Marqie
You may be unfamiliar with this little seed, but it is very familiar with you, as it is widely used around the world in mouth fresheners, toothpastes, desserts, antacids and in various culinary dishes. So, what is this special seed? The Fennel Seed.
The Fennel Seed
From it’s origin in the Mediterranean, fennel primarily grows in coastal climates and on riverbanks. You can pick it up locally in your hometown grocery store, whole foods store or even farmer’s markets. This perennial herb reaches up to 6ft in height with green lacy-like leaves and produces golden-yellow flowers. The seeds are oblong shape, about 3-4 mm long, light brown-color with fine vertical stripes over their surface and have a bittersweet, minty taste.
What’s packed in these little minty seeds? Fennel seeds are a concentrated source of minerals like copper, iron, calcium, potassium, manganese, selenium, zinc, and magnesium. Copper is required in the production of red blood cells. Iron is required for red blood cell formation. Zinc is a co-factor in many enzymes that regulate growth and development, sperm generation, digestion and nucleic acid synthesis. Potassium is an important component of cell and body fluids that helps controlling heart rate and blood pressure. Manganese is used by the body as a co-factor for the powerful anti-oxidant enzyme, superoxide dismutase. Furthermore, the seeds indeed are the storehouse for many vital vitamins. Vitamin A, vitamin E, vitamin C as well as many B-complex vitamins like thiamin, pyridoxine, riboflavin and niacin particularly are concentrated in these seeds.
Let’s elaborate a little on these minerals and vitamins and their benefits.
Health Benefits of Fennel
Are you singing the Pepto-Bismol commercial? “Nausea, heartburn, indigestion, upset stomach, diarrhea,” yeah that jingle. Well if you are you may want to reach for fennel next time.
Some of the components of the essential oils in fennel are stimulants and they stimulate secretion of digestive and gastric juices, while reducing inflammation of the stomach and intestines, and facilitating proper absorption of nutrients from the food.[1] Furthermore, it can eliminate constipation and thereby protect the body from a wide range of intestinal troubles that can stem from being blocked up. It also has anti-acidic properties and is extensively used in antacid preparations. Not bad for a little seed, huh?
Now that your digestive tract and all its issues are laid out on the table; how about strengthening your immune system while we are at it? Fennel is known to contain almost 20% of the daily requirement of vitamin-C, not only improves your immune system health, but produces and repairs skin tissue, helps to form collagen, and also protects the blood vessel walls as an antioxidant against the harmful effects of free radicals.
Also speaking of digestive tract; fennel is a great source of fiber. It also helps to maintain healthy levels of cholesterol in the blood stream by stimulating the elimination damaging LDL cholesterol and in return also helps with heart disease and strokes.[2] And with the aid of heart disease and stroke comes the fact that fennel is a very rich source of potassium, which means that it relaxes the tension of blood vessels, thereby reducing blood pressure. Not too shabby.
Oh, and have you heard it’s a natural diuretic? Along with helping your digestive track for moving your food along, it cleanses out your system through your urinary track too. [3] Yes that is right; you will pee a lot removing those unnecessary toxins out of your body!
Now, let’s take a look at some other internal organs and see what fennel can also help with. How about your lungs; having symptoms related to congestion, bronchitis, or coughing? Fennel seeds can help to break up phlegm and quickly loosen the toxins and buildup of the throat and nasal passages for elimination from the body and quicker recovery.
Fast forward to the top of your head, you come to one of the best organs in your body, your brain. How is fennel useful for your brain? Remember that potassium that helps with your blood vessels and heart? Well it also helps out in your brain by producing that potassium as an electrolyte, which means that it facilitates electrical conduction throughout the body for health brain function and cognitive abilities. And remember it is a vasodilator? So this also means more oxygen reaches the brain making neural activity work at optimal functionality.
Along with the brain at the top of your head, you have the windows to the world, your eyes. Using fennel in food helps protect the eyes from inflammation, as well as helping to reduce disorders related to premature aging and macular degeneration. Fennel is also a rich source of flavonoids, which are very useful in protecting against pigment cells dying due to oxidative-stress-induced death.[4] Got to keep those windows clean and working properly; there is so much about the world to see for yourself!
Ladies, check this out. Is Mother Nature here with her little present and you are quite miserable from this? Yeah I thought so. Grab some fennel. Seriously. It eases and regulates menstruation by properly regulating hormonal action in the body.[5] Oh and we are not stopping there; fennel is also used in a number of products to reduce the effects of PMS, and it is also used traditionally as a soothing pain reliever and relaxing agent for menopausal women. Wait, one more bonus? If you are breastfeeding, Fennel promotes milk secretion for nursing mothers.
Now, for the finale. Cancer and fennel show impressive and positive results. The extract of fennel seed can not only inhibit the growth of tumors, because of its concentrations of flavonoids, alkaloids, and phenols, but that it can even be somewhat chemo-protective against the harmful effects of radiation during cancer treatment.[6] Fennel seed extract has been found to be preventative of various breast cancer and liver cancer strains.
How to Select and Use Fennel
Quality fennel has whitish or light green colored bulbs that are clean, firm and without bruising. The stalks should be pale green, firm and protrude relatively straight up from the bulb. The leaves should be a darker shade of green and without flowering buds, which is a sign that the fennel is past maturity. Fresh fennel has a fairly strong aroma, similar to licorice or anise. Fennel ages quickly, after about three days on the counter or four-to-five days in the fridge, so it’s best to use it soon after purchase.
You may use fennel several ways. Starting with the bulb. When raw, the texture of a fennel bulb is cold and crisp, so using the bulb in salads or slaws is especially nice. If you are planning on cooking it, try caramelizing it. When caramelized, fennel tastes almost like licorice candy, and it acts as a wonderful flavor. But of course Fennel is also very tasty on its own, sautéed or even grilled.
Next, how about the leaves? They can be chopped up and used to flavor any number of dishes, just as you would any other culinary herb. Use it in dishes that also feature citrus or feathery garnish for dishes containing fennel.
I bet this one you will recognize the use of Fennel seeds. They are one of the primary spices in Italian sausage and meatballs. Or perhaps all things Italian or Middle Eastern. Don’t be afraid to spice up your dishes with its unique taste and benefits.
Fennel Recipes
Fennel Chicken Soup & Salad Recipe
Don’t forget you can use it in a tea. To make fennel tea, add a half teaspoon of crushed seeds to one cup of boiling water and then allow the mixture to steep for 10 to 15 minutes. Do not boil the water with the seeds in it. Instead, add seeds to the boiling water to preserve the natural oils. Keep the pot covered while steeping. Cool the herbal brew, then strain. Drink three cups a day or use as a tincture three times a day.
Final thoughts for you Fennel users. Like all foods they can be beneficial and enticing to use, but remember to use it in moderation and be safe with it. Excess use of fennel can cause difficulty breathing, increased palpitations, irregular heartbeat, and various neural problems; so let’s not travel down that path. Go ahead and pick yourself some fennel today!
Selected References
FUNCTIONAL NATURAL INGREDIENTS FOR IRRITABLE BOWEL SYNDROME
Inhibition of Oxidation of Human Low-Density Lipoproteins by Phenolic Substances in Different Essential Oils Varieties
THE CHEMICAL PROFILE OF ESSENTIAL OILS OBTAINED FROM FENNEL FRUITS
Genotoxicity and anti-genotoxicity of fennel plant (Foeniculum vulgare Mill) fruit extracts using the somatic mutation and recombination test (SMART)
Antihirsutism activity of Fennel (fruits of Foeniculum vulgare) extract
Molecular targets of dietary agents for prevention and therapy of cancer
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