Effects and functions of fennel

Many people choose fennel because of its high-value pharmacological effects, but you should be careful not to eat it casually, otherwise it will have some bad effects on the body. We need to understand it before eating it. Are you ready?

[Other names] Fennel (Materia Medica Treatise), fennel (Qianjin Fang), wild fennel (Compendium of Materia Medica), wild fennel (Lucanyan Materia Medica), big fennel (Zhu's Collection of Medical Prescriptions), grain fennel, grain fennel (Modern Practical Chinese Medicine), fennel seed (Chinese Medicinal Plant Records), small fennel (Sichuan Chinese Materia Medica Records).

[Source] It is the fruit of fennel, a plant of the Umbelliferae family. When the fruits are ripe in September and October, cut the whole plant, dry it in the sun, beat the fruits, remove impurities, and dry them in the sun.

[Original form] Perennial herb with strong aroma. The stem is erect, cylindrical, 0.5 to 1.5 meters high, branched at the top, gray-green, and has fine longitudinal lines on the surface. The stem leaves are alternate, with petioles 3.5 to 4.5 cm long, gradually shortening from bottom to top, sheath-like near the base, broad and clasping the stem, with membranous wavy narrow wings on the edges; the leaf blades are pinnate-divided 3 to 4 times, and the final lobes are linear to filamentous. The compound umbel is terminal, 3-12 cm in diameter, with 5-20 or more peduncles, 2-5 cm long, each umbel with 5-30 flowers, slender peduncles, 4-10 mm long; without involucre and involucre sub-bacteria; small flowers, without calyx; 5 petals, golden yellow, broadly ovate, about 1.5 mm long, about 1 mm wide, curled inwards above the middle, slightly concave at the apex; 5 stamens, ovate anthers, 2-chambered, filaments filiform, extending out of the petals; 1 pistil, inferior ovary, 2-chambered, 2 styles, very short, shallowly lobed. The fruit is double-hanging, ovate-oblong, 5-8 mm long, about 2 mm wide, yellow-green in appearance, with a yellow-brown column base remaining at the top. The schizophrenia is elliptical, with 5 raised longitudinal spindles, an oil tube in each groove, and 2 oil tubes on the commissure. Flowering period is from June to September. Fruiting period is October.

[Habitat distribution] Widely cultivated throughout my country. It is mainly produced in Shanxi, Gansu, Liaoning and Inner Mongolia. In addition, it is also produced in Jilin, Heilongjiang, Hebei, Shaanxi, Sichuan, Guizhou, Guangxi and other places.

[Properties] The dried fruit is small cylindrical, slightly pointed at both ends, 5