Fennel (xiao hui xiang)- for Nausea & IBS Spasms

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Fennel (xiao hui xiang)

 

What is fennel?

 

Fennel is a bulbous plant native to southern Europe and western

Asia. It is a member of the celery family and is well-known for its

distinctive flavor. Although the entire plant is edible, only fennel

seeds and essential oils are used for their medicinal properties.

 

Why do we need fennel? What is it used for?

 

Fennel seeds contain an essential oil, which is composed of

anethole, fenchone, estragole, and other vital enzymes and

compounds.

Anethole may have estrogen-like qualities and can reduce

spasms in smooth muscles, such as those in the intestinal tract.

 

Recent studies have found that fennel seeds contain diuretic, pain-

reducing, fever-reducing and antimicrobial properties.

 

Some practitioners believe it can be used to aid indigestion and

increase

the production of milk in nursing women.

 

 

How much fennel should I take?

 

The German Commission E Monographs recommend between 5-7 grams of

fennel seeds daily. The plant can also be ingested as a tincture (2-

4 milliliters, three times daily).

 

What forms of fennel are available?

 

Whole fennel seeds are available at health food stores and many

supermarkets. Patients can also purchase fennel tinctures, which

contain a percentage of the oil in an alcohol base.

 

At present, there are no well-known drug interactions associated

with fennel.

 

References

 

Duke JA. CRC Handbook of Medicinal Herbs. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press,

1985, pp. 145—6.

 

Mills SY. Out of the Earth: The Essential Book of Herbal Medicine.

Middlesex, UK: Viking Arkana, 1991, pp. 424—6.

 

Albert-Puleo M. Fennel and anise as estrogenic agents. J Ethnopharm

1980;2(4):337—44.

 

Tanira MOM, Shah AH, Mohsin A, et al. Pharmacological and

toxicological investigations on foeniculum vulgare dried fruit

extract in experimental animals. Phytother Res 1996;10:33—6.

 

Blumenthal M, Busse WR, Goldberg A, et al. (eds). The Complete

Commission E Monographs: Therapeutic Guide to Herbal Medicines.

Boston, MA: Integrative Medicine Communications, 1998, pp. 128—9.

 

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