Flavorful and fresh, fennel is an often underused herb that goes great with sausages or salads. But, did you know it’s also good for your health?
Rich in fiber, the licorice-sweet flowering plant is chock full of antioxidants that stave off dangerous inflammation which can lead to cancer and heart disease.
It has vision-fortifying vitamin A, immune-strengthening C, and multiple B vitamins, which protect brain health.
Fennel also contains several essential minerals, but mostly calcium and potassium. Both keep bones strong, while potassium also regulates your heart beat and nervous system, protects kidney function, and helps muscles contract.
Just one cup of raw fennel has about 360 milligrams of potassium, or about seven percent of the recommended daily value, according to Everyday Health, Inc.
With more than two grams of fiber, including fennel in your diet can aid digestion and weight loss, as well.
“Fiber can be helpful in weight management by promoting a feeling of fullness sooner and longer, allowing you to eat less and less often,” registered dietitian Beth Czerwony told the Cleveland Clinic. “Regulation of blood sugars also helps reduce appetite.”
Used by the ancient Egyptians both as food and medicine, fennel is also incredibly versatile.
Eating it fresh offers the most nutritional value, and people often serve it on pizza, with pasta, and in dips or soups.
“We also use them to season meats, in sweets, in the preparation of olives in brine, to flavor brandy or to be used as a digestive liquor, or simply to sip as an herbal tea,” Lucina Corhiolu, an Italian registered dietitian, told Well+Good.
Fennel contains estragole, a compound that has been identified as a possible carcinogen in rats, but the same effect has not yet been shown in people.
The amount of fennel commonly used in foods are considered to be safe.
Fennel seeds and fennel spice can also give you similar benefits. A teaspoon should do the trick.
Using crushed fennel seeds to make tea may also provide antibacterial properties.
“The essential oil in fennel has antifungal and antibacterial properties, making fennel a protective and preventive choice,” Andalou Medical Center says.
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