Written By: Pavitra Sampath | Updated : April 22, 2015 11:30 AM IST
Image credits by: Fennel seeds are especially good for sensitive skin. Packed with antioxidants, they can prevent acne and cell damage. Take a handful of fennel seeds and add it to boiling water. Let it cool and add a few drops of lavender oil to this mixture. Dab a cotton ball and apply on the affected area.
A common practice in most Indian households is to have a few fennel seeds or saunf at the end of every meal. While you might think this practice is just to freshen your breath, think again. A concentrated source of minerals like copper, iron, calcium, potassium, manganese, selenium, zinc, and magnesium, the age-old Indian practice does a lot more than simply beat bad breath. Here are the 9 health benefits of eating saunf or fennel seeds.
1. Beats bad breath: Fennel seeds or saunf is a great mouth freshener. The seeds contain several aromatic oils that help get rid of bad odour from the mouth and aids in increasing the amount of saliva secreted in your mouth, which in turn washes away any food particles in your mouth and kick-starts the digestion process. Apart from that the anti bacterial and anti inflammatory properties of the seeds help get rid of organisms that cause the bad breath and soothes infected gums. You may also like to read about more home remedies to beat bad breath.
Tip for use: Chewing on a few fennel seeds after a meal helps beat bad breath. If you have infected gums a good way is to boil a few fennel seeds in water and use the decoction to gargle. Doing this on a regular basis helps beat bad breath at bay and keeps your mouth healthy.
2. Helps remedy indigestion, constipation and bloating: Known for its carmative properties, fennel seeds are great to beat indigestion. The seeds work on your digestion right from the time they are chewed. Their essential components increase salivation that starts the digestion process. Apart from that the seed's ability to stimulate the digestive tract help in the proper digestion and assimilation of food, moving it through the tract quickly beating bloating and gas. The high fiber content also helps relieve constipation by absorbing water and softening stools.You may also like to read about some effective home remedies to beat constipation.
3. Relieves menstrual pain: Fennel seeds help stimulate and regulate the flow of blood in the pelvic and uterine area (also known as an emmenagogue). This property makes the seeds perfect to relieve menstrual pain. According to a study published in the Journal of research in Ayurveda[6] women who had fennel seed extracts during their periods found substantial relief from menstrual pain. Here are some easy and effective home remedies to beat menstrual pain.
Tip: Boil a tablespoon full of saunf in some water. Allow it to boil till the water changes colour and then strain out the decoction. Have this warm for effective relief from menstrual pain.
4. Helps keep cancer at bay: Saunf is a very rich source of manganese. This mineral is used by your body as a co-factor to produce the powerful anti-oxidant enzyme superoxide dismutase -- making fennel seeds perfect to beat the onset of cancer. Apart from that the seeds also have very potent free radical scavenging properties and phytoneutrients that help beat oxidative stress and protect the body from the carcinogenic effects of free radicals. Found to be especially good in keeping cancers of the skin[2], stomach[2] and breasts at bay, fennel seeds have a very potent chemomodulatory effect [7] too.
5. Protects from anaemia: Fennel seeds are packed with iron, copper and histidine[4] -- all three of which are required for the production of the production and formation of red blood cells. The seeds, when eaten, help increase the iron content in your body, helping in the production of haemoglobin. Known to be especially good for pregnant woman and to keep them safe from the ill effects of anaemia, saunf eaten on a daily basis can be extremely beneficial. You may also like to read about other home remedies to beat anaemia and increase your blood count.
6. Beats water retention: Fennel seeds also have diuretic properties that make it excellent to get rid of water retention or oedema. This property is also one of the ways fennel seeds help in losing weight. Oedema can be due to a number of causes, so before you use this remedy detecting the cause is essential.
7. Can help you lose weight: Since saunf has diuretic properties, helps improve digestion and increases your rate of metabolism it is a great, natural way to lose weight. According to a study published in the Journal of Diabetes and Metabolic Syndrome, having a combination of fennel seeds, aniseeds and black cumin helps increase insulin sensitivity and can aids in weight loss. It also helped lower cholesterol levels and helped increase insulin sensitivity -- all of which help beat metabolic syndrome and diabetes.
