India being one among the most important exporters of fennel seeds/saunf (as it’s popularly known), uses it voraciously thanks to all the advantages it provides. People from diverse cultures prefer consuming fennel seeds due to its various medicinal properties. As an example, Indian families often consume fennel seeds after having their meal for healthier and faster digestion.
Fennel seeds are often interlinked to ‘longevity’ and are known for offering a good range of nutritional properties that aid in improving the well being of a person’s body. Moreover, fennel seeds offer a concentrated source of various minerals that are vital for the regulation of vital signs also as for the retention of water inside our body.
What are Fennel Seeds?
Fennel seeds have a crunchy texture on the surface with a mildly sweet flavor. it’s also widely used as a mouth freshener. Fennel seeds closely resemble anise seeds in terms of appearance and are extracted from fennel plants. They contain multiple nutrients like vitamin K, Vitamin E, manganese, copper, zinc, and phosphorus, and maybe a good source of vitamin C. One serving of fennel seeds contains 1% of the RDI (Recommended Dietary Intake) for vitamin C, which acts as a dynamic antioxidant for your body, protecting your skin from any damages caused by the sun, smoke, or pollution.
Benefits of fennel seeds
Fennel seeds contain powerful antioxidants and phytonutrients that create them a highly nutritious source with many health benefits, which are as follows:
1. Regulates vital sign
The Journal of Food Science published a study that showed that chewing fennel seeds helps in increasing the extent of nitrite in saliva. Nitrite may be a natural element that keeps a check on the vital sign levels. additionally, to the present, fennel seeds also are rich in potassium which helps in controlling the vital sign and pulse.
2. Great for skin problems
Regular consumption of fennel seeds provide minerals like selenium, calcium, and zinc. These minerals are crucial for balancing hormones while maintaining the oxygen balance in your bloodstream. These minerals impart a cooling and soothing effect on the skin, providing it with a healthy glow. Fennel seeds also offer various ayurvedic properties that help in treating other skin ailments like rashes and dryness. Applying a paste of fennel seeds is very beneficial for the skin because the aforementioned minerals are absorbed by the skin, and keeps it moist, clean, and healthy.
3. Purifies Blood
The vital fiber and essential oils in fennel seeds are considered highly useful for flushing out sludge and toxins from our bodies, thereby, helping in cleansing the blood which further helps in optimum absorption of nutrients within the body. The polyphenol antioxidants in fennel seeds even have anti-inflammatory properties that help in fighting various bacteria and viruses, keeping you safe from various diseases.
4. Helps in improving eyesight
Adding a few tablespoons of fennel seeds to your diet regularly can help in enhancing your vision. They contain a high amount of vitamin A, an important component of excellent vision. In the past , extracts from fennel seeds were used for treating people that were affected with glaucoma.
5. Reduces water retention and suppress appetite
Drinking fennel tea regularly helps in flushing out excess fluids from your body. Fennel tea works sort of a diuretic. Moreover, it also helps in reducing the probabilities of tract diseases and removing toxins from the kidney. It also includes diaphoretic properties that help in stimulating perspiration.
One more advantage of drinking fennel tea is that it helps in suppressing appetite. Consuming one cup of fennel tea releases essential oils that help in suppressing hunger. Fennel tea is usually recommended by many dietitians before meals to suppress the calorie intake for weight loss.
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6. Vital for Bloating, IBS, Indigestion, and Constipation
Fennel seeds can act as an important source for curing constipation, bloating, and indigestion as they contain essential oils like anethole, fenchone, and estragole that contributes to the anti-inflammatory and antispasmodic properties. These elements help significantly in breaking down the food within the body and keep your gastrointestinal system functioning smoothly. people that suffer from IBS would highly enjoy the flavored extracts. The oils help in kick-starting digestion by promoting the working also because of the production of gastric juices and enzymes, keeping your alimentary canal healthy.
7. Reduces the risk of cancer
The seeds contain powerful, radical scavenging properties. thanks to the presence of antioxidants, fennel seeds help in neutralizing free radicals that are liable for developing cancer. Hence, it helps in beating the oxidative stress alongside protecting the body from different cancers of the breasts, stomach, and skin. It offers a chemo modulatory effect on the patient.
Fennel seeds and weight loss
Fennel seeds are often considered as an important food item to incorporate in diets for losing weight. Consuming it regularly alongside a lively and healthy lifestyle helps in losing extra pounds. Weight loss is simply one of the varied advantages of adding fennel seeds to your everyday diet. These tiny seeds have plenty of powerful nutrients that keep a person’s body healthy. Here are some ways by which fennel helps in reducing the few extra pounds in your body.
Fennel seeds are very rich in dietary fibers, which hamper the digestion process. this suggests that after consuming one serving of fennel seeds, you won’t get hungry anytime soon, which may avoid overeating. Additionally, with the presence of antioxidants, fennel seeds help in improving the body’s absorption power for vitamins and minerals. Another advantage of the antioxidants is that they assist in breaking down the fats and carbs within the body, helping you avoid gaining extra pounds.
Read More: Weight Loss Diet Plan
Fennel seeds even have diuretic properties that can assist you in flushing out the toxins and other harmful liquids from your body. a way more preferred alternative to fennel seeds tea may be a fennel seeds drink called the Variyali Sherbet. This tangy drink may be a common drink India and is typically consumed within the summers to stay the body hydrated and funky. Not only does Variyali Sherbet help in weight loss, but it also helps in detoxifying the body, getting obviate acidity and reducing stress. this will be attributed to an endless list of antioxidants present in fennel seeds like zeaxanthin, lutein, beta-carotene, chlorine, manganese, zinc, selenium, phosphorus, and more that are known for shielding the body against oxidative stress and improving the rate of a person’s body.
Here’s the recipe to form one glass of Variable Sherbet:
Ingredients required:
1 cup of fennel seeds
2 cups of water (500ml)
1.5 cups of rock sugar
5 soaked cardamom
Black salt
Ice cubes
Instructions:
Grind fennel seeds and cardamom into fine powder during a kitchen appliance or mixer grinder.
now soak the fennel and cardamom powder for nearly 8 hours in 2 cups of water.
Next, the rock sugar must be grinded into a fine powder.
Strain the soaked fennel and cardamom powder liquid into a container
Add a pinch of black salt within the container
Add the granulated sugar and stir for 30 seconds
Serve during a glass with ice cubes
Summary
In India, fennel seeds are quite popular among people because the seeds can miraculously treat an endless list of digestive ailments that include colic in infants, intestinal gas, heartburn, and more. You’ll even use the seeds as a mouth freshener after you’ve got a hearty meal. Hence, we will see that fennel seeds offer a good range of advantages that creates it very fashionable among people.
So, subsequent time you’re thinking of incorporating a food item into your diet with multiple health benefits, you ought to consider fennel seeds as they might slot in perfectly together with your future or short term health goals.
Read More: Weight Loss Program
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