Aniseed is a highly versatile plant that's both used as an ingredient in cooking and as a natural remedy for some of the most common ailments in everyday life. Its medicinal use dates back to the time of the Egyptian pharaohs, where it was an effective remedy for colic and other problems related to the digestive system. However, aniseed has many other qualities worth knowing about too.
As you may already know, the two varieties, star anise and aniseed, although they may seem similar, are quite different from one another. The first and most important is that they come from different growing regions and climates, which changed their flavour and properties. Today, we’re going to focus on the properties of aniseed, as this is the variety you'll find in many of our herbal teas.
GET TO KNOW THE CHARACTERISTICS OF ANISEED
Aniseed is the seed of the green anise plant (Pimpinella Anisum), also known as anix. It belongs to the Apiaceae botanical family, and is native to Asia and the eastern Mediterranean basin. Aniseed has a very intense, almost spicy flavour with sweet hints reminiscent of liquorice, thanks to a compound called anethole found in its essential oil.
Aniseed also contains methyl chavicol (a substance with antimicrobial and antibacterial properties), flavonoids, vitamin C, and minerals such as calcium, iron, phosphorus and magnesium, among others. Of course, the sum of all these substances, and those that have been left out, result in a seed with digestive, expectorant, carminative, spasmolytic, carminative and antiseptic properties.
THE PERFECT NATURAL REMEDY FOR THE DIGESTIVE, RESPIRATORY AND NERVOUS SYSTEMS
We know we've already mentioned all the properties of aniseed, but what benefits do these properties actually bring us? Below, we’re going to explain the main benefits of aniseed, which is what we really all want to know, right?
- Helps the digestive system: This might be one of the most well-known benefits. In the past, people used to drink a glass of aniseed liqueur to prevent upset stomachs, a result of its sedative, antispasmodic and carminative effect.
- Helps the nervous system: Its sedative effect is also great for reducing stress levels and neurotic disorders such as neurasthenia. And we can even use aniseed to combat anxiety.
- Helps the respiratory system: Thanks to its expectorant and anti-inflammatory properties, aniseed cleanses the lungs and removes fluids. As a result, it provides relief from coughing, bronchitis, asthma and the flu.
HOMEMADE PREPARATIONS AND HOW TO USE THEM: HEAVY DIGESTION, HICCUPS, HEADACHES AND GAS
Obviously, we can’t simply eat aniseed in its natural state, although it has been proven that chewing it reduces bad breath. To get all the benefits we've mentioned, the best way to consume aniseed is through herbal tea. Tea Shop has a wide range of herbal teas featuring aniseed as one of their main ingredients. You can either buy your aniseed tea directly from Tea Shop, or follow the steps for these homemade preparations:
- Heavy digestion, gas and heartburn: One tried-and-tested home preparation is to make an infusion mixing aniseed (crushed) with camomile tea. Our Yoga Tea green tea with cinnamon, anise, fennel, ginger, cloves and black pepper also has the same effect.
- Hiccups: Mix half a teaspoon of ground aniseed with half a cup of water and drink it cold to stop the hiccups. If you want the same effect, but with a more pleasant taste, try our spectacular Spicy Strawberry (Blue) Oolong Tea.
- Headaches: Thanks to the analgesic effect mentioned above, aniseed helps to soothe headaches. Boil a spoonful of aniseed in a cup of boiling water or opt for our Herbal Spirit herbal tea.