FENNEL, MORE THAN A KITCHEN COMPANION

Fennel has been a long culinary companion for most of us, but did you know it also has several medicinal properties? Its cultivation is not reduced to a particular area, and can be found in many regions including Europe, Asia, North American and Australia.

Fennel contains anethole, which could explain its medicinal effects:

• Fennel tea, made by pouring boiling water on bruised fennel seeds, has been used throughout history to help indigestion, reduce infant bloating and to improve the lymphatic system.
• The tea can also be used as a breath freshener and applied as an eye wash.
• Ancients also used syrup made from fennel juice to alleviate chronic cough and fed fennel tea to nursing mothers to increase the flow of milk.
• There are studies that show fennel can be a very effective diuretic and a potential drug for treatment of hypertension.
• Fennel essential oil can also assist with mental matters, keeping the mind stable and functional, yet uplifted. Try it for yourself.