FENNEL
Fennel is a flowering plant species in the carrot family. It is a hardy, perennial herb with yellow flowers and feathery leaves. It is indigenous to the shores of the Mediterranean but has become widely naturalized in many parts of the world, especially on dry soils near the sea-coast and on riverbanks.
Fennel’s dried ripe seeds and oil are used to make medicine. Fennel is used by mouth for various digestive problems including heartburn, intestinal gas, bloating, loss of appetite, and colic in infants among others.
Through the ages, many health claims have been made for fennel, and drinking fennel tea is an established practice in traditional medicine throughout the world.
Although Western science has not verified all these benefits, humans have used fennel to:
- relieve flatulence
- encourage urination
- boost metabolism
- treat hypertension
- improve eyesight
- prevent glaucoma
- regulate appetite
- clear mucus from the airways
- stimulate milk production in nursing women
- speed digestion
- reduce gas
- reduce stress
- detoxify the body
According to herbalists, fennel seed is an effective aid to digestion. It can help the smooth muscles of the gastrointestinal system relax and reduce gas, bloating, and stomach cramps.
In fact, tinctures or teas made from fennel seeds can be used to treat stomach muscle spasms caused by irritable bowel syndrome, ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s Disease and other conditions affecting the gastrointestinal system.
Fennel may also be used in combination with other herbal remedies to modify the side effects of herbal formulas used as laxatives, or other treatments for digestive problems.
Fennel is considered fairly mild, although some people may be allergic to it. Individuals with cancer, or at a high-risk for the disease, are urged to limit their use of fennel tea, or avoid it altogether.
