Anise Seed Tea great for Breastfeeding Diet
Anise Seeds - Pimpinella anisum L.
Origin: United States
Used part: Seed
Description:
Commonly added to everything from cookies and cakes to liquors and more, a few sprinkles of this flavor-packed seed can be an easy way to upgrade the nutritional profile of your favorite foods, supplying an added dose of nutrients like iron, manganese and calcium.
Anise, also called aniseed or Pimpinella anisum, is a plant that hails from the same family as carrots, celery and parsley. It can grow up to 3 feet (1 meter) tall and produces flowers and a small white fruit known as anise seed. Anise has a distinct, licorice-like taste and is often used to add flavor to desserts and drinks. It’s also known for its powerful health-promoting properties and acts as a natural remedy for a wide variety of ailments.
Health benefits:
Exotic anise spice holds some of the important plants derived chemical compounds that are known to have been antioxidant, disease preventing, and health promoting properties. The primary essential volatile oil that gives the characteristic sweet, aromatic flavor to anise seed is anethole. Other important compounds found in these grains include estragol, p-anisaldehyde, anise alcohol, acetophenone, pinene, and limonene. Anise seed oil obtained from extraction of the seeds has been found application in many traditional medicines as a stomachic, antiseptic, anti-spasmodic, carminative, digestive, expectorant, stimulant and tonic agent.
The seeds are an excellent source of many essential B-complex vitamins such as pyridoxine, niacin, riboflavin, and thiamin. Pyridoxine (vitamin B-6) helps increase GABA neurochemical levels in the brain. The spicy seeds are one of the important source of minerals like calcium, iron, copper, potassium, manganese, zinc and magnesium. 100 g dry seeds contain 36.96 mg or 462% daily required levels of iron. Potassium is an important component of cell and body fluids that helps control heart rate and blood pressure.
Copper is a cofactor for many vital enzymes, including cytochrome C-oxidase and superoxide dismutase (other minerals function as cofactors for this enzyme are manganese and zinc). Copper is also required for the production of red blood cells. The spice also contains good amounts of anti-oxidant vitamins such as vitamin-C and vitamin-A.
Good Herbal Remedy:
- Fight bad breath, as it has antiseptic action inside the mouth
- Relieving running nose in infants
- Excellent remedy for asthma, bronchitis cough
- Digestive disorders such as flatulence, bloating, colicky stomach pain, nausea, and indigestion
- Prescribed in the nursing mothers to promotebreast-milk production. The essential oil "anethole" (anise seeds comprises 75 - 90%) has been found to have the estrogenic effect.
Directions:
- Add 20g of the herb into a cup of boiling water for 5 minutes
- Turn off heat and let sit for 10 minutes
- Strain and consume the tea
Anise seeds, its oil as well as fresh young leaves used in cooking. The flavor may be heightened by gentle toasting the seeds. Its seeds feature sweet, aromatic flavor. They employed in a variety of savory and sweet dishes. The whole seeds, and often freshly ground powder can be added to the recipes at the last moment to limit the evaporation of essential volatile oils in them.
This delicate spice used as a flavoring base for soups, sauces, bread, cakes, biscuits and in the confectionary. Popular aniseed flavor drinks include prenod, French pastis, Spanish ojen, etc. Anise seeds, as well as its oil, has been in use in the preparation of sweet dishes in many Asian countries. Its seeds also used as a flavoring base for the preparation of herbal tea; and a liquor called anisette.
Contraindications:
Most people can safely consume anise without the risk of adverse side effects. However, it could trigger an allergic reaction, especially if you’re allergic to plants in the same family, such as fennel, celery, parsley or dill. Additionally, anise’s estrogen-mimicking properties could worsen symptoms of hormone-sensitive conditions, like breast cancer or endometriosis. If you have a history of these conditions, keep intake in moderation and talk to your doctor if you have any concerns.