Photo: Agnieszka Kwiecień, Nova / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Hingu हिङ्गु
Ferula asafoetida · Apiaceae
Also known as: Asafoetida, Hing, Ramatha
Part used: Oleo-gum resin
Hingu (Ferula asafoetida) is asafoetida, a pungent resin whose smell gives it the English name devil's dung. Ayurveda uses it as the foremost drug for trapped wind and abdominal colic. It transforms on cooking from repellent to savoury, and a pinch is enough — the dose is measured in grains, not grams.
| Rasa (taste) | Tikta (Bitter), Kashaya (Astringent) |
|---|---|
| Guna (qualities) | Laghu (Light), Ruksha (Dry) |
| Virya (potency) | Ushna (Hot) |
| Vipaka | Katu (Pungent) |
| Dosha | Balances Kapha & Vata |
| Prabhava | Classical systemic action |
Key takeaways
- Botanical name: Ferula asafoetida
- Part used: Oleo-gum resin
- Dosha action: Balances Kapha & Vata
- Typical dose: Purified resin, a pinch (125–500 mg) fried in ghee within food or formulas (Hingwashtak).
Hingu in other languages
Introduction
Hingu (asafoetida, Ferula asafoetida), or Hing, is a pungent resin famed for relieving gas, bloating and colic. Warming and penetrating, it is the classical antispasmodic and digestive of the Ayurvedic kitchen.
Classification
Of the Apiaceae family, Hingu is grouped among the Deepana-Pachana and Vata-anulomana (Vata-normalising) dravyas. Its intensely pungent taste and heating potency clear trapped Vata and kindle Agni.
Uses & benefits
Asafoetida is the classical remedy for wind. It is used in abdominal distension, colic and griping pain, and in constipation of Vata origin, and is given to infants for colic in minute quantity. It must be fried in ghee before use — raw Hing aggravates rather than relieves.
Hingu for trapped wind
The classical Anulomana drug — nothing in the materia medica moves trapped wind downward more reliably.
Hingu for abdominal colic
Used in Shula, cramping abdominal pain, and applied as a paste around the navel for infant colic.
Hingu for bloating
Its single best-known use, which is why a pinch goes into almost every Indian lentil dish.
Hingu for indigestion
Deepana and Pachana, kindling digestion where food sits heavy.
Hingu for worms
A Krimighna drug, its pungency being the basis of the anti-parasitic action.
Hingu for asthma
Used in Shwasa and spasmodic cough, taken with honey.
Hingu for menstrual cramps
Traditionally used for painful periods, on the same antispasmodic principle as its use in colic.
Hingu in Hingwashtak Churna
The lead drug of the classical digestive powder taken before or with meals.
Hingu as a food substitute
Used across Jain and Brahmin cooking in place of onion and garlic, for both flavour and digestive effect.
Hingu for toothache
A pinch placed in a cavity is a traditional local remedy.
Dosage — how much to take
Purified resin, a pinch (125–500 mg) fried in ghee within food or formulas (Hingwashtak). Follow your Vaidya's advice.
Dosage varies with age, constitution and condition — confirm with a qualified Vaidya.
Traditional uses — questions answered from the classical texts
Answers are drawn from the citations and properties recorded for this drug. No chapter-and-verse reference appears that the record does not carry.
Which classical texts describe Hingu?
The citations held for Hingu in this catalogue are: Bhavaprakasha Nighantu (Haritakyadi Varga); Sharangdhara Samhita (Hingwashtak Churna).
What does the Bhavaprakasha Nighantu record about Hingu?
Described as Deepana and Vata-normalising. Reference: Bhavaprakasha Nighantu — Haritakyadi Varga.
What does the Sharangdhara Samhita record about Hingu?
A principal ingredient of the classical carminative. Reference: Sharangdhara Samhita — Hingwashtak Churna.
What is Hingu traditionally used for in Ayurveda?
Asafoetida is the classical remedy for wind. It is used in abdominal distension, colic and griping pain, and in constipation of Vata origin, and is given to infants for colic in minute quantity. It must be fried in ghee before use — raw Hing aggravates rather than relieves.
What are the Ayurvedic properties of Hingu?
Rasa Tikta (Bitter), Kashaya (Astringent), Guna Laghu (Light), Ruksha (Dry), Virya Ushna (Hot), Vipaka Katu (Pungent). Dosha action: Balances Kapha & Vata. Prabhava: Classical systemic action.
Why is Hingu classified the way it is?
In dravya-guna a drug's dosha action follows from its taste, qualities, potency and post-digestive effect. Hingu carries Ushna (Hot) virya and Katu (Pungent) vipaka, which together give the recorded action: Balances Kapha & Vata.
Which part of Hingu is used medicinally?
The part used is Oleo-gum resin.
How much Hingu is taken, and how?
Purified resin, a pinch (125–500 mg) fried in ghee within food or formulas (Hingwashtak). Follow your Vaidya's advice. Dosage varies with age, constitution and condition — confirm it with a qualified Vaidya.
When should Hingu be avoided?
Used in small quantities; always cooked or processed. Use cautiously in pregnancy and high Pitta.
Where does Hingu grow?
Asafoetida is the dried resin of a Ferula species native to Iran and Afghanistan, imported for classical use in India.
Classical references
- Bhavaprakash Nighantu — Haritakyadi Varga
Described as Deepana and Vata-normalising. - Sharangdhara Samhita — Hingwashtak Churna
A principal ingredient of the classical carminative.
Modern research
-
Ferula asafoetida oleo-gum resin alleviates dyspepsia symptoms through modulation of the microbiome-gut-brain axis: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study
(see source). (2024)
A randomized double-blind placebo-controlled study reporting Ferula asafoetida (Hingu) oleo-gum resin relieved dyspepsia symptoms, consistent with its antispasmodic digestive action.
View study doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000044590
Safety & precautions
Used in small quantities; always cooked or processed. Use cautiously in pregnancy and high Pitta.
Where it grows
Asafoetida is the dried resin of a Ferula species native to Iran and Afghanistan, imported for classical use in India.
Frequently asked questions
What is asafoetida used for?
Hingu is Ayurveda's principal remedy for trapped wind, bloating and abdominal colic. It is also used for indigestion, worms, asthma, spasmodic cough and menstrual cramps, and is the lead drug of Hingwashtak Churna.
What is the dose of Hingu?
Between 125 mg and 500 mg per day — a pinch, not a spoonful. It is almost always fried briefly in ghee or oil before use, which both mellows the smell and makes it digestible.
Why does asafoetida smell so bad raw?
Sulphur compounds in the resin. Heating in fat breaks them down and the smell changes completely — from acrid to a savoury, onion-and-garlic character. This is why it is never added raw to a dish.
Is asafoetida good for gas and bloating?
It is the classical drug for exactly this, and the reason a pinch goes into lentil and bean dishes across India. Its antispasmodic and carminative action is one of the better-established traditional uses.
Can asafoetida be given to babies for colic?
A paste applied around the navel is traditional practice for infant colic and is external, not swallowed. Do not give it internally to an infant without a physician's direction, and see a doctor for persistent infant crying.
Who should avoid Hingu?
Avoid in pregnancy at medicinal doses. Take advice if you have hyperacidity, peptic ulcer or an inflammatory gut condition, since it is strongly heating. It may interact with blood-thinning medication.
Is commercial hing pure?
Usually not. Most retail asafoetida is compounded with wheat flour or rice flour and gum, typically only a few per cent resin. This matters if you are coeliac — check the label, since gluten-free compounded hing is available.
