Fennel is a spicy fragrant plant which is known to people many millennia. In ancient records there is a mention that once it was considered having miracle force. Externally it is very similar on all habitual fennel therefore the second name of such culture just and is "pharmaceutical fennel". The plant very widely and not only in cookery is applied. Its useful properties did not remain unnoticed in pharmaceutics, an aromatherapy and so forth. About this plant, its properties and features the speech will also go further.
Description and characteristic
Fennel is carried to family of celery. Height of such plant can reach 110-200 cm. If according to external data he reminds fennel, then its taste is more similar to an anise, but is slightly sweetish.
Important! Divide fennel ordinary and vegetable. The second possesses fleshier stalk. It is very important to learn to define correctly a plant grade not to mix it with poisonous representatives of flora.
Root system at a plant wrinkled and a spindle-shaped form. At a direct branchy stalk usually there is an easy bluish raid. Flowers small and yellow, are located on the top of a stalk in the form of slozhnoplosky umbrellas. As a fruit the long dvusemyanka which has sweetish taste acts.
The period of blossoming of fennel falls on July-August, and it begins to fructify in September. It is specially grown up to use in the medicinal purposes. At the time such culture was applied by Hippocrates, Pliny and Avicenna.
Nutrition value and structure
Caloric content of a product is about 31 kcal on 100 grams. Fennel is the most powerful antioxidant. At structure there is a quercetin, various kempferol glycosides and routines. Also the plant is rich with vitamin C which acts not only as antioxidant, but also is capable to neutralize work of free radicals.
Rich in vitamin C and garnet, dogrose, blackcurrant, kiwi. And especially a lot of ascorbic acid contains in sauerkraut.
It is known that vitamin C makes favorable impact on a condition of an organism of those people who have arthritis or osteoarthritis. This vitamin also remarkably maintains functionality of the immune system. In addition, at sweet fennel there is a phosphorus, magnesium, manganese, molybdenum and so forth.
Useful properties
The plant due to the rich mineral maintenance has disinfecting characteristics and anesthetics. At the same time it works softly that allows to use a product even in relation to absolutely small children who can often suffer from spasms in intestines, especially in the first 5-6 months of life. But nevertheless it is necessary to perform such vegetable therapy to children carefully, only the doctor has to specify a dosage.
Whether you know? The Mediterranean is considered the homeland of fennel. Exactly from there the plant gradually extended to the South, to the North of Europe, to Egypt, India, China and so forth. Most likely, the first residents of Greece began to use it, and ancient Romans began to extend.
Advantage of a root
The valuable chemical composition of a root of a plant provides favorable impact on a human body. In this product there is a significant amount of vitamins of different groups and also oils. It is not surprising that this culture with pleasure is applied in medicine and aromatic therapy.
Learned to use a fennel root in Greece and Ancient Rome. Oil of such plant which possesses a characteristic smell well helps to remove activity of poisons after stings of insects. Also it allows to weaken results of a hangover, to get rid of the toxins which accumulated in an organism.
Because in a root of such culture there is a sodium, calcium and iron, it is recommended to be applied to people who had serious illnesses, have breakdown or need strengthening of the immune system. The considered vegetable culture is often used in the therapeutic purposes in relation to an urinogenital system both men's, and women's, for metabolism normalization. The root also well helps with process of fight against excess weight. It is low-calorie that does it by a dietary product, and diuretic effect which it has will allow to get rid of puffiness. Also fennel adjusts digestion, helps to acquire excessively greasy food and favorably influences process of disposal of gripes. Still it significantly improves an intestines vermicular movement, having light laxative effect. It is recommended to apply it at nausea and vomiting and also at a meteorizm.
It is effective honey, milk, kefir, buckwheat will help to fight against excess weight.
Seeds
It is the best of all to use seeds of fennel for preparation of medical broths and infusions. They can be used at insomnia, conjunctivitis, in the presence of purulent formations on an integument, at fight against cough and also for removal of pain in a stomach.
Also very useful property of seeds of this plant is that they are capable to stimulate development at mother of milk, to remove inflammatory processes, and still to make preventive impact on development of cancer. Seeds of a plant are very pleasant on flavoring characteristics therefore they are often used for preparations of various dishes of the French and Italian cuisine. Prepare with their addition bakery products, desserts, and still fish dishes.
Important! Seeds of fennel help with fight against excess weight. At structure there is a large amount of protein, vitamins and minerals which reduce feeling of hunger and accelerate metabolism. Especially well they help sweet teeth as are capable to inhibit strong desire to eat cake or sweet candy.
