Fennel, a popular culinary and medicinal herb native to the Mediterranean, has appeared in lore and legend for hundreds of years around the world. According to herbalist Margaret Roberts in her book "The Essential Margaret Roberts," fennel was used in Europe in the Middle Ages, and its healing powers were so revered that it became an important trade commodity to India, China and North Africa by the 15th century. Today, most people recognize fennel as a culinary herb used to season Italian sausages. The herb's medicinal uses are still effective and natural healers often use fennel for treating a variety of ailments.
Colic
Gripe water, an old-fashioned remedy for treating infant colic, includes the herb fennel, and scientific research has confirmed the herb's efficacy for this purpose. Although gripe water contains alcohol and is no longer recommended for infants, fennel may provide some benefit. A study conducted by the St. Petersburg Medical Academy of Postdoctoral Education and published in a 2003 issue of Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine examined the effects of fennel on colicky babies. In the study, researchers found that fennel seed oil emulsion eliminated colic in 65 percent of patients and significantly reduced symptoms in 41 percent of patients compared with placebo.
Indigestion
Healers have prescribed fennel for treating mild indigestion since the Middle Ages. Though clinical trials to prove the effectiveness of the herb for this purpose are lacking, anecdotal evidence suggests fennel may help relieve heartburn symptoms. In her book "The Whole Herb," Barbara Pleasant explains that a mild tea made from 1 tsp. fennel seeds steeped in 1 cup boiling water for 10 minutes is often used by modern herbalists for treating indigestion. Chewing the whole seeds may provide similar benefits, especially after eating.
Digestive Problems
Fennel's use as a digestive aid is perhaps its most well known. According to Dorie Byers, author of "Herbal Remedy Gardens," fennel has antispasmodic and carminitive, or gas reducing, properties. Herbalists often use fennel seed infusions for treating upset stomach, reducing gas, soothing irritated gastrointestinal lining, aiding the overall digestion process, and stimulating the appetite. A medicinal infusion is made by steeping steeping 1 to 2 tsp. of crushed fennel seeds in 1 cup boiling water for 15 minutes, which is a method similar to making fennel tea.
Other Uses
Fennel has many other medicinal uses, though scientific evidence is lacking. Very little research has been conducted aside from trials on infants for the treatment of colic. Some of the herb's traditional, though scientifically unproven, medicinal uses include assisting weight loss and detoxification, reducing hangover symptoms, treating constipation, increasing the flow of breast milk in nursing mothers, treating coughs and colds, freshening the breath, easing childbirth, promoting menstrual flow, and encouraging a feeling of well-being in menopausal women.
References
- Health Library: Fennel
- PubMed.gov: The Effect of Fennel (Foeniculum Vulgare) Seed Oil Emulsion in Infantile Colic: A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Study
- "The Whole Herb: For Cooking, Crafts, Gardening, Health And Other Joys of Life"; Barbara Pleasant; 2004
- "Herbal Remedy Gardens: 38 Plans for Your Health & Well-Being"; Dorie Byers; 1998
- "The Essential Margaret Roberts: My 100 Favourite Herbs"; By Margaret Roberts, Phyllis Green; 2002
