Fennel: Health Benefits, Medicial Uses, Side Effects

Fennel was originally native to the Mediterranean regions. Today, the plant is cultivated worldwide, especially in Europe, parts of Africa, South America and Asia. The drug is imported from China, Egypt, Hungary, Bulgaria and Romania.

Fennel: what is used in herbal medicine?

In herbal medicine, people use the dried fruits (Foeniculi fructus) and the essential oil from them (Foeniculi aetheroleum).

Fennel – typical characteristics

Fennel is a perennial plant growing up to 2 m high with erect shoots. The thin, filiform leaves are strongly slit. The small yellowish flowers are in large double umbels with mostly unequal rays. The plant also bears small, characteristically ribbed fruits.

The subspecies donkey or pepper fennel (Foeniculum ssp. piperitum) and garden fennel (Foeniculum ssp. vulgare) are distinguished.

Fennel for medicinal use

Medicinal use is mainly garden fennel, of which two varieties are known: bitter fennel (var. vulgare) and sweet fennel (var. dulce).

Fennel fruits are about 3-10 mm long and 3 mm wide and are yellowish-green to yellowish-brown in color. Often, broken pistil remains hang from the upper end. Five protruding, straight ribs can be seen on each fruit. In general, the fruits of sweet fennel are much lighter in color.

Smell and taste of fennel

Bitter fennel has a slightly stronger spicy smell than sweet fennel. The taste of bitter fennel is aromatic-spicy, slightly pungent and bitter-sweet, while sweet fennel tastes only slightly spicy and sweet. Because of the pleasant taste of fennel, the plant has been especially useful in pediatrics.