Fennel Seeds

Also Known as

Plant Family

Apiaceae (parsley family).

Origin/ Where Found

Mediterranean/ Europe, US, Asia and Egypt.

Indications

Heartburn, Flatulence, Indigestion, Stomachache, Colic in infants, Expectorant, Lactation and IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome).

Part(s) Used

Fennel seeds (actually, fruits) are utilized for medicinal purposes. Good quality seeds, when dried, retain a bright green colour. The leaves and stalks are occasionally eaten as a vegetable.

Description

Fennel is popular for meat dishes, but even more so for fish and sea food; its sweet taste also harmonizes with the earthy aroma of bread and gives pickles or vinegar a special flavour. Fennel adds fiber to diet. Of the European countries, it is most known and used in France.

A tea made from fennel seeds which is widely used as a carminative for dyspepsia and colic in both children and adults. Fennel seed tea is sometimes taken to help rid the lungs of phlegm.

Fennel is a well-known folk remedy that can help first-time mothers increase and sweeten their milk production. A cup of fennel tea first thing in the morning does help.

Fennel seed poultices may be used for conjunctivitis. Fennel is unparalleled in relieving intestinal gas while alleviating indigestion, vomiting and stimulating appetite.

In India, fennel seed is served after meals - mukhwas - to soothe digestion and freshen breath; it is chewed until pulverised, and then swallowed.

History

One legend has it that ancient Greeks (490 BC) called it marathon, as it grew around the village of Marathon, while another claims that the fennel's warming properties won the herb the Greek name of marathron, meaning "to be thin."

Fennel is best known as a cooking spice, but this versatile herb also has a long history of therapeutic use as an herbal tea.

Fennel is a well-known folk remedy that can help first-time mothers increase their milk production, says San Francisco herbalist Jeanne Rose, author of Jeanne Rose's Modern Herbal. "We don't really know why it works -- it may stimulate hormone production -- but it does help get the milk flowing." If you're a nursing mom and could use a little help priming the pump, the standard dosage is a cup of fennel tea first thing in the morning.

Active Constituents

The main active constituents, which includes the terpenoid anethole, are found in the volatile oil. Anethole and other terpenoids may have estrogen-like activity and inhibit spasms in smooth muscles, such as those in the intestinal tract. Recent studies have found fennel to possess diuretic, choleretic (increase in production of bile), pain-reducing, fever-reducing, and antimicrobial actions.

The contents of essential varies strongly (0.6 to 6%); fruits in the center of a umbel are generally greater, more green and stronger in fragrance. Time of harvest and climate are also important. Fruit usually collected during August - September and then dried.

The essential oil of the most important fennel variety (var. dulce) contains anethol (50 to 80%), limonene (5%), fenchone (5%), estragole (methyl-chavicol), safrol, alpha-pinene (0.5%), camphene, beta-pinene, beta-myrcene, p-cymen and anisaldehyde. In contrast, the uncultivated form (var. vulgare) contains often more essential oil, but since it is characterized by the bitter fenchone (12 to 22%), it is of little value. Caffeic acid and its derivatives and flavonoids including quercitin, isoquercitin, and kaempferol compounds occur.

Organs/ Systems Affected

Digestive, Liver, Hormonal, Lungs.

Dosage

As a tincture, two to four ml. daily before meals.

Boil the seed in barley water for lactation. 1 cup 2 to 3 times daily.

Whole seeds may be chewed or used in tea.

Rub oil on affected parts to relieve rheumatism.

Use decoction for eyewash for irritation or eyestrain.

One to two drops of fennel oil to one tbsp. honey makes an excellent cough medication.

Maximum daily dosage = 7 g.

Decoction

To make a tea, boil 2-3 grams of crushed seeds in 250 ml (1 cup) of water for ten to fifteen minutes, keeping the pot covered during the process. Cool, strain, and then drink three cups per day.

Adverse Effects

Fennel oil can cause nausea, vomiting, hallucinations and seizures.

Allergic Reactions

Possible. Individuals allergic to carrots, celery should avoid Fennel.

Contraindications

Pregnant as well as anyone with an estrogen-dependent cancer, should avoid fennel in large quantities until the importance of its estrogen-like activity is clarified.

For cough and colic in Infants and toddlers: Try a weak solution of fennel tea -- use only 1/3 teaspoon of crushed fennel seeds per cup of boiling water -- and let the tea cool before giving it to your child.

How to Grow

To raise fennel, procure a small organically grown plant. The plant requires a full sun for around six hours a day. Make sure the soil is rich (2 parts garden soil, 2 parts peat, 2 parts compost/ cow manure and 1 part sand.)