Sweet Fennel Uses

Although you may think of sweet fennel as salad fodder or the ingredient that gives sausage its distinct flavor, it's also been used in traditional folk medicine since the ancient Greeks and Romans. From its benefits for fighting bad breath to its ability to treat female reproductive disorders, fennel has potent health benefits contained in a small package. Adding moderate amounts of fennel to your diet may be a flavorful way to help protect against various health disorders, although if you have a seizure disorder or are pregnant or nursing, check with your doctor before using fennel supplements.

Identification

Sweet fennel, also known as fennel or by its botanical name Foeniculum vulgare, is a tall perennial plant with yellow flowers that is part of the carrot family. Every part of the plant can be used in cooking, with roots, bulbs and stalks eaten cooked or raw; the stems and leaves used in tea or chopped in salads and soups; the seeds chewed as a breath freshener or added to liqueurs, tomato sauces and pickles; and fennel oil used in alcoholic beverages, candy and perfume. The seeds are the part used most often in medicine. Fennel seed supplements are available in tablets, liquids and teas.

Antioxidants

Antioxidants are substances that may protect the cells in your body from the damaging effects of free radical molecules that cause chronic diseases. Researchers in Spain published a study in a 2004 issue of the "Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry" showing that several different compounds isolated from fennel exhibited a strong anti-radical scavenging activity.

Gastrointestinal

Sweet fennel has frequently been used for gastrointestinal disorders by traditional medical practitioners. Russian Researchers reported in 2003 in "Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine" that fennel seed oil improved symptoms of colic---a disorder in infants often caused by lactose intolerance or an immature digestive system -- by close to 24 percent as compared to a group of infants fed a placebo.

Inflammation

Inflammation is your body's first line of defense against injury and infection, but when your immune system goes haywire, it can destroy healthy tissue, lead to your body turning on its own organs, and may even help cause heart disease. A study from South Korea published in "Fitoterapia" in 2004 found that fennel supplements in doses of 200 mg per kg of body weight in mice and rats protected against acute and subacute inflammatory diseases and allergic reactions. Fennel extracts also boosted levels of the beneficial high density lipoprotein cholesterol.

Menstrual Problems

Dysmenorrhea is a common problem in menstruating women that causes abdominal pain and pressure, pain in the hips, back and thighs, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. A study published in the "International Journal of Gynaecology and Obstetrics" in 2003 found that young women with dysmenorrhea given fennel extracts experienced a similar reduction in symptoms as compared to those given mefenamic acid, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug used to relieve pain and inflammation.