Advantage of tea
On the basis of fennel also cook tea. It helps:
- to remove inflammations;
- to get rid of a meteorizm;
- in treatment of an acne;
- to save the baby from gripes;
- to improve work of digestive system and to accelerate exchange processes in an organism;
- in the presence of problems with respiratory bodies;
- to get rid of phlegms in lungs;
- to normalize a cycle at women and girls;
- to calm nervous system;
- to overcome insomnia.
Learn more about curative properties of the Japanese tea of a sench, than it is useful and as it is correct to make green tea and what benefit herbal teas bring.
Besides, it is possible not only to use tea in the form of drink, but also to use it in the form of lotions. So he is capable to help with fight against inflammation of eyes, to accelerate processes of healing of cuts and wounds and also to take off the general fatigue.
Application
As it becomes already clear, use fennel everywhere. And it is not surprising, its curative properties can be applied in absolutely different directions.
Whether you know? There is a word "fennel" from the Latin word "feniculum" that it is translated as "hay". In Ancient Greece this plant also called "marathon".
In cookery
In the sphere of cookery use practically all parts of fennel, even its root. Leaflets most often add to salads as they in such look keep useful properties. Seeds will become great seasoning for many dishes. The seeds gives a licorice smell, and their taste is similar to an anise. It should be noted that it will be perfectly combined with a ginger root.
Roots of this vegetable culture are very often prepared together with vegetables. For this purpose it is necessary to cut them on two parts and to fry slightly on olive oil. There garlic, olives, tomatoes is entered then it is necessary to fill in white wine, to powder with a small amount of seeds of fennel and to stew within an hour. Thus the prepared root will perfectly emphasize flavoring characteristics both meat, and fish. Fruits of such plant add in the course of baking of a number of grades of bread. Leaves combine with meat dishes and also add to salads and soups. Tubers still can be baked then to use in the form of a separate dish. Stalks of fennel can be prepared by the principle of an asparagus. Roots of a plant can be crushed and placed in glass jars. There marinade joins. In such look a product it is possible to store a long time in the cold place.
In cosmetology
In cosmetology everywhere use fennel oil as it is capable:
- to feed and tone up skin;
- to help with regeneration of an integument;
- to help when smoothing wrinkles;
- to fight against withering of skin and age changes;
- to increase elasticity of skin and also its elasticity;
- to treat acne rash;
- to conduct effective fight against cellulitis.
In the cosmetology sphere, oil of the considered vegetable culture is applied both in the form of an additional component as a part of medicine, and in the form of full-fledged separate means in pure form. Add it at production of creams and lotions, srubs and masks, shampoos, shower gels and so forth.
Recipes of use of oils of a peach, germs of wheat, sandalwood, cedar in cosmetology.
Use at various diseases
According to responses and the recommendations of experts fennel very favorably affects nervous system. Also it has spazmolitichesky effect and is applied in the course of production of medicines against bronchial asthma. The oil extracted from fruits of such plant renders expectorant effect at fight against cold.
In general it is possible to apply fennel in the presence of such diseases:
- SARS;
- flu;
- bronchitis;
- pneumonia;
- laryngitis;
- tonsillitis;
- laryngotracheitis.
As for oil, it also well works against a meteorizm, colitis and helps at indigestion. Thanks to favorable impact of fennel on work of intestines it is often used when developing many diseases of a GIT. In moderate volumes this plant can help to conduct prevention of formation of locks. Such property is used in case of spasms and gripes at babies. In addition, the broths prepared on the basis of fennel fruits help to remove toxicosis symptoms at pregnant women. The same effect can be reached when using such means right after the child's birth. Young mother often needs digestion normalization, and fennel can just help it with it. Also young mothers say that similar broths helped them to stimulate a lactation. Let's separately note that infusions and broths on the basis of fennel are also capable to normalize a female menstrual cycle.
Contraindications to application
In general fennel has no significant contraindications. It is not necessary to apply it unless to pregnant women in the second half of the period of incubation of the child as the plant can cause a uterus tone. Also you should not drink infusions and to use other parts of the considered plant having epilepsy. At diarrhea fennel is contraindicated because it has laxative effect. In the presence of problems with a warm rhythm fennel is not recommended to be used too.
Summing up the results, It should be noted once again that fennel is very useful vegetable culture. Practically all its parts for this time learned to apply in various spheres, and the efficiency of such product is confirmed by a set of positive reviews.