Fennel – The Roman cure-all which might help weight-loss

Medicinal History of Fennel

Fennel was prized by the ancient Greeks and Romans, who used it as medicine, food, and insect repellent. Pliny the Elder, the Roman philosopher and naturalist (AD 23-79), was convinced of its medicinal powers and suggested fennel as treatment for over 20 aliments. It was used as a poison antidote, especially for snake and insect bites, by ancient civilisations, across Europe, India and China.

According to Greek mythology, Prometheus used a giant stalk of fennel to carry fire from Mount Olympus to Earth. It was also believed that the Greek solider Pheidippides, the first chap to run a marathon without knowing it, carried a stalk with him on his epic 150 mile journey! Fennel seeds have been used over the years as an appetite suppressant and weight loss remedy.

Not everyone was a fennel fan. The 19^th Century novelist and keen horticulturalist, Alphonse Karr, wrote in the late 1880’s “At the end of three or four hundred years, it began to be perceived that it (fennel) had never cured anyone.”

Top Five Medicinal Uses of Fennel

1. Heart Health

Fennel is full of heart friendly compounds, vitamins and minerals. An excellent source of fibre, potassium, folate and complex B vitamins, which can help lower cholesterol and blood pressure. Studies have shown that fennel seeds increase the levels of nitrite in salvia, helping in the production of nitric oxide which is vital for cardiovascular health.

2. Weight control

Fennel has long been used as an appetite suppressant. It’s a good source of dietary fibre, a bulking agent which helps you feel full and a good source of vitamin B-6 which boosts your metabolism. In a recent study it was found that women drinking fennel tea before a meal reported feeling fuller than those that drank the placebo. It seems a compound in fennel called anethole has appetite suppressing properties.

3. Immune System

Fennel is a great immunity booster. It contains selenium which is believed to stimulate infection fighting T-cells and a whole bunch of beneficial vitamin and minerals. It’s an excellent source of vitamin C and manganese, both help improve cell health and fight infection.

4. Breast Feeding

There is some evidence to suggest that fennel has galactogenic properties which means it helps increase milk secretion. Studies suggest that substances found in fennel may increase the levels of the hormone prolactin in the blood, which stimulates the body to produce breast milk.

5. Blood Pressure

Fennel seeds are high in potassium, magnesium and calcium all of which can help decrease blood pressure. The seeds are also high in nitrite which is important for controlling blood pressure levels.

The Goblet Of Life

Above the lowly plants it towers, The fennel, with its yellow flowers, And in an earlier age than ours

Was gifted with the wondrous powers, Lost vision to restore.

It gave new strength, and fearless mood; And gladiators, fierce and rude, Mingled it in their daily food; And he who battled and subdued, A wreath of fennel wore.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1842)

Parts of the Plant Used for Medicine

Fennel seeds are generally used for medicinal purposes, used in oils, tinctures and decoctions as well as eating raw or toasted. The young stalks and leaves can be steeped to make a fennel tea or blitzed in a smoothy. Bulbs are from a different variety altogether, Florence Fennel.

Active Medical Ingredients in Fennel

Fennel contains so many beneficial nutrients, vitamins and minerals good for the heart that it should be given as a love token instead of basil! It’s very high in magnesium, potassium and nitrite. The selenium and vitamin C in fennel helps boost immunity. For weight control, a compound called anethole is believed to supress appetite and vitamin B-6 helps stimulate the metabolism.