All About Fennel
Fennel seeds have been used to make a tea to reduce digestive upset and coughing. The herb also has an estrogenic effect that may help with painful menstruation and menopausal symptoms. Further, fennel has shown action against pests, with insecticidal, anti-parasite, and repelling potential. In vitro research has found the plant to be antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, anti-platelet aggregating, anti-diabetic, and antioxidant.
Fun Fact
Fennel is mentioned multiple times in The Goblet of Life, a poem written by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow!
Fennel Research
Over 75 research articles have been catalogued on fennel. Human studies have shown potential in treating both menopausal and menstrual issues. Further, It has shown to reduce nausea and other digestive issues in humans. In vitro studies have shown it to be antimicrobial, antibacterial, antiviral, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, hypoglycemic, anti-cancer, and may be cardiac protective and hepatoprotective. It may also have potential in repelling insects. More research would be beneficial. Click the button below for a detailed review of research.
Fennel Herb and Essential Oil
Latin Name: Foeniculum vulgare
Family: Apiaceae
Other Common Names
- Licorice plant, sweet fennel, holmboe, bari-sanuf, carosella, finnichio, xiao hui xiang
Plant Description
Fennel is a plant in the carrot family with hearty, feathery leaves and yellow flowers. Seeds are elongated and are greenish brown upon ripening. It growes up to five feet high. There is both a bitter and sweet variety of fennel; it is the sweet fennel that contains much less of the ketone fenchone that is used in aromatherapy.
Herb Description
Seeds impart a licorice flavor that can be ground or are often made into a syrup.
Essential Oil Description
Seeds are distilled to make an oily colorless to pale green/yellow oil that is sweet, fresh, and spicy and tastes like licorice.
Key Constituents
- Anethole / Anise Camphor / Trans-Anethole
- d-Limonene / Limonene / Dipentene
- Fenchone
- Methyl chavicol / Estragole / p-allyanisole / Isoanethole
- Pinene / Alpha Pinene / Delta Pinene / Beta Pinene
- Phellandrene / Alpha Phellandrene / Beta Phellandrene
