Fennel herbal tea: all its properties and how to prepare it
Fennel is a plant whose beneficial properties have been known since ancient Greece. Its seeds but also the fresh leaves and the bulb are used to prepare herbal teas and decoctions useful for counteracting abdominal cramps and water retention. Find out how this infusion can be useful for your health and don't miss the video below: there are other foods that help reduce abdominal bloating!
The benefits of fennel tea
Fennel is a plant that contains numerous active ingredients capable of promoting well-being, especially for women. In fact, it has carminative properties (i.e. it promotes digestion) and helps those suffering from swelling and water retention. Here are all its benefits:
- Fennel helps counteract the symptoms of indigestion such as heartburn, a swollen belly and abdominal cramps. It has particular properties that make it a natural antispasmodic, that is, it relieves pains and contractions of the intestine.
- Drinking a cup of fennel tea promotes the well-being of the legs and fights water retention.
- It stimulates weight loss. Inserted in the context of an adequate diet, the infusion of fennel helps to lose weight in a natural way because it decreases the appetite and has a fat burning function.
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- Since fennel contains natural substances similar to estrogen hormones, its seeds can help in case of a painful menstrual cycle or menopause.
- It counteracts cold symptoms because it relieves sore throats and dissolves phlegm.
- It makes the breath fragrant and, thanks to its antibacterial properties, prevents the onset of gum inflammation.
- Its carminative properties make the fennel tea a panacea in case of meteorism and swelling due to the presence of intestinal gas.
- Fennel has a mild antibacterial disinfectant action, it also helps to strengthen the immune system in a completely natural way
How to prepare fennel tea
Preparing a fennel tea is very simple and there are three methods available: starting from the seeds, with fresh leaves or with the bulb. It is best drunk after meals or as a mid-day snack, preferably unsweetened.
Prepare the herbal tea using fennel seeds:
- Put a teaspoon of fennel seeds in a mortar and grind them gently to extract the aroma and oil.
- Take the seeds and place them in a filter for herbal teas. Add a cup of boiling water.
- Leave the seeds to infuse for at least 7-10 minutes.
- Remove the filter and add a little more water, then sweeten to taste.
Prepare an infusion with the bulbs:
- Wash the fennel bulb and cut it into small pieces.
- Place them in an herbal tea filter.
- Add a cup of boiling water and wait 5 to 20 minutes.
- Filter and drink.
Prepare an herbal tea with fresh leaves:
- Wash some fresh fennel leaves under running water.
- Boil a saucepan of water and then dip the leaves in it.
- Leave them to infuse for 5 to 20 minutes, preferably covered.
- Strain the liquid, then let it cool.
The contraindications of fennel herbal teas
The recommended dose of fennel tea is two to four cups a day, therefore it is advisable not to exceed this dosage. Although it is such a widespread natural remedy that it may seem harmless, in reality it can have contraindications, especially for these types of people:
- Allergic subjects. Fennel, like all foods, can trigger allergies, so be careful if you are predisposed.
- Cancer patients or those who take particular drugs, before taking this herbal tea must consult their doctor to be sure that there is no risk of interference between medicines.
- Pregnant women should consult their gynecologist and not abuse this infusion.
- In the past it was recommended to drink fennel tea to increase the amount of milk during breastfeeding. However, recent studies have warned against doing so as this plant contains tarragon, a potentially harmful active ingredient.
- As INRAN advises, fennel infusion should not be given in large quantities to children under four years of age, precisely because of the tarragon. Although the herbal tea has remarkable antispasmodic properties useful against gas colic in the newborn, it can be harmful to young children.
