Fennel is a member of the common Umbelliferae family of plants, much like carrot and parsley. Known botanically as Foeniculum vulgares, fennel is native to Europe's Mediterranean countries. It now grows wild in many parts of the United States' Pacific Northwest. All parts of this plant are considered to be edible or medicinal, although the seeds are considered the most potent part. Although some studies support the use of fennel as a medicinal plant, more research is needed for these findings to be considered conclusive.
Traditional Chinese Medicine
Known as Xiao Hu Xiang, fennel seed has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for millennia. Generally used in combination with other herbs such as white peony or yellow dock, this herb is considered to be specifically for the disease pattern "liver qi stagnation," generally characterized by gas, bloating, or abdominal pain and distension. In women, reproductive irregularities often accompany this condition. Due to its high concentration of estrogen-mimicking plant chemicals, fennel is believed to help alleviate both of these disease patterns.
Colic
The development of painful gas in infants is known as colic. Although it is extremely common and generally considered both natural and benign, it causes significant distress among parents due to sleep loss and stress. Currently, only dicyclomine hydrochloride has been consistently effective in the treatment of colic. As many as one in 20 children treated with this drug develop serious or fatal side effects. In contrast, the results from a randomized, placebo-controlled trial published in "Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine" found that fennel oil significantly reduced colic in infants and produced no serious side effects.
Side Effects
Although fennel is generally considered to be safe, there is a chance it could cause an extremely rare allergic reaction, producing a skin rash. You are more likely to be allergic to fennel if you have an allergy to carrots, celery, anise or parsley. Extremely high doses of the essential oil can cause an increased sensitivity to sunlight, according to Drugs.com.
Drug Interactions and Contraindications
Due to fennel's estrogenic activity, it is inadvisable to take it on a regular basis if suffering from endometriosis, uterine fibroids, or cancer of the breast, ovaries or uterus. It is possible that fennel may also interfere with the action of Tamoxifen, Ciprofloxacin, synthetic estrogen or birth control pills. It is possible that fennel may interact with seizure medications as well, so it is important that you talk to your doctor before you take supplements containing fennel.
References
- "Prescription for Nutritional Healing"; Phyllis Balch, CNC; 2006
- "Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine"; The effect of fennel (Foeniculum Vulgare) seed oil emulsion in infantile colic: a randomized, placebo-controlled study; I. Alexandrovich, et al; July-August 2003
- Drugs: Fennel
- Emedicinehealth; Fennel
