Herb of the Week
The information provided below is for reference only. It is not to be used as a medical manual or as any guide to treatment. These are merely meant to be a way to learn about herbs and their uses in history and today. Seek medical advice before using any herbs as they are often dangerous when used without guidance.
When I begin researching an herb I typically start in two places: Rodale's Illustrated Encyclopedia of Herbs (by copy is from 1987) and the PDR for Herbal Medicines (Third Edition). So since I haven't actually referenced a written work since college, I'll point out what information I have gotten from which source the best I can)
This weeks herb is:
Fennel Foeniculum vulgare (wild fennel) Umbelliferae F. vulgare dulce (sweet fennel)
Common names:
Florence Fennel, finoccio, Large Fennel, Sweet Fennel, Wild Fennel, Fenkel, Bitter Fennel
(from Rodale, pages 188-190)
History:
Along with its medicinal usages, fennel was also used to prevent witchcraft, being hung over doors for that purpose. It was the emperor Charlemagne who introduced the plant into central Europe, it was eaten along with fish and meat to aid digestion.
Uses: Carminative, weak diuretic, mild stimulant. Fennel tea is said to soothe the stomach. All parts of the plant are considered to be safe to eat. The essential oil of the seed can be irritating to those with allergies or skin sensitivities.
It was also been believed to help break up kidney stones, quiet hiccups, prevent nausea and gout, clear the liver and lungs, and serve as an antidote to poisonous mushrooms.
Fennel is aromatic in both odor and taste and is commercially used in condiments, perfumes, and soaps. It is cleansing and medicating, an infusion of the ground seeds can be used to make a steam facial. The flowers and leaves can be used to create yellow and brown dyes for wool.
PDF for Herbal Medicines (pages 316-318
The medicinal part is the Fennel oil extracted from the ripe fruit, the dried ripe fruit, and the seeds though steam distillation.
It is indigenous to the Mediterranean region and has spread to England, Germany, South Tyrol, and Argentina. It is also found in Iran, India, and China.
Effects:
Gastrointestinal Motility, antispasmodic, secretolyic action on the respiratory tract, and antimicrobial.
Usages:
Cough
Bronchitis
Dyspeptic Complaints
Peptic discomforts, feeling of fullness, flatulence, catarrh of the upper respiratory tract.
Folk medicine: fish tapeworms, skin conditions, various eye complaints (including conjunctivitis)
Precautions:
Allergic reactions rarely observed. Cross sensitivity with patients with celery allergy are possible. Preparations (excluding tea infusions) should not be administered during pregnancy. Preparations (excluding tea) should not be administered to small children.
The Healing Herbs by Michael Castleman 1991 (pages 165-168)
Fennel has been used as a digestive aid from the time of the Pharaohs to the present day. During the third century BC it was used to treat infant colic and 400 years later it was used as an appetite suppressant and to help nursing mothers to boost milk production. During Roman times Pliny included fennel in 22 remedies, including those for eye problems, including blindness. Later, its yellow color was thought to indicate its usage, thus was recommended for jaundice. By the 17th century Fennel was a mainstay of herbal healing. It was recommended to cure flatulence, increase milk production, and cleanse the eyes, stomach ailments, and bringing menstruation. Folk healers mixed fennel with natural laxatives to counteract intestinal cramps associated with them. During the 19th century in America fennel was prescribed as a digestive aid, for milk and menstruation promotion, and as a flavor to conceal the taste of other medicines.
Today in Latin America fennel is still prescribed as a milk promoter for nursing mothers. In Jamaica it is used to treat colds, and many Africans use it to treat diarrhea and aid indigestion. Contemporary herbalists also use fennel as digestive aid milk promoter, expectorant, eyewash, and buffer in herbal laxatives.
The Big Book of Herbs by Arthur O. Tucker, PHD and Thomas Debaggio 2000 (Pages 269-272)
In the garden, fennel attracts swallowtail butterflies which use the plant to lay their eggs on. The resulting caterpillars then feed on the leaves, and do minimal damage to the plant.
Two subspecies are known: vulgare is cultivated fennel and pipertium is the wild pepper fennel. Within the vulgare subspecies is the variation dulce also called sweet or Roman Fennel, which is cultivated for its essential oil.
The chief source of fennel seeds to the US is Egypt. Seeds are harvested at a rate of 1300-1700 lbs of seeds per acre.
Fennel and its essential oil are both generally regarded as safe however there is some studies determining of some forms of fennel are carcinogenic in children, but there has been no conclusive evidence as such. Fennel seed may be toxic to the central nervous system of newborns, so fennel tea should not be taken by nursing mothers. Fennel essential oil is an antioxidant, enhances bile secretion, is a diuretic, has analgesic properties, and is carminative, antipyretic, and antibacterial.
