Fennel tea is made from the fennel plant. Fennel is a perennial herb that comes from the Mediterranean and it has little yellow colored flowers. It has been used as an aide for digestion for thousands of years by the Egyptians, Chinese, Indians, Greeks, Romans, and other cultures.
Fennel was believed to be an herb that the ancients considered a valuable product that gave good luck to anyone who had it in their homes. It was used for fennel tea and as a spice. Now, the fennel plant is grown all over the world and is used for both medicinal reasons and as a spice in cooking. The spice is made from fennel seeds, and so is the tea (also read about the banaba leaf tea benefits here).
Health Benefits of Fennel Tea
Fennel tea contains no caffeine and unless you add sweeteners, it also has the benefit of having no calories. This tea is known to have several healthy benefits. This is due to it having anti-inflammatory properties, as well as being an antioxidant.
It also contains amino acids, fatty acids, and valuable vitamins and minerals such as vitamin B, vitamin C, calcium, phosphorus, folic acid, magnesium, and molybdenum.
Some of the healthy benefits of fennel tea include:
- Acts as a diuretic
- Acts as an aphrodisiac
- Acts as a stimulant
- Acts as a detoxifying agent
- Gets rid of stomach pain and bloating
- Relives constipation
- Aides in treating irritable bowel syndrome
- Relieves colic in infants
- Aides in digestion
- Relives PMS syndrome by regulating estrogen
- Soothes sore throats
- Reduces fever
- Helps to treat cold and flu
- Aides in weight loss
- Lowers bad cholesterol levels
- Gets rid of bad breath
- Reduces appetite
- Helps relieve asthma symptoms
- Infusions of fennel tea can be used for eye infections
- Relieves stomach gas
- Gets rid of mucus in the intestines
- Aides in getting breast milk to flow
Fennel Tea for Babies
Fennel tea is considered to be mild enough to give to children and even to babies. However, before doing so, you should consult with your pediatrician as to what strength or if it is okay for your child to drink it. It is thought to relieve colic in babies plus act as a dewormer.
How can you make fennel tea?
You can buy fennel tea bags or you can make your own fennel tea. Just put a half of a teaspoon of crushed fennel seeds in one cup of boiling water and let it steep for about 10 minutes. Be sure not to boil the water with the seeds or you will defeat its medicinal purposes because it ruins the oil. After the tea has steeped, let it cool and strain it into a cup. You can drink it three times a day if desired.
Sided Effects of Fennel Tea
No significant side effects have been reported by fennel tea drinkers, but it is possible that pregnant women shouldn’t use it without consulting their doctors, and if you are being treated for cancer that is estrogen dependent, do not drink fennel tea since it has estrogen like properties.
Plus, it is possible for someone to be allergic to Fennel tea, so watch for any allergic reactions such as rash, itchiness, sore throat, hives, tightness in your chest tightness, problems swallowing, face swelling or dizziness or other problems.
It is also possible that if you use a lot of fennel tea regularly that you could become more susceptible for getting a sunburn, so be sure to use sunscreen when outside. This is a good idea anyway, as too much exposure to the sun can cause skin cancer, so skin protection is a valuable tool.
Interactions with prescription medication
There are some types of prescription medication that fennel tea may interact with. If you use birth control pills or take estrogen, fennel tea is not advised. Plus, you should not drink fennel tea if you take tamoxifen, because it may make it not work as well. This also applies to the antibiotic ciprofloxin, as it also may make it harder for the body to use it.
Where can you buy Fennel Tea?
Fennel tea or fennel seeds to make tea can be bought online, at health food stores or in natural foods stores. It is easy to find, plus it is very inexpensive, especially since it only requires about a teaspoon of fennel seeds for one cup of fennel tea.
You can also find the fennel tea bags at most grocery stores.
All in all, Fennel tea is a great product and a tasty drink that can bring you many different kinds of medical benefits. However, as with any herbal concoction, you should consult with your doctor before drinking fennel tea or giving it to your children.
