Everything You Need to Know About

Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare)

Botanical family: Apiaceae
Parts used: Leaves Seeds
Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare)
by Hannah Lewis
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Overview and Health Benefits

Perhaps more commonly known for its culinary use, Foeniculum vulgare, or fennel, has a history of use with food and as a digestive tonic as well as being supportive of nursing mothers and as part of traditional “gripe water” to ease colic. The aniseed flavour is instantly recognisable and you may well be offered this carminative spice on a plate after a spicy meal in Indian restaurants, or see the feathery leaves served alongside the fish it was cooked with, belying its great affinity with the digestive tract. It has also been used to support fasting and aid weight loss.

Key Benefits:

  • Digestive support
  • Respiratory illness
  • Female reproductive system support
  • Urinary system

Fennel is known as a “carminative”, which means that it eases gases and cramps in the body, particularly the digestive tract due to its aromatic oils. Fennel formed part of the original “gripe water” given to babies suffering from colic (spasms and pain in the belly) and is frequently used in IBS as an antispasmodic, found to reduce symptoms when used in conjunction with Curcuma (Portincasa et al., 2016). It is often used with fatty foods to aid digestion, hence traditional culinary use and Culpeper’s description of it consuming the “phlegmatic humour” of fish. It stimulates gastric juices and increases absorption, metabolism and elimination (McIntyre, 2019). The volatile oil of fennel has been found to be active against many food borne pathogens such as E. coli (Afzal & Akhtar, 1981), and other troublesome digestive bacteria, as well as supporting liver function and regeneration (McIntyre, 2019).

Fennel is a mucolytic, which means that it helps mucous to break down and be more easily expelled, therefore it is often used in colds as a decongestant and expectorant as well as a relaxing agent in coughs and asthma (McIntyre, 2019). There has been a serendipitous report of somebody relieving an irritating cough by chewing the fruit (seed) for half an hour three times a day (Bone & Mills, 2013).

As an antispasmodic, fennel can help soothe period cramps and severe period pains (Namavar Jahromi, Tartifizadeh, & Khabnadide, 2003). Some of the compounds found in fennel fruit resemble those of oestrogen (Albert-Puleo, 1980) and may be of use in many female complaints including endometriosis, amenorrhoea and PMS as well as supporting lactation in nursing mothers. It has also been found to reduce menopausal symptoms in postmenopausal women when taken as a capsule (Rahimikian et al, 2017) and is currently being investigated for use in vaginal lubricants for postmenopausal women as it may reduce vaginal fragility and atrophy (Yaralizadeh et al., 2016). 

Fennel, as a diuretic, has a positive effect on elimination of toxins through the kidneys and increases urinary flow (Beaux, Fleurentin, & Mortier, 1997). It also has a history of  breaking down kidney stones and easing the pain associated with them (Grieve, 1931).

Safety Profile

It is best to use fennel oil under supervision as high doses can have adverse effects. There is a mild risk of allergy as a member of the Apiaceae family but reports are rare. There may be interactions with some medications and using high strength extracts need supervision by a medical herbalist, especially in pregnancy and lactation or if you have any pre-existing conditions. Long term use in children is not advised due to the oestrogenic effects. (Bone & Mills, 2013)

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Key Body Systems Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) relates to

Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare)
Digestive System
Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare)
Respiratory system
Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare)
Endocrine and or Reproductive System

Energetics

Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare)
Warming
Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare)
Moistening

Key actions

  • Carminative
  • Antispasmodic
  • Digestive
  • Galactagogue
  • Expectorant
Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare)

Key uses

  • Bloating, flatulence
  • Indigestion
  • Stimulating breast milk production in nursing mothers
  • Coughs
  • Bronchitis

Where to Find Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare)

Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare)

Fennel is a statuesque member of the Apiaceae family, native to temperate Europe but can be found naturalised across the world in dry, sunny areas particularly wasteland and coastal areas. It is perennial with feathery aniseed-scented foliage, with large umbels of small yellow flowers in July and early August shortly followed by the green fruit at the end of summer, which turns to brown seed as it dries. It can reach up to 2m in height and spreads to about half a metre or more if allowed. There are a few different cultivars, including those varieties that promote growth of the bulb for eating such as Foeniculum vulgare var dulce, but all have the feathery aromatic leaves and hairless, hollow stems. As a member of the Apiaceae family, caution should always be exercised if you think you have found it in the wild as there are other more toxic members of this family such as Hemlock and Hogweed that are similar in appearance, although neither have the feathery leaves. (Bown, 1995; RHS) 

References

Afzal, H., & Akhtar, M. S. (1981). Preliminary studies on the antibacterial properties of essential oil extracts from five folk medicines. JPMA. The Journal of the Pakistan Medical Association, 31(10), 230–232. 

Albert-Puleo M. (1980). Fennel and anise as estrogenic agents. Journal of ethnopharmacology, 2(4), 337–344. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0378-8741(80)81015-4

Beaux, D., Fleurentin, J., & Mortier, F. (1997). Diuretic action of hydroalcohol extracts of Foeniculum vulgare var dulce (D.C.) roots in rats. Phytotherapy Research, 11.

Bone, K. & Mills, S.,(2013). Principles and practice of phytotherapy (2nd ed.). Elsevier.

Bown, D. (1995) RHS Encyclopedia of Herbs & Their Uses. Dorling Kindersley.

McIntyre, A. (2019). The complete herbal tutor. Aeon.

Namavar Jahromi, B., Tartifizadeh, A., & Khabnadideh, S. (2003). Comparison of fennel and mefenamic acid for the treatment of primary dysmenorrhea. International journal of gynaecology and obstetrics: the official organ of the International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, 80(2), 153–157. https://doi.org/10.1016/

Portincasa, P., Bonfrate, L., Scribano, M. L., Kohn, A., Caporaso, N., Festi, D., Campanale, M. C., Di Rienzo, T., Guarino, M., Taddia, M., Fogli, M. V., Grimaldi, M., & Gasbarrini, A. (2016). Curcumin and Fennel Essential Oil Improve Symptoms and Quality of Life in Patients with Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Journal of gastrointestinal and liver diseases : JGLD, 25(2), 151–157. https://doi.org/10.15403/jgld.2014.1121.252.ccm

Rahimikian, F., Rahimi, R., Golzareh, P., Bekhradi, R., & Mehran, A. (2017). Effect of Foeniculum vulgare Mill. (fennel) on menopausal symptoms in postmenopausal women: a randomized, triple-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Menopause (New York, N.Y.), 24(9), 1017–1021. https://doi.org/10.1097/GME.0000000000000881

Yaralizadeh, M., Abedi, P., Najar, S., Namjoyan, F., & Saki, A. (2016). Effect of Foeniculum vulgare (fennel) vaginal cream on vaginal atrophy in postmenopausal women: A double-blind randomized placebo-controlled trial. Maturitas, 84, 75–80. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.maturitas.2015.11.005