Here are my top 5 [of many] benefits, other than the nutritional boost already mentioned, that fennel gifts us:
1. Healthy Heart
For all the reasons I have mentioned previously, fibre, potassium, magnesium, Vitamin C, etc – all essential for good heart health – makes fennel a heavy hitter with helping to reduce risk factors that can lead to heart disease.
The fibre assists with lowering chloesterol.
Fennel also contains folate, which can help to reduce the risk of damage to blood vessels and prevent cardiac issues.
Potassium helps to reduce high blood pressure.
2. Gut Health
When you eat fennel, it releases gastric enzymes into the body that work to aid in the digestive process, by relaxing the colon. Then add in the fibre it contains and it’s a little scrub brush to assist with eliminating toxins.
Fennel contains anethole, estragole and fenchone, all of which act as powerful anti-inflammatory agents. Eating fennel seeds can help with digestive problems like IBS, bloating, constipation and indigestion.
3. Women’s Health
When eaten with sunflower seeds, fennel seed extract has show to reduce menstrual cramps and pain. It’s believed this is due to fennel relaxing the uterus, which can help with dysmenorrhoea (frequent and severe cramping).
Fennel, along with Fenugreek, has been found to have galactogenic properties and contain phytoestrogens which can assist with the production and secretion of milk for lactating mothers.
Women experiencing menopausal symptoms, such as hot flashes and vaginal itching, found these symptoms reduced when taking fennel.
4. Respiratory Support
With fennel containing cineole (eucalyptus) and anethole (aromatic compound), which are natural expectorants, it assists with respiratory disorders such as congestion, bronchitis, and coughs. The seeds help to break up phlegm and loosen toxins that can build up in the throat and nasal passages to assist with eliminating them from the body.
5. Improves Skin Health
It all comes down the Vitamin C power this vegetable contains, providing a strong antioxidant, when it comes to skin health. And with the help of producing collagen, fennel reduces free radical damage, protecting the skin’s appearance and assisting in premature aging.
Fennel seeds are high in calcium, selenium and zinc, all of which assist with balancing hormones and improving circulation. The seeds have also been found to contain compounds that help reduce the frequency and severity of acne breakouts.