Fennel

What is fennel?

Fennel has a white bulb, green stalks, and dill-like leaves with a fresh anise flavour. Fennel is classed as a spice, herb and a vegetable and is used in various cuisines for its flavour. It is also known for its potential health benefits, including digestive aid properties[i].

What are the benefits of fennel in the diet or taking fennel supplementally?

Fennel is used for various digestive problems including heartburn, gas, bloating, colic in babies and more[ii]. Fennel seeds are seen to have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-fungal, and antiviral effects[iii][iv][v].

IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) and gas

Fennel may be helpful for people with IBS since it can help relieve gas - it was seen to reduce pain in the abdomen in IBS studies[vi].

Indigestion

Due to the anti-inflammatory benefits of fennel, it may help soothe swelling or irritation in the intestines and improve digestion. As such, stomach pain, over-fullness and bloating during and after eating may be improved with fennel[vii][viii].

Constipation

Fennel seeds may also relax muscles in the intestines, which can help relieve constipation[ix].

Colic in babies

As a young baby's digestive system isn't fully developed, they may feel discomfort related to digestion. Fennel is an excellent herb for children/ infants with colic [x][xi]

Menstrual cramps (dysmenorrhea)

It is thought that fennel may help to reduce period cramps by lowering the level of prostaglandins in blood circulation. Prostaglandins are hormone-like substances that narrow blood vessels and cause inflammation, which can cause swelling into the surrounding tissues[xii].

Menopause symptoms

Fennel contains essential oils which may produce oestrogen mimicking effects, known as phytoestrogenic properties. Therefore phytoestrogens, such as those in fennel, have been used to effectively treat a wide array of menopause symptoms[xiii][xiv]. It has also shown some potential benefits in improving sleep quality issues in the menopause[xv].

Precautions:

Caution during pregnancy

It is advised to avoid using fennel as it may pose potential risks, including a potential link to preterm birth when used regularly.

Breastfeeding

In small amounts, fennel can benefit infants with colic (via breastmilk). Therefore, smaller amounts in breastmilk are likely not to be harmful with usual maternal doses.

Dosage

Please follow directions on product packaging if you are supplementing with fennel. As for teas, or fennel in food, moderate amounts are usually considered safe. If you have any concerns, please reach out to us today.

Side effects

Fennel can potentially increase sun sensitivity, so please bear this in mind if you are taking it and always ensure you wear SPF[xvi].

Some people may experience sensitivity to fennel. Please stop taking it if you notice any of the following:

difficulty breathing

tightness of chest/throat

chest pain

nausea

vomiting

hives

rash

itchy or swollen skin

Caution should be taken regarding fennel and hormone-sensitive conditions such as breast cancer, uterine cancer, ovarian cancer, endometriosis, or uterine fibroids[xvii].

Interactions

Fennel does not interact with many medications or other ingredients. However, it. Is best not to combine with some antibiotics. Reportedly - mild Interactions with Fennel include:

Ciprofloxacin

Ciprofloxacin is a fluoroquinolone antibiotic used to treat a number of bacterial infections[xviii].

Danshen

Danshen (Salvia bowleyana) is a root commonly used in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM)[xix].

Devil's Claw

Devil's claw is a herbal medicine containing components believed to have strong anti-inflammatory effect[xx].

[i] S.K. Malhotra,14 - Fennel and fennel seed,Editor(s): K.V. Peter, In Woodhead Publishing Series in Food Science, Technology and Nutrition, Handbook of Herbs and Spices (Second Edition), Woodhead Publishing, 2012, Pages 275-302,

[ii] Choi, E. M. and Hwang, J. K. Antiinflammatory, analgesic and antioxidant activities of the fruit of Foeniculum vulgare. Fitoterapia 2004;75(6):557-565.

[iii] Aggarwal, B. B., Kunnumakkara, A. B., Harikumar, K. B., Tharakan, S. T., Sung, B., and Anand, P. Potential of spice-derived phytochemicals for cancer prevention. Planta Med 2008;74(13):1560-1569.

[iv] Yakut HI, Koyuncu E, Cakir U, et al. Preventative and therapeutic effects of fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) seed extracts against necrotizing enterocolitis. J Food Biochem. 2020; 44:e13284.

