Fennel Plant and Seeds Spice - Saunp or Saunf - (सौंप)

Fennel Plant and Seeds - Saunp or Saunf - (सौंप)

The strong-smelling fennel plant has bright green stalks, lacy, dark green leaves, and mustard-yellow flowers, which turn into seed-heads when ripe.  Funnel Seeds are collected before they mature and dried.  

Funnel Seeds slightly curved seeds are oval shaped with ridges, greenish-yellow; look somewhat like plump cumin seeds.  Funnel Seeds are aromatic spice with a mild licorice flavor.  All parts of the fennel plants are edible, including the young tender shoots, leaves, and stalks, as well as seeds.

 Close-up look of Fennel Seeds

Introduction to Funnel Seeds: 

Foeniculum vulgare, commonly referred to as fennel, may be a flavorful culinary herb and medicinal plant.

Fennel plants are green and white, with feathery leaves and yellow flowers.

Both the crunchy bulb and therefore the seeds of the fennel plant have a light , licorice-like flavor. Yet, the flavour of the seeds is stronger thanks to their powerful volatile oil s.

Aside from its many culinary uses, fennel and its seeds offer a good array of health benefits and should provide antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial effects.

Here are 10 benefits of fennel and fennel seeds, all supported science.

1. Highly nutritious

Both fennel and its seeds are full of nutrients. Here’s the nutrition for 1 cup (87 grams) of raw fennel bulb and 1 tablespoon (6 grams) of dried fennel seeds (Source):

	Fresh fennel bulb	Dried fennel seeds
Calories	27	20
Fiber	3 grams	2 grams
Vitamin C	12% of the RDI	1% of the RDI
Calcium	3% of the RDI	5% of the RDI
Iron	4% of the RDI	6% of the RDI
Magnesium	4% of the RDI	5% of the RDI
Potassium	8% of the RDI	2% of the RDI
Manganese	7% of the RDI	17% of the RDI

As you'll see, both fennel and fennel seeds are low in calories but provide many important nutrients.

Fresh fennel bulb may be a good source of vitamin C , a vitamin critical for immune health, tissue repair, and collagen synthesis (Source).

Vitamin C also acts as a potent antioxidant in your body, protecting against cellular damage caused by unstable molecules called free radicals (Source).

Both the bulb and seeds contain the mineral manganese, which is vital for enzyme activation, metabolism, cellular protection, bone development, blood glucose regulation, and wound healing (4Trusted Source).

Aside from manganese, fennel and its seeds contain other minerals vital to bone health, including potassium, magnesium, and calcium (5Trusted Source).

SUMMARY

Fennel and fennel seeds provide important nutrients, like vitamin C , calcium, magnesium, potassium, and manganese.

2. Contain powerful plant compounds

Perhaps the foremost impressive benefits of fennel and fennel seeds come from the antioxidants and potent plant compounds they contain.

Essential oil of the plant has been shown to contain quite 87 volatile compounds, including the polyphenol antioxidants rosmarinic acid, chlorogenic acid, quercetin, and apigenin (6Trusted Source).

Polyphenol antioxidants are potent anti-inflammatory agents that have powerful effects on your health.

Studies suggest that folks who follow diets rich in these antioxidants have a lower risk of chronic conditions like heart condition , obesity, cancer, neurological diseases, and sort 2 diabetes (7Trusted Source).

What’s more, over 28 compounds are identified in fennel seeds, including anethole, fenchone, methyl chavicol, and limonene.

Animal and test-tube studies note that the organic compoundanethole has anticancer, antimicrobial, antiviral, and anti inflammatory properties (8Trusted Source).

Finally, the plant compound limonene helps combat free radicals and has been shown to guard rat cells from damage caused by certain chronic diseases (Source).

SUMMARY

All parts of the fennel plant are rich in powerful antioxidants like chlorogenic acid, limonene, and quercetin — all of which can benefit health.

3. Fennel seeds may suppress appetite

Fennel seeds might not only add depth and flavor to your recipes but also help curb appetite.

A study in 9 healthy women demonstrated that those that drank 8.5 ounces (250 ml) of tea made with 2 grams of fennel seeds before eating lunch felt significantly less hungry and consumed fewer calories during the meal than those that drank a placebo tea (11Trusted Source).

Anethole, a serious component of fennel volatile oil , could also be behind the appetite-suppressing qualities of the plant.

That said, another study in 47 women found that those that supplemented with 300 mg of fennel extract daily for 12 weeks gained alittle amount of weight, compared to a placebo group. They also didn't experience reduced appetite (Source).

Research during this area is conflicting, and more studies are needed to completely understand the potential appetite-suppressing properties of fennel.

SUMMARY

Fennel seeds may reduce appetite, yet current study results are conflicting. Thus, more research is required .

4. Can benefit heart health

Eating fennel and its seeds may benefit heart health during a number of the way , as they’re full of fiber — a nutrient shown to scale back certain heart condition risk factors like high cholesterol.

A 1-cup (87-grams) serving of raw fennel bulb packs 3 grams of fiber — 11% of the Daily Reference Value (DRV).

