L (54 mg/dL) always means seeing a doctor.
During pregnancy and breastfeeding, and when treating blood sugar or cholesterol, concentrated dill (capsules, powder) is taken only after talking to a doctor. Prescribed treatment is not stopped or changed on your own. With an allergy to celery, carrot and other plants of the umbellifer family, it is better not to add dill.
Summary
Dill supplements lowered fasting insulin and "bad" cholesterol. Leaf powder at 1 g with meals, fresh dill in salads, a walk after eating and sleep make a clear plan for the coming weeks.
References
- Mousavi S M Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr 2022. PMID 33624557
- Haidari F Trials 2020. PMID 32503652
- Mirhosseini M J Res Med Sci 2014. PMID 25422662
- Sadeghi M Curr Probl Cardiol 2022. PMID 34838903
Key facts
- Pooled result of 7 randomized trials (330 adults): "bad" LDL cholesterol (low-density lipoprotein) was lower by 0.40 mmol/L (15.64 mg/dL), fasting insulin by 2.28 μU/mL (about 14 pmol/L), and the HOMA-IR insulin resistance index by 1.06 (Mousavi S M Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr 2022. PMID 33624557).
- Dose and duration: with larger doses and longer courses, blood lipids changed more (Mousavi S M Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr 2022. PMID 33624557).
- Type 2 diabetes, 3 g of dried leaf powder a day for 8 weeks (42 people completed): fasting insulin fell from 13.27 to 10.54 μU/mL (about 80 to 63 pmol/L), while in the placebo group it was 11.61 and 12.12 μU/mL (about 70 and 73 pmol/L) (Haidari F Trials 2020. PMID 32503652).
- In the same trial LDL fell from 2.09 to 1.84 mmol/L (from 81.00 to 71.23 mg/dL), while in the placebo group it was 1.85 and 1.93 mmol/L (71.71 and 74.80 mg/dL); "good" HDL cholesterol (high-density lipoprotein) rose from 1.08 to 1.16 mmol/L (from 41.85 to 44.80 mg/dL), while in the placebo group it was 1.12 and 1.08 mmol/L (43.14 and 41.76 mg/dL) (Haidari F Trials 2020. PMID 32503652).
- See a doctor if glucose is repeatedly below 3.0 mmol/L (54 mg/dL) or above 8.9 mmol/L (160 mg/dL). If you do not have diabetes, the same limits apply; with diabetes, targets are individual under your doctor's plan, and anything below 3.0 mmol/L (54 mg/dL) always means seeing a doctor.