[v] Aggarwal, B. B. and Shishodia, S. Suppression of the nuclear factor-kappaB activation pathway by spice-derived phytochemicals: reasoning for seasoning. Ann.N.Y Acad.Sci. 2004;1030:434-441.

[vi] Portincasa P, Bonfrate L, Scribano ML, Kohn A, Caporaso N, Festi D, Campanale MC, Di Rienzo T, Guarino M, Taddia M, Fogli MV, Grimaldi M, Gasbarrini A. Curcumin and Fennel Essential Oil Improve Symptoms and Quality of Life in Patients with Irritable Bowel Syndrome. J Gastrointestin Liver Dis. 2016 Jun;25(2):151-7.

[vii] Liu H, Li J, Lin S, Liu T, Zheng C. Effects of dietary fennel (Foeniculum vulgare Mill.) seed powder supplementation on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, small intestinal morphology, and carcass traits of broilers. PeerJ. 2021 Jan 28;9:e10308.

[viii] Fifi AC, Axelrod CH, Chakraborty P, Saps M. Herbs and Spices in the Treatment of Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders: A Review of Clinical Trials. Nutrients. 2018 Nov 9;10(11):1715.

[ix] Bub, S., Brinckmann, J., Cicconetti, G., and Valentine, B. Efficacy of an herbal dietary supplement (Smooth Move) in the management of constipation in nursing home residents: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. J Am.Med.Dir.Assoc. 2006;7(9):556-561.

[x] Alexandrovich, I., Rakovitskaya, O., Kolmo, E., Sidorova, T., and Shushunov, S. The effect of fennel (Foeniculum Vulgare) seed oil emulsion in infantile colic: a randomized, placebo-controlled study. Altern.Ther.Health Med. 2003;9(4):58-61.

[xi] Alexandrovich I, Rakovitskaya O, Kolmo E, Sidorova T, Shushunov S. The effect of fennel (Foeniculum Vulgare) seed oil emulsion in infantile colic: a randomized, placebo-controlled study. Altern Ther Health Med. 2003 Jul-Aug;9(4):58-61. PMID: 12868253.

[xii] Lee HW, Ang L, Lee MS, Alimoradi Z, Kim E. Fennel for Reducing Pain in Primary Dysmenorrhea: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. Nutrients. 2020 Nov 10;12(11):3438.

[xiii] Desmawati D, Sulastri D. Phytoestrogens and Their Health Effect. Open Access Maced J Med Sci. 2019 Feb 14;7(3):495-499.

[xiv] Ghaffari P, Hosseininik M, Afrasiabifar A, Sadeghi H, Hosseininik A, Tabatabaei SM, Hosseini N. The effect of Fennel seed powder on estradiol levels, menopausal symptoms, and sexual desire in postmenopausal women. Menopause. 2020 Nov;27(11):1281-1286

[xv] Khadivzadeh T, Najafi MN, Kargarfard L, Ghazanfarpour M, Dizavandi FR, Khorsand I. Effect of Fennel on the Health Status of Menopausal Women: A Systematic and Meta-analysis. J Menopausal Med. 2018 Apr;24(1):67-74.

[xvi] Kerekes D, Csorba A, Gosztola B, Németh-Zámbori É, Kiss T, Csupor D. Furocoumarin Content of Fennel-Below the Safety Threshold. Molecules. 2019 Aug 5;24(15):2844.

[xvii] Albert-Puleo M. Fennel and anise as estrogenic agents. J Ethnopharmacol. 1980 Dec;2(4):337-44.

[xviii] Zhu M, Wong PY, Li RC. Effect of oral administration of fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) on ciprofloxacin absorption and disposition in the rat. J Pharm Pharmacol. 1999 Dec;51(12):1391-6.

[xix] Ge B, Zhang Z, Zuo Z. Updates on the clinical evidenced herb-warfarin interactions. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2014;2014:957362.

[xx] Lippert A, Renner B. Herb-Drug Interaction in Inflammatory Diseases: Review of Phytomedicine and Herbal Supplements. J Clin Med. 2022 Mar 12;11(6):1567.