Fennel Tea: What is it, Benefits, Consumption

Fennel is one of the plants with health-improving properties.

Fennel is one of the plants with health-improving properties. It is not only used to provide taste and smell in the kitchen, but also has different uses such as cosmetic products. Almost every part of the fennel plant is used in different ways. One of its most common uses is to dry its seeds and make tea. Its tea has a taste similar to licorice. Fennel tea has been used to cure many health problems since the past. Antioxidant, antibacterial, galactagogue and digestive supporting effects are some of these. You can find answers to questions such as the benefits of fennel tea and how to make fennel tea in the rest of the article.

What is Fennel?

Plants arouse curiosity in people from past to present. Since the early times, its benefits have been the subject of research, initially by trial and error, and later by the identification of its components. In addition to their effects on diseases, plants; It can be preferred as a spice to flavor foods, in cleaning products, cosmetic products, and to give color naturally.

The Latin word for fennel, one of these plants, is “Foeniculum vulgare”. Fennel, belonging to the Parsley family, is a two-year, fragrant and herbaceous plant that can grow up to two meters. Fennel has yellow umbrella-like flowers. Its fruits have a hairless texture. Its seeds are known for being rich in protein and oil. Fennel, which grows in rocky and arid places, is mostly grown in Burdur province in Turkey.

Almost every part of fennel is used. For example, dried leaves and seeds can be ground and used as a spice to add flavor and scent to dishes. Its onion-like fruit, which grows underground, is used in salads in various world cuisines. In addition to its culinary uses, it can also be found in abundance in Absinthe, which is produced by distilling and fermenting plants, and in toothpaste and liqueurs. The nutritional values ​​in 1 glass (87g) of fennel, known for its low calories and nutritional properties, are as follows:

• Calories: 27 kcal

• Life: 3 grams

• Vitamins C: 12% of the RDI

• Calcium: 3% of the RDI

• Iron: 4% of the RDI

• Magnesium: 4% of the RDI

• Potassium: 8% of the RDI

• Manganese: Contains 7% of the RDI.

When comparing the nutritional properties of foods, the amounts of vitamins and minerals they contain are evaluated. This evaluation is made based on how much of the vitamins and minerals a healthy person needs daily, and some references are determined accordingly. DRI is one of these references. DRI, which stands for “Dietary Reference Intakes”, means “Dietary Reference Intake”. DRI refers to the amounts of vitamins, minerals and nutrients that a healthy person needs daily.

What is Fennel Tea?

Fennel plant, which is mostly grown in the Mediterranean region in the world, can be grown in every region of the world today. In addition to having various areas of use, it also has various types of uses. One of these is fennel tea, which is made by crushing the dried seeds of the plant and brewing them in hot water. This tea has a slightly bitter taste, as well as a licorice-like taste and a pleasant smell. You can buy fennel tea from any supermarket, health food store, herbalist or online shopping site.

What are the Benefits of Fennel Tea?

Fennel has many known benefits. In general, the benefits of fennel tea are:

• Anti Aging

• Antibacterial

• anti-inflammatory

• antiallergic

• Antifungal (Antifungal)

• Supporting Heart Health

anti-inflammatory

Fennel may have antimicrobial and antiviral effects. Consuming some fennel tea in cases such as cold and flu can support the body’s immune system and strengthen its fight against pathogens.

Sleep Quality

Quality sleep is necessary to maintain good health. Nowadays, factors such as constant exposure to blue light from computer or phone screens and stress reduce sleep quality. Fennel tea is known to have positive effects on sleep quality. It can help you relax and have a more restful sleep. Drinking a cup of fennel tea before going to sleep can support sleep quality by relaxing body muscles, including your digestive muscles. Drinking fennel to improve sleep quality is a method that has been used for many years.

Supports Digestion

Fennel may have digestive system-supporting properties. You can get support from fennel tea in cases where you have stomach discomfort, bloating and diarrhea. Additionally, fennel may have carminative and antispasmodic effects. These effects may make fennel a preferable supplement in the presence of irritable bowel syndrome, which includes many digestive system complaints. While the warm water of fennel tea helps calm the digestive system, the components of the tea can help digestive problems. Consuming fennel tea in the presence of complaints can greatly improve symptoms and quality of life.

Antioxidant

Fennel tea is a good source of antioxidants. Some elements released after a breakdown in the body can negatively affect health. Antioxidants can prevent negative effects by binding to these free components, so they are important. Consuming fennel tea increases the amount of antioxidants in your body, which bind to molecules that fight oxidative damage in the blood. With this effect, it reduces the workload of organs and structures involved in the elimination of other harmful substances in the body, such as the kidney and liver, may support new cell formation and may have anti-aging effects.

antifungal

The essential oil found in fennel has antifungal and antibacterial properties. For this reason, fennel can be preferred as a protective and preventive supplement. In fact, using it together with an antibiotic cream can be a natural alternative to eliminate resistant bacterial strains.

Effects of Fennel Tea on Breast Milk

Perhaps the most widely known effect of fennel tea may be that it helps increase breast milk. Herbal teas are not recommended for most people during pregnancy and breastfeeding. However, fennel is excluded from these. Substances that increase the amount and quality of breast milk are called galactagogues. Fennel is one of the galactagogues that has long been thought to support the quantity and quality of breast milk. Although there is no definitive judgment on the subject, it is thought that it can provide this benefit due to its content.

How to Make Fennel Tea?

You can buy fennel tea ready-made or make it yourself. It is necessary to first dry the fresh fennel seeds that you have grown yourself or bought from a herbalist you trust. You can dry the seeds you have scattered on the cloth for 2-3 days, naturally in the sun or in the microwave oven at 30-second intervals. Then crush the dried seeds and put them in a jar. Whenever you want, you can brew some fennel in your tea ball with hot water for 5-10 minutes. Remember that the longer the brewing time, the better the taste of the tea will transfer to the water. There is no clear judgment regarding the amount. You can start with 1 cup a day and adjust it according to your body’s response.

What are the Harms of Fennel Tea?

The active ingredients of fennel tea, which have health-improving properties, may cause complications for some people or you may be allergic to it. For this reason, it is useful to consult a doctor before consuming fennel tea, like all other herbal teas.

Who Should Not Consume Fennel Tea?

There is no group in particular that should not consume fennel tea. However, before consuming fennel tea, it is useful to know the following:

• May reduce the effectiveness of estrogen-like birth control pills

• Since it may inhibit the metabolism of acetaminophen, it may not be consumed with medications containing this active ingredient.

Since herbal teas can cause drug interactions, if you have a medication you use regularly, be sure to consult your doctor or pharmacist before consuming fennel tea.

Can Fennel Tea Be Consumed During Pregnancy?

Due to changing hormones during pregnancy, the body is more sensitive than normal. For this reason, pregnant women are asked to avoid any situation that will affect hormones. Estrogen found in fennel seeds may cause additional hormonal fluctuations in the body. It is not recommended to consume any herbal tea during pregnancy, including fennel, without consulting a doctor.