Anise

Healing Properties:

Composition

Fruit contains many substances and volatile oil, which is a large amount of anethole, but also anisaldehyde, anisic acid, eugenol.

In addition to volatile oil, aniseed fruits also contain also fatties, proteins, carbohydrates, mucilages, dianetol, coumarins, tocopherol, polyphenolcarboxylic acids.

Some substances with estrogenic effect are mentioned in the literature.

The seeds have up to 6% essential oil, and it contains up to 90% anethole (an organic compound frequently used as a natural flavor and a main component of essential oil extracted from plants), which gives the plant the typical flavour.

Other compounds found in the seed composition: coumarins, flavonoids and sterols.

Action

Anesthetic medicinal preparations have stomach, carminative, eupeptic, antispastic properties.

Anise seeds active substances stimulate the secretions of the salivary, gastric and intestinal, bile and mammary glands.

Respiratory action results in the expectorant effect of coughing.

Therapeutic indications

Anise, as a herb, is commonly used in abdominal colic, in fighting meteorism, in anorexia, to stimulate digestion, to stimulate dairy secretion, menstrual pain, scalp lice removal, scabies, impotence, labor, respiratory infections, tracheitis, bronchitis, especially in the dry phase of the cough.

Precautions and contraindications

Not indicated in gastritis, gastric and duodenal ulcer, acute and chronic enterocolitis.

In too high doses, volatile oil can lead to toxic manifestations that are initially manifested by excitation, then phenomena of muscle paralysis, tremor, euphoria or sleepiness.

It is not recommended for pregnancy and breast-feeding or taken with iron supplements.

It can produce sunburns, so it is recommended to avoid it during sun exposure.

Anason should be administered with care to young children, only in the indicated doses, as infrequent infusions and is not recommended in those who suffer from gastritis or ulcer disease.