Diets high in fiber are linked to a reduced risk of heart condition . A review of twenty-two studies associated a greater dietary fiber intake with a lower risk of heart condition . for each additional 7 grams of fiber consumed per day, heart condition risk decreased by 9% (13Trusted Source).

Fennel and its seeds also contain nutrients like magnesium, potassium, and calcium, which play important roles keep your heart healthy (14Trusted Source).

For example, including rich sources of potassium in your diet may help reduce high vital sign , a risk factor for heart condition (15Trusted Source).

SUMMARY

Fennel and its seeds contain fiber, potassium, magnesium, and calcium — all of which are essential permanently heart health.

5. May have cancer-fighting properties

The big selection of powerful plant compounds in fennel may help protect against chronic diseases, including certain cancers.

For example, anethole — one among the most active compounds in fennel seeds — has been found to exhibit cancer-fighting properties.

One test-tube study showed that anethole suppressed cell growth and induced apoptosis, or programmed necrobiosis , in human carcinoma cells (16Trusted Source).

Another test-tube study observed that fennel extract stopped the spread of human carcinoma cells and induced neoplastic cell death (17Trusted Source).

Animal studies also suggest that extract from the seeds may protect against breast and cancer of the liver (18Trusted Source).

Although these results are promising, human studies are needed before fennel or its extract are often recommended as an alternate treatment for cancer.

SUMMARY

Test-tube and animal studies have shown that fennel may have anticancer properties. However, it’s uncertain whether an equivalent effects would be seen in humans.

6. May benefit breastfeeding women

Fennel has been shown to possess galactogenic properties, meaning it helps increase milk secretion. Research suggests that specific substances found in anethole, like dianethole and photoanethole, are liable for the galactogenic effects of the plant (6Trusted Source).

Fennel may increase milk secretion and blood levels of prolactin — a hormone that signals the body to supply breast milk (20Trusted Source).

However, other studies found no effect on milk secretion or infant weight gain. Negative side effects, like poor weight gain and difficulty feeding, have also been reported in infants whose mothers drank lactation teas containing fennel (Source).

For these reasons, breastfeeding women should consult their healthcare provider before using fennel to stimulate milk production.

SUMMARY

Some studies suggest that fennel may increase milk secretion and weight gain in breastfeeding infants, yet other studies have shown no benefit.

7–10. Other potential benefits

Aside from the advantages mentioned above, fennel and its seeds may improve your health within the following ways:

1. May have antibacterial properties. Studies show that fennel extract inhibits the expansion of probably harmful bacteria and yeasts, like Escherichia coli , Staphylococcus aureus, and Candida albicans (Source).
2. May reduce inflammation. The powerful antioxidants in fennel, like vitamin C and quercetin, can help reduce inflammation and levels of inflammatory markers (Source).
3. May benefit psychological state . Animal studies have found that fennel extract may reduce aging-related memory deficits (Source).
4. May relieve menopausal symptoms. A review of 10 studies noted that fennel may improve sexual function and satisfaction in menopausal women, also as relieve hot flashes, vaginal itching, dryness, pain during sex, and sleep disturbances (Source).

It’s important to notice that a lot of of those studies used concentrated doses of the plant, and it’s unlikely that eating small amounts of fennel or its seeds would offer an equivalent benefits.

SUMMARY

Fennel has antibacterial properties and should improve psychological state , relieve menopausal symptoms, and reduce inflammation. Still, it’s unlikely that fennel or its seeds would offer an equivalent effects when eaten in small amounts.

Precautions

Though fennel and its seeds are likely safe when eaten carefully , there are some safety concerns over more concentrated sources of fennel, like extracts and supplements.

For example, fennel has strong estrogenic properties, meaning that it acts similarly to the hormone estrogen. While this might help relieve menopausal symptoms, it's going to be unsafe for pregnant women.

Due to its estrogen-like activity, there's concern over the plant’s potential teratogenicity — the potential to disturb fetal growth and development.

A study that evaluated the teratogenicity of fennel volatile oil showed that prime doses may have toxic effects on fetal cells (Source).

Although eating fennel and its seeds is probably going safe, pregnant women should avoid taking supplements or ingesting the volatile oil of this plant.

Fennel can also interact with certain medications, including estrogen pills and certain cancer medications, so always consult your healthcare provider before using high doses in supplement, essential oil, or extract form (Source).

SUMMARY

Although eating fennel and its seeds is probably going safe, consuming higher doses in supplement form may react with certain medications and is unsafe for pregnant women.

The bottom line

Both the flavorful, crunchy bulb and aromatic seeds of the fennel plant are highly nutritious and should offer an abundance of impressive health benefits.

Adding them to your diet may improve heart health, reduce inflammation, suppress appetite, and even provide anticancer effects.

To reap the advantages of fennel and its seeds, try incorporating raw fennel bulb into your salads or using the seeds to flavor soups, broths, food , and fish dishes.

Fennel seeds are offered at the end of the meal as a digestive or to freshen the mouth.  The seeds are sometimes toasted to bring out the flavor and mixed with coconut, melon seeds, and sugar crystals before chewing.