Fennel today is cultivated in Asia, China, and North America though it is native to Europe, especially the Mediterranean region. The scientific name for fennel is Foeniculum vulgare. It is a tall perennial plant. The leaves, bulb, and stalk of fennel are all edible and look much like white celery. The seeds are used in cooking and in making herbal products. Fennel has a sweet licorice taste.
Fennel has appeared in European history records for centuries. It grows wild in many parts of the world usually in dry soils upon river-banks or near the sea-coast, particularly on limestone soils. It is cultivated in the south of France, Galicia, Saxony, Russia, India and Persia. The odor of Fennel seed is pleasant and it has a warm, sweet and aromatic taste.
Fennel has a thick bright green root-stock and stout stems. The four to five feet tall plant has a certain beauty about it. The branched leaves bring forth bright golden flowers that blossom in July and early August each having thirteen to twenty rays.
Some claim that eating the peeled stalks relaxes the body for sleep. The tender stems are enjoyed in soups, though are more frequently eaten raw as a salad.
Fennel has been used to treat digestive ailments since the time of the ancient Egyptians. The presence of terpenoid anethole in fennel is given credit for its ability to calm the gastrointestinal tract and relieve cramps. Often it is mixed with peppermint, caraway, and wormwood to treat indigestion, heartburn, and Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS).
Fennel has aided many woman with health issues. It will relax the uterus and promote natural breast enhancement. Fennel is also used to treat hormonal imbalance which causes PMS, menopause, and low libido, and to stimulate menstruation and milk production in nursing mothers.
Fennel also helps with congestion problems by loosing phlegm in the breathing passages and treating a persistent cough. Give the patient fennel tea to do this, made by crushing 1 to 2 teaspoons of fennel seeds and mixing them in a cup of hot water.
Fennel also has a reputation for being an appetite suppressant and thus it is used to promote weight-loss. Some studies have shown that fennel has some diuretic effect, and may help reduce water retention.
You can purchase fennel in capsules, as an oil, as seeds, in a tincture, or as a liquid seed extract. Of course, you can also grow it yourself. If you do, don’t plant it in the vicinity of tomatoes or caraway for this will hinder their production. Use 1 to 1.5 teaspoons of the seeds, 2 to 12 drops of the oil, or .5 teaspoons of the liquid daily.
A few cautions are in order. Some have reported allergic and asthmatic reactions to fennel. Don’t give it to small children or take it for extended periods yourself. Don’t take it if you are a pregnant or lactating woman either.