The information provided below is for reference only. It is not to be used as a medical manual or as any guide to treatment. These are merely meant to be a way to learn about herbs and their uses in history and today. Seek medical advice before using any herbs as they are often dangerous when used without guidance.
When I begin researching an herb I typically start in two places: Rodale's Illustrated Encyclopedia of Herbs (by copy is from 1987) and the PDR for Herbal Medicines (Third Edition). So since I haven't actually referenced a written work since college, I'll point out what information I have gotten from which source the best I can)
This weeks herb is:
Fennel Foeniculum vulgare (wild fennel) Umbelliferae F. vulgare dulce (sweet fennel)
Common names:
Florence Fennel, finoccio, Large Fennel, Sweet Fennel, Wild Fennel, Fenkel, Bitter Fennel
(from Rodale, pages 188-190)
History:
Along with its medicinal usages, fennel was also used to prevent witchcraft, being hung over doors for that purpose. It was the emperor Charlemagne who introduced the plant into central Europe, it was eaten along with fish and meat to aid digestion.
Uses: Carminative, weak diuretic, mild stimulant. Fennel tea is said to soothe the stomach. All parts of the plant are considered to be safe to eat. The essential oil of the seed can be irritating to those with allergies or skin sensitivities.
It was also been believed to help break up kidney stones, quiet hiccups, prevent nausea and gout, clear the liver and lungs, and serve as an antidote to poisonous mushrooms.
Fennel is aromatic in both odor and taste and is commercially used in condiments, perfumes, and soaps. It is cleansing and medicating, an infusion of the ground seeds can be used to make a steam facial. The flowers and leaves can be used to create yellow and brown dyes for wool.
PDF for Herbal Medicines (pages 316-318
The medicinal part is the Fennel oil extracted from the ripe fruit, the dried ripe fruit, and the seeds though steam distillation.
It is indigenous to the Mediterranean region and has spread to England, Germany, South Tyrol, and Argentina. It is also found in Iran, India, and China.
Effects:
Gastrointestinal Motility, antispasmodic, secretolyic action on the respiratory tract, and antimicrobial.
Usages:
Cough
Bronchitis
Dyspeptic Complaints
Peptic discomforts, feeling of fullness, flatulence, catarrh of the upper respiratory tract.
Folk medicine: fish tapeworms, skin conditions, various eye complaints (including conjunctivitis)
Precautions:
Allergic reactions rarely observed. Cross sensitivity with patients with celery allergy are possible. Preparations (excluding tea infusions) should not be administered during pregnancy. Preparations (excluding tea) should not be administered to small children.
The Healing Herbs by Michael Castleman 1991 (pages 165-168)
Fennel has been used as a digestive aid from the time of the Pharaohs to the present day. During the third century BC it was used to treat infant colic and 400 years later it was used as an appetite suppressant and to help nursing mothers to boost milk production. During Roman times Pliny included fennel in 22 remedies, including those for eye problems, including blindness. Later, its yellow color was thought to indicate its usage, thus was recommended for jaundice. By the 17th century Fennel was a mainstay of herbal healing. It was recommended to cure flatulence, increase milk production, and cleanse the eyes, stomach ailments, and bringing menstruation. Folk healers mixed fennel with natural laxatives to counteract intestinal cramps associated with them. During the 19th century in America fennel was prescribed as a digestive aid, for milk and menstruation promotion, and as a flavor to conceal the taste of other medicines.
Today in Latin America fennel is still prescribed as a milk promoter for nursing mothers. In Jamaica it is used to treat colds, and many Africans use it to treat diarrhea and aid indigestion. Contemporary herbalists also use fennel as digestive aid milk promoter, expectorant, eyewash, and buffer in herbal laxatives.
The Big Book of Herbs by Arthur O. Tucker, PHD and Thomas Debaggio 2000 (Pages 269-272)
In the garden, fennel attracts swallowtail butterflies which use the plant to lay their eggs on. The resulting caterpillars then feed on the leaves, and do minimal damage to the plant.
Two subspecies are known: vulgare is cultivated fennel and pipertium is the wild pepper fennel. Within the vulgare subspecies is the variation dulce also called sweet or Roman Fennel, which is cultivated for its essential oil.
The chief source of fennel seeds to the US is Egypt. Seeds are harvested at a rate of 1300-1700 lbs of seeds per acre.
Fennel and its essential oil are both generally regarded as safe however there is some studies determining of some forms of fennel are carcinogenic in children, but there has been no conclusive evidence as such. Fennel seed may be toxic to the central nervous system of newborns, so fennel tea should not be taken by nursing mothers. Fennel essential oil is an antioxidant, enhances bile secretion, is a diuretic, has analgesic properties, and is carminative, antipyretic, and antibacterial.
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