Fennel Seeds
I’m standing at the counter of an Indian restaurant, with bustling customers behind me and a happy belly thanks to the lamb saagwala and garlic naan I’d just finished. I notice a little dish next to the till with tiny boiled lollies. The proud owner about to take my payment sees this and gestures for me to sample one. ‘They are candied fennel seeds - very very good for digestion after a big meal’, he announces. I try one and love the sweet minty-licorice notes from the fennel seeds, as I listen to the jovial restaurant owner tell me how they are traditionally used in naans, brewed in teas or enjoyed raw at the end of a meal. Indian cultures are among the oldest in the world, you’ve gotta hand it to them, they know how to use food as medicine!
Fennel seeds have a range of medicinal uses, including as a natural carminative (relieves gas), they have anti-cancer properties, they can help with anxiety and depression and can be used broadly in women’s health issues. Let’s take a closer look at the traditional and modern uses of fennel seeds and their varying health benefits.
History & Nutrition
Fennel seeds (foeniculum vulgare), botanically from the Apiaceae family, are simply the seeds of the flowering fennel plant, from which we also enjoy fennel bulbs. The seeds are a sweet mix between mint and anise flavour striated in green and white. One of the ingredients in Chinese five spice, fennel seeds have a long history in European and Asian cooking and medicine.
A 16th century Serbian manuscript called The Chilandar Medical Codex is one of the earliest completed medical documents of its time. This manuscript cited a handful of herbs and plants as having therapeutic uses, one of which is the fennel seed.
Here’s some of the purported attributes of fennel seeds, according to Iraninan, Indian and Asian traditions (with a quick lesson in some medical terms):
- Galactagogue (breastmilk booster)
- Antiemetic (prevents vomiting)
- Antipyretic (reduces fever)
- Emmenagogue (promotes menstruation)
- Mucolytic (breaks down mucous)
- Diuretic (expels excess fluid)
- Antispasmodic (relieves muscle spasm and cramps)
- Relieves heartburn
- Relieves cough
- Antibacterial
Fennel Seeds Nutritional Components (at a glance)
- B vitamins: riboflavin, niacin, pyridoxine
- Minerals: manganese, magnesium, calcium, copper & zinc
- Beta-carotene & Vitamin C
- Polyphenols: kaempferol, anethole, chlorogenic acid, quercetin
Fennel Seeds and your health - current research
Antimicrobial Activity Chewing of fennel seeds after food is a common cultural practice in Indian and Asian countries. A clinical study in 2020 from the Indian Journal of Dental Research showed chewing fennel seeds increased salivary pH, as well increased levels of anethole, which is the polyphenol unique to fennel. Both of these activities create powerful antimicrobial agents in the oral cavity, promoting dental health.
In fact, the anethole and fenchone polyphenols in fennel seeds have been shown in various lab studies to possess powerful cytotoxic and anticancer qualities. Knee osteoarthritis Fennel seed extract was used in one clinical trial with women suffering knee osteoarthritis. 66 patients were randomized to either a control group, or a group receiving four capsules of dried fennel extract (200mg equivalent). The results demonstrated that knee stiffness improved in the test group and that fennel seeds may be a natural adjunctive option for the treatment of knee osteoarthritis.
Fennel Seeds for Women’s Health
PMS
Several clinical trials examined the effects of fennel seeds on PMS symptoms. According to the results, symptoms including pain, digestive upset, headaches, fatigue and abdominal cramping all showed improvement upon and after divided doses of fennel oil. These improvements happened gradually over two or more menstrual cycles. Other non-physical yet just as debilitating PMS symptoms including anxiety, depression and irritability were also measured in another study of female university students. It showed a significant reduction in the severity of all physical and emotional PMS-related symptoms with fennel oil administration compared to a placebo group.
PCOS
An Iranian study with 60 women who experience irregular or absent periods resulting from PCOS, used medicinal fennel extract to treat these symptoms. The menstrual cycle length of the women in the treatment group who received fennel infusion and dry cupping was more regular, with cycles lasting between 30-32 days. After 3 and 6 months of treatment, this group also reported on improvements in pain levels associated with their cycles. These improvements could in part be due to the oestrogenic activity of diosgenin found in fennel seeds.
Boosting Breastmilk
A recent Cochrane review of over 3000 mothers from several randomised controlled trials showed a mild to moderate correlation between the consumption of fennel seeds used in tea and improvements in breastmilk production, volume and increased infant weight.
Menopause
A study conducted on a group of Iranian women, aged between 45-60 assessed the effectiveness of ffennel seeds on menopausal symptoms. The daily consumption of fennel seeds ‘significantly improved menopausal symptoms’ over the 8 week study period.
Infantile Colic
Any parent with a baby suffering from colic or reflux knows this is a really tough thing to go through. Fennel seed oil has shown some potential effects in reducing abdominal discomfort in bubs, however this is usually anecdotal with not a lot of research to qualify the claims. One study assessed fennel seed’s effectiveness on colic in a group of 125 infants in a hospital setting. Overall, the babies in the study were more settled with the administration of fennel seed oil compared to a controlled placebo, with no side effects reported.
Digestive health
Fennel tea (5g dried fennel) reduced gas production, improved IBS symptoms and gut recovery in a group of women post-operatively recovering from surgery.
Recipe
Keep it simple, keep it fresh and enjoy your cup of tea.
- Steep ½ - 1 tsp per person of fresh, raw fennel seeds in a cup of just boiling water (80-90 degrees C is perfect).
- Allow to brew for 5-10 minutes, the longer the brew the stronger the tea with more nutritional benefits!
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Article References
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Alexandrovich, I., Rakovitskaya, O., Kolmo, E., Sidorova, T., & Shushunov, S. (2003). The effect of fennel (Foeniculum Vulgare) seed oil emulsion in infantile colic: a randomized, placebo-controlled study.
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