Tip for use: Dry roast some fennel seeds and grind them. Now take a spoon of this powder and mix it into a glass of warm water. Drink this decoction twice a day on an empty stomach for effective results.
8. Helps regulate your blood pressure: A study published in the Journal of Food Science [8] found that fennel seeds were a rich source of nitrite and nitrates -- two compounds that help in anginogenesis (production of new blood vessels from an existing blood vessel) and vasorelaxation (dilating of blood vessels). It also showed that chewing on fennel seeds helped increase the nitrite content in saliva making it a great natural way to keep a check on your blood pressure level. Apart from these properties fennel seeds also have a large amount of potassium; and since potassium is an essential component of cell and body fluids it helps control your heart rate and blood pressure.
Tip: Chew on a few fennel seeds right after every meal. This will not only help regulate your blood pressure but will help speed along the digestive process and reduce the load on your heart.
9. Helps prevent acne and keeps your skin healthy: Packed with antibacterial and antioxidant properties, fennel seeds are also great for your skin. Applying a solution made with this seed helps keep acne at bay and its antioxidant properties help get rid of the ill effects of oxidative stress; keeping your skin toned, healthy and wrinkle-free. It is also know to beat the other signs of ageing like dark spots and fine lines. Guava leaves are also great to keep the signs of ageing at bay, here is how you can use it.
Tip: Boil a few fennel seeds in water till the water changes colour. Now cool the mixture and use it as a toner. All you have to do is apply it on your face, leave it for 15 minutes and then wash it off with room temperature water.
Image source: Getty Images
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References:
[1] Anwar, F., Ali, M., Hussain, A. I. and Shahid, M. (2009), Antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of essential oil and extracts of fennel (Foeniculum vulgare Mill.) seeds from Pakistan. Flavour Fragr. J., 24: 170 176. doi: 10.1002/ffj.1929
[2] Ragaa Hosny Mohamad, Amal Mohamad El-Bastawesy, Mohamad Gamil Abdel-Monem, Assmaa Mahmoud Noor, Hussain Abdel Rahman Al-Mehdar, Sabry Mohamad Sharawy, and Mahmuod Mohamad El-Merzabani. Journal of Medicinal Food. September 2011, 14(9): 986-1001. doi:10.1089/jmf.2008.0255. Antioxidant and Anticarcinogenic Effects of Methanolic Extract and Volatile Oil of Fennel Seeds (Foeniculum vulgare)
[3] Investigation on the Phenolics of Some Spices Having Pharmacotherapeutic Properties. 2004, Vol. 4, No. 4 , Pages 27-42 (doi:10.1080/J157v04n04_03). U. P. Singh, D. P. Singh, S. Maurya, Ruchi Maheshwari, Mandavi Singh, R. S. Dubey, and R. B. Singh
[4] Health Benefits of Fennel For Cooking and Healing. John Davidson, M. Usman. JD-Biz Corp Publishing, 15-May-2013. 42 pages
[5] Effect of Carnitine and herbal mixture extract on obesity induced by high fat diet in rats. Kamal A Amin*1 and Mohamed A Nagy2. Published: 16 October 2009. Diabetology & Metabolic Syndrome 2009, 1:17 doi:10.1186/1758-5996-1-17
[6] Omidvar S, Esmailzadeh S, Baradaran M, Basirat Z. Effect of fennel on pain intensity in dysmenorrhoea: A placebo-controlled trial. Ayu 2012;33(2):311-313. doi:10.4103/0974-8520.105259.
[7] Chemomodulatory action of Foeniculum vulgare (Fennel) on skin and forestomach papillomagenesis, enzymes associated with xenobiotic metabolism and antioxidant status in murine model system. B. Singh, , R.K. Kale. Food and Chemical Toxicology. Volume 46, Issue 12, December 2008, Pages 3842 3850
[8] Swaminathan, A., Sridhara, S. R. C., Sinha, S., Nagarajan, S., Balaguru, U. M., Siamwala, J. H., Rajendran, S., Saran, U. and Chatterjee, S. (2012), Nitrites Derived From Foneiculum Vulgare (Fennel) Seeds Promotes Vascular Functions. Journal of Food Science, 77: H273 H279. doi: 10.1111/j.1750-3841.2012.03000.x
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