Products
The medicinal drug, essential oil and medicines are available in pharmacies and drugstores. Medicines include fennel tea, tea blends, fennel syrup (fennel honey), fennel powder, drops (tinctures) and candies.
Stem plant
Fennel, from the umbelliferae family (Apiaceae), is native to the Mediterranean region. Two important varieties exist, bitter and sweet fennel. In English, it is referred to as.
Medicinal drug
The fennel fruits (Foeniculi fructus) are used as medicinal raw material, the dried fruits and partial fruits of the plants. The pharmacopoeia requires a minimum content of essential oil. A distinction is made between bitter and sweet fennel:
- Bitter fennel, Foeniculi amari fructus.
- Sweet fennel, Foeniculi dulcis fructus
Ingredients
Fennel fruits contain fennel essential oil (Foeniculi aetheroleum), which is rich in -anethole. Bitter fennel oil (Foeniculi amari fructus aetheroleum PhEur) has a lower anethole content and a higher fenchone content, according to the pharmacopoeia. Essential oil can also be extracted from the aerial parts of the plant harvested during fruit ripening. It is referred to as bitter fennel herb oil.
Effects
Fennel has expectorant, antimicrobial, antispasmodic (spasmolytic), digestive and flatulence (carminative) properties.
Indications for use
Preparations from the fennel fruits are traditionally used for gastrointestinal complaints such as flatulence and abdominal cramps, for colds and in the form of breastfeeding teas to promote lactation. Fennel tea is given to infants, especially for three-month colic.
Dosage
According to the directions for use. The fruits are prepared as an infusion. Whole fennel should be nudged before use to allow the essential oil to escape.
Contraindications
The full precautions can be found in the leaflet.
Adverse effects
Possible adverse effects include allergic reactions.
