What Are the Properties of Fennel?

Fennel is a unique species in its genus (Foeniculum); knowing what the properties of fennel are will help you include this herb in your diet properly. In this post we will describe its main characteristics and properties, therapeutic uses and instructions to grow this herb and other tips that will surprise you.

• This wonderful plant is traded from the tropics to the polar circles of the earth.
• It is native to the southern part of Europe; you could say that it is a Mediterranean herb.
• Consequently, the coast of the Mediterranean Sea is one of the places where more fennels have been cultivated from its origins to the present day because it grows in the wild.
• This herb can be preserved for a long time and is highly aromatic, which is why it is cultivated mainly for gastronomic purposes.
• Fennel has a high variety of medicinal and cultural uses thanks to its properties, taking advantage of even its seed.
• In cultivation it reaches up to two meters in height, its leaves are dark green and it has golden flowers in umbels.
• Its stems are white or light green in color and the bulb is sweet and crunchy, which gives it its characteristic refreshing flavor.
• Due to its high nutritional value, we recommend you encourage yourself to incorporate it as part of your daily consumption.
• Its seeds provide a very popular essential oil used in phototherapy as a natural antacid.

Best known varieties of fennel

• Florentine or sweet fennel: the most cultivated variety in the Mediterranean basin, especially in spring.
• Armor: it is characterized by having a thick and white bulb.
• Carom: it is characterized by having a round, smooth and white bulb.
• Pollex: It is characterized by being round and large.
• Genie: it is characterized by being medium and with a round and firm bulb.

Fennel Properties

1.   Carminative properties:

• It favors the reduction of gases in the digestive tract, which reduces the so-called flatulence and colic.
• It serves as a treatment for the relief of dyspepsia such as heaviness and stomach pain.
• It has an antispasmodic effect on smooth stomach muscles.
• Decreases fermentation in the intestinal flora.
• Due to its delicate flavor and efficacy, it is recommended to administer to babies and children to relieve gastrointestinal discomfort.
• Relieves heartburn, nausea, indigestion, gastritis and loss of appetite.
• Prevents and combats bad breath and gingivitis.
• Prevents and relieves irritable bowel syndrome.

2.   Anti-inflammatory properties:

• Relieves menstrual cramps, eye strain and migraine.
• Its oil is used as an anti – stress treatment in massages, baths and aromatherapy.
• Prevents the risk of coronary diseases such as heart attacks and brain hemorrhages.
• Relieves renal colic because it disintegrates stones and deflates the urinary tract and reduces the dilation of the kidneys.
• It is used as a treatment for glaucoma and its prevention.
• Relieves symptoms associated with arthritis.
• With external use it can calm irritations due to conjunctivitis.

3.   Diuretic properties:

• It causes an elimination of fluid and electrolytes from the body through urine and feces.
• It is used as a treatment for obesity, rheumatic and inflammatory diseases associated with the accumulation of fluid in the body.
• Reduces high blood pressure.
• It is used as a treatment to relieve symptoms associated with edema, cerebrovascular accidents, liver cirrhosis and varicose veins.

4.   Expectorant properties:

• It causes the expulsion of accumulated bronchial secretions, which relieves bronchitis.
• Relieves cold by decreasing the production of phlegm in the upper respiratory tract.
• Reduces inflammation of the bronchial tubes, relieves cough, asthma and sinusitis.

5.   Other properties of fennel:

• It has insecticidal and antifungal properties.
• Reduces the level of cholesterol in the blood.
• It is used to activate the immune system during viral diseases due to its high iron content.
• Slows down premature aging due to its antioxidant properties. 
• It is used to stabilize hemoglobin, thus combating anemia.
• It facilitates labor and is used by nursing mothers to increase milk production.
• Prevents and helps relieve depression and anxiety.

Percentage of daily consumption of fennel recommended for adults

According to the USDA Nutrient Database, for every 100 grams of fennel, the average adult is consuming:

• 31 kcal 130 kJ of energy.
• 29g of carbohydrates.
• 20 g of fat.
• 24g of protein.
• 01mg (1%) of thiamin (vet. B1).
• 032 mg (2%) of riboflavin (vet. B2).
• 64 mg (4%) of niacin (vet. B3).
• 232 mg (5%) of Pantothenic Acid (vet. B5).
• 047 mg (4%) of vitamin B6.
• 27 mg (7%) of folic acid (vet. B9).
• 12mg (20%) of vitamin C.
• 49mg (5%) Calcium.
• 73mg (6%) iron.
• 17mg (5%) magnesium.
• 50 mg (7%) phosphorus.
• 414 mg (9%) potassium.
• 20mg (2%) zinc.
• 191 mg of manganese.

Instructions

1. To grow fennel you must take into account that the production cycle has 80 days starting with the seeds.
2. Select an area of ​​land with good sun exposure as fennel needs direct sun exposure to develop.
3. Once the place has been chosen, each seed should be sown approximately five cm deep.
4. You can plant the seeds in the form of rows, covering them with a thin layer of substrate.
5. Once the seeds are sown, regularly water when the substrate is dry.
6. Fennel is usually harvested in late winter or early spring.
7. To consume the bulbs you must wait to collect the plants from the fall and until the winter.
8. Remember that you always have to cut the plant just above ground level to leave the root buried.
9. Once the fennel is harvested, you can store it in your refrigerator to freeze or consume fresh.

What do you need:

• To grow fennel, the first thing you need is to acquire the seeds, which you can buy at any nursery.
• The land or soil to grow fennel must have good drainage, with an acidic, neutral or alkaline PH.
• The plant accepts sandy or clayey soils, but with adequate exposure to the sun  and with an appropriate amount of water.
• You should enrich the soil with some natural fertilizers or compost.

Tips

1. Hands down, the best time to grow fennel is spring.
2. We advise you to avoid planting them very close to tomatoes, beans or cabbage because they can interfere with their growth.
3. It is important that you know the recommended doses for the consumption of fennel to include it properly in your diet.
4. You must prevent the possible side effects of the properties of fennel by avoiding overconsumption.
5. In adequate doses this plant cannot cause any side effects.
6. We recommend limiting its consumption to pregnant women because its effect on the fetus has not been determined.
7. If you suffer from allergies to some tubers such as celery and carrots, we recommend that you do not consume fennel.
8. People allergic to some tubers have also been found to react negatively to fennel.
9. Avoid taking fennel along with antibiotics, birth control pills, estrogens, and tamoxifen.
10. For therapeutic uses, you can find fennel in health food stores in the form of drops, capsules, or pills.
11. We recommend you consult your doctor if you experience any unfavorable reaction when consuming fennel.

Now you know the main characteristics and properties of fennel, some of its therapeutic uses and instructions for growing it. Make the most of the properties of fennel by  including it in your diet properly and enjoy the pleasure and benefits that nature provides us.