Fennel is a flower bearing plant that is native to the Mediterranean countries but is now cultivated in many different countries mainly because of its uses and health benefits. The dried seeds of fennel are used as spice to add flavor to several dishes. They are similar in appearance and taste of the anise seeds but they are two different plants. The ripe dried seeds of fennel as well as the oil extracted from it have great medicinal values.
The nutrients you can get from this aromatic spice include Vitamin C, manganese, iron, folate, potassium, and it also contains great amounts of fiber. Fennel is also high in phytonutrients and is very rich in volatile oils. It will serve your body great purposes with its antispasmodic, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, carminative, diuretic, laxative, and different health functions to your body. Fennel works to relax your colon and reduces the secretions of your respiratory tract.
Here are some of the Great Health Benefits of Fennel
Before trying over-the-counter medicines to treat the conditions listed below, why not try fennel as a home remedy to help you relieve these conditions. The natural way to treat health problems is way better than using chemical-based medicines. Not only that you will save yourself from the harsh effects that could cause you other health problems, but it will also save you money from buying expensive medications.
1. Anemia
Fennel is rich in iron and histidine which are two key compounds in treating anemia. This condition is actually caused by iron deficiency because of the amounts of blood we lose in the process. Iron promotes healthy levels of hemoglobin while histidine works as a stimulant for proper hemoglobin production. These two components also help in building the other components of healthy blood cells.
2. Helps Relieve Flatulence
The carminative properties present in the aspartic acid produced by fennel are known to be very good in combatting flatulence as well as bloating. This remedy is safe for both infants and adults, even the elders can use this without having problems. Fennel works by expelling the excess gas in the stomach. In fact, fennel is used to treat non-ulcer dyspepsia and its symptoms.
3. Indigestion
In some countries, chewing some fennel seeds after meal facilitates proper digestion and also helps in eliminating bad breath. The essential oils produced from fennel help stimulate the secretion of important digestive enzymes and gastric juices which functions as an anti-inflammatory agent. This process will help reduce inflammation of the stomach lining and intestines.
It will also promote the right absorption of the nutrients we get from the food that we eat. The antacid compounds in fennel help in balancing the stomach’s pH level thus, preparing your body to control indigestion. This herb serves well in culinary purposes because aside from its great contribution to the taste of the meal being prepared with it, the health benefits are pretty attractive too.
4. Constipation
The laxative effect of pulverized fennel seeds is best in treating constipation. It helps in clearing up the bowels and stimulates to maintain the correct peristaltic motion of our intestines. Through this, the stimulation of the gastric juices and bile production have great effects in digesting the food in our stomach and breaks them in the proper texture that will swiftly pass through the rectum.
In some medicines to treat constipation, fennel is included as one of the key ingredients. This also helps in treating other digestive problems like diarrhea, abdominal pain, and irritable bowel syndrome.
5. Helps Fight Cancer
The fennel vegetable had already passed some studies about its relation in fighting the cancer cells, but what’s more interesting in this plant is that the seed extracts also have great potential in relation to combatting the formation of tumors and cancer cells development.
The concentrated flavonoids of the seed extracts as well as the alkaloids and phenols are also very helpful in protecting a cancer patient’s body from the harsh effects of the radiation that cancer treatment emits such as chemotherapy and radiation therapy. The benefits of fennel seed extract shows advantages in preventing some forms of cancers in the breast and in the liver.
6. Helps in Protecting the Heart from Diseases
The actual fennel vegetable is generous in terms of providing the body with fiber. Fiber doesn’t only do well in proper digestion but it also helps the body maintain healthy levels of cholesterol in our blood stream. It reduces bad cholesterol in our body that triggers heart diseases such as strokes and atherosclerosis.
7. Treatment for Diarrhea
The antimicrobial effects of fennel seed help in the treatment of diarrhea. We all know that this condition is caused mostly by bacterial infection in our stomach from the food we eat. When not treated immediately, it could cause dehydration and if not attended immediately could affect the organs in our system.
The essential oil in the fennel disinfects the stomach with its antibacterial compounds. These compounds are the anethol and cineole. Furthermore, the histidine compound in fennel helps with the proper function of the digestive system which makes the stool return to a proper texture.
8. Managing Healthy Blood Pressure
This herb contains high amounts of potassium which is a very important nutrient needed by our body and our system in order for them to function accordingly. One of these functions is to relax the tension that forms in the blood vessels and by this; the tendency of rising blood pressure is then prevented.
We know for a fact that high blood pressure connects to many different health issues like heart diseases such as heart attack and stroke. Increased in blood pressure also affects people with diabetes because their insulin and glucose level will become difficult to maintain which can cause serious complications on them. Having fennel vegetable and fennel seeds in your diet will boost potassium in your body and proves you with its great health benefits.
9. Promotes Healthy Brain Functions
The potassium contents in fennel bulbs and even in the seeds are used as electrolytes that functions in facilitating the increase in electrical conduction of our body. It connects to the brain and increases its function particularly in the brain’s cognitive abilities. Fennel compounds also help more oxygen to reach the brain and stimulate neural activities to perform in its optimum health.
10. Helps in Treating Menstrual Disorders
Fennel helps in treating unpleasant symptoms of menstruation as well as some of the menstrual disorders that some women experience like dysmenorrhea. The compounds that fennel releases in our body in the form of nutrients help ease and regulates the menstrual cycle. It functions by properly regulating the hormonal activities of our body.
Moreover, fennel is used by manufacturers as one of the ingredients in making products the helps minimize the effects and the symptoms of menstruation such as abdominal cramps, headache, nausea and vomiting, tenderness of breast, and others. This plant is also used to soothe pains for aging women suffering from menopausal symptoms.
Gii Santos
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