From soothing rumblies in the tumblies to allieviating constipation, fennel is a gut's best friend. Hailed since ancient times for its medicinal properties with regard to digestion, fennel also may aid other parts of the body and conditions. Known by its botanical name, Foeniculum vulgare, the fennel plant's buttery yellow flowers and feathery leaves make it a thing of beauty as well as an herb possessing myriad health benefits. The curative powers of fennel have not been scientifically proved, so alternative remedies should not be a substitute for seeking medical attention from a professional.
Stomach Soother
Gassy, crampy stomachs can find relief through a tea made of 2 teaspoons of fennel seeds boiled in 2 cups of water. Cool and strain into a cup and drink. Chewing fennel seeds after a meal is also thought to encourage digestion. Parodoxically, fennel is considered an appetite stimulant as well as something to curb hunger. The website Botanical.com notes that fennel seeds and fennel tea helped many a religious devotee survive fasting days and dieters cope with between-meal hunger pangs.
Cough Calmer
Fennel tea has long been a remedy for coughs; it thins mucus so you can expectorate efficiently. A syrup made from fennel juice may be prescribed for chronic coughs. Bronchial ailments, and chest pain from bronchial coughs, could benefit from a few drops of fennel oil dissolved in sugar that you take after meals.
For Mother and Baby
A mild fennel tea sweetened with a touch of sugar has been a time-honored cure for babies suffering from colic. Boil a teaspoon of the fennel seeds in a cup of water and thoroughly cool before filling the baby's bottle. Traditionally, nursing mothers drank fennel tea to stimulate milk production and the soothing phytochemicals in the plant passed onto the baby. The direutic properties of fennel can relieve water retention and bloating in women, and the estrogenic qualities of the herb may benefit both young mothers and women in menopause.
Other Medicinal Applications
Soaking a gauze pad in fennel tea and applying to the eyes aids such conditions as conjunctivitis, sties and other ocular irritations. Making an infusion from dried fennel leaves can strengthen hair and perhaps even keep baldness at bay. A bit of fennel oil in the bath encourages relaxation, and may also relieve muscular aches and pains.
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