Useful properties of fennel

Fennel belongs to the Umbrella family, its "relatives" are such well-known plants as dill, celery, cumin, coriander, carrots, parsnips and parsley. Useful properties of fennel are largely due to the high content of essential oil in it (its fruits contain up to 6.5 percent).

Fennel essential oil contains α-pinene, α-phellandrene, anethole,bornal acetate, camphor, limonene, methylhavicol, terpinolene, fenghon, cineole, citral and other substances. They give the fennel oil a sweetish-spicy taste and a characteristic recognizable aroma. Fruits also contain up to 18% fatty acids (petrozelin, oleic, palmitic, linoleic).

And in fennel grass contains ascorbic acid, vitamins of the groupB, carotene, various mineral substances, glycosides, flavonoids. Fruits and greens fennel is used for food in many regions, from the Mediterranean to the Caucasus.

As a medicinal product, the ripe fruit of fennel, because they have the most essential oil. Fennel seeds and fennel oil can also be used, which is sold in pharmacies. Dill water, which is often given to children in colic, is nothing more than a solution of fennel essential oil in warm water (1 ml of oil per liter of water). Also of the fennel fruits make ready-made medicines.

Useful properties of fennel allow include it in many medicines: diuretic, choleretic, laxatives, pectorals, sedatives. Fennel has an antispasmodic and antiseptic effect. It helps with coughing, insomnia, pain in the stomach.

Quite often useful properties of fennel are used for normalization of the digestive system. Fennel and fennel herbs help with spastic colitis, flatulence, digestive problems, appetite disorders, dysbacteriosis, gastritis, gastroduodenitis, enterocolitis.

Also Fennel fruits are part of the preparations for the control of urolithiasis, cystitis, pyelonephritis, stenocardia, gout, pulmonary tuberculosis, bronchitis and bronchial asthma.

Due to the disinfecting properties of fennel, the decoction of its seeds is used externally, treating the skin with pustular lesions. With stomatitis this broth can rinse your mouth, with pharyngitis - the throat. Decoction of fennel seeds is washed with conjunctivitis eyes, and nursing mothers drink it to improve lactation (but you should remember that when breastfeeding, do not use fennel without first consulting a doctor).

To improve digestion and get rid of spasms in the digestive tract, you can to prepare an infusion of fennel. 1 tsp. dry fruit fennel (crushed) you need to pour a glass of hot boiled water and infuse for 10 minutes. Strain infusion and three times a day, take half a cup after eating. And with respiratory diseases 3 tsp. crushed dry fruits pour a glass of boiling water, insist half an hour, filter and take 4-5 times a day for 3 tablespoons. l.

Despite all the useful properties of fennel, has this plant and a number of contraindications. Because of spasmolytic effects it is notit is recommended to take pregnant women and epileptics. Also there is an individual intolerance to fennel, in which, of course, you can not use it. Do not use fennel with diarrhea and a tendency to allergies.

However, do not forget that self-medication can harm your health. Even time-tested folk remediesabsolutely harmless. Therefore, before you can be treated with fennel, you need to consult a doctor, only so you can be absolutely sure that the dill pharmacy will bring you only good and no harm.