Fennel Seed 100 g, 50 g

Fennel Seed – 100 g ($7.99), 50 g ($5.99)

Benefits:

Fennel is an antispasmodic, diuretic, pain-reducer, and fever-reducer. It also promotes gastric motility. In folk medicine, the herb was used for fish tapeworms, skin conditions, and various eye complaints, including conjunctivitis. Fennel is also used to stimulate appetite, to soothe digestion, and to hasten healing of muscle strains and hernia. According to the German Commission E, fennel oil and seed are approved for coughs, bronchitis, and dyspeptic complaints.

Asthma, bronchitis, coughs. Fennel also has a calming, antispasmodic effect on coughs and bronchitis. The Greeks use teas made from fennel and anise for asthma and other respiratory ailments. Both of these herbs contain creosol and alpha-pinene, which help to loosen bronchial secretions, although fennel seeds contain as much as 8,800 parts per million (ppm) of alpha-pinene, while anise contains only 360 ppm.

Dyspepsia. Fennel relaxes the smooth muscle lining of the digestive tract to aid in digestion. It also helps in expelling gas and kills some types of bacteria. Both fennel seed tea and diluted fennel seed oil reduce intestinal spasms, but pure fennel seed oil can cause burning inflammation of the lower gastrointestinal tract.

Recommendations for Use

Fennel seed is used as essential oil or tea. The daily dose of oil is 0.1 to 0.6 milliliter after each meal. As a tea the daily dosage is 5 to 7 grams of the seed. The tea can be used to make compresses. The need to use fennel for more than two weeks suggests a misdiagnosis; if the symptoms you are treating do not improve in that time, consult a physician.

Fennel seed oil should not be used during pregnancy or for infants and toddlers. Side effects are rare, but sometimes allergies arise, which affect the skin and respiratory system. People with diabetes should consider the sugar content of fennel syrup and honey preparations before taking them; some have enough sugar to affect blood levels and blood sugar–lowering medications.

Botanical Name: Foeniculum vulgare
English: Fennel Seed
Ayurvedic: Misi, Madhurika, Mishreyaa, Mishi, Madhurikaa, Madhuraa, Shatapushpaa, Shataahvaa.
Also, known as: Guvamuri, Variyali, Saunf, Badisompu, Doddasompu, Sanuf, Badnai, Kattusatakuppa, Parinjaeragum, Badishop, Panamadhuri, Saunf, Shombu, Sopu, Marui, Panmauri, Vinkel, Hui xiang, Fenouil, Fenchel, Finocchio, Fenneru, Funcho, Hinojo, Phak chi, Hui xiang, Tian hui xiang, Xiao hui xiang, Fenchel, Badi saunf, Bari saunf, Moti saunf, Saunf, Saumph, Badian, Finocchio, Finokio, Maratho, Samphu, Sof, Mitta sof, Madesi sauph
Habitat: Asia and Mediterranean region
Origin: India
Harvested: Cultivated
Parts Used: Dried ripe seed

General Information:
Foeniculum vulgare, an erect, glabrous, aromatic, perennial herb, around 5 feet high, with compound, feathery leaves and small yellow flowers arranged in umbels. Cultivated extensively throughout India up to 1830 m and sometimes found wild, fruits ripen in September, stems cut with sickles and put up in loose sheaves to dry in sun, when dry, fruits are beaten out in a cloth in sun, cleaned by winnowing and collected.
Sweet fennel is commonly grown as a culinary herb and spice. The foliage is usually bright green, but the decorative bronze fennel has purplish brown leaves. The leaves grow up to 40 cm long; they are finely dissected with the ultimate segments filiform (thread like) of about 0.5 mm wide. The flowers are produced in terminal compound umbels. The fruit is a dry seed 4-10 mm long. Dried fennel seed is an aromatic, anise-flavored spice, brown or green in color when fresh, slowly turning a dull grey as the seed ages.
Fennel originally comes from the Mediterranean, but is now naturalized all around the world, especially in dry soils near a seacoast. Wherever it has grown, it has been widely used as both food and medicine. There is evidence both the ancient Greeks and the Romans used it. Fennel fruits are a commercial spice that is widely used in cooking and baking by almost all culinary traditions of the world. It is a highly aromatic and flavorful herb with culinary and medicinal uses. Fennel seeds are anise like in aroma.

Foeniculum vulgare is well known for its essential oil. The characteristic anise odor of Foeniculum vulgare which is due to its essential oil makes it an excellent flavoring agent in baked goods, meat and fish dishes, ice-cream, and alcoholic beverages.

How to use:
Hot Infusion:
The basic method for dried herbs and flower is, take 2-3 tablespoons dried herb in a cup of teapot. Pour hot water over it and cover it with lid for 10-30 minutes. Hot water is needed to draw out the antioxidants, enzymes, vitamins, flavonoids, and volatile oils from the botanicals. Strain and squeeze out as much as liquid as possible and enjoy!

Tips:
You can sweeten your herbal tea with bit of honey, natural fruit juice, stevia leaves powder and or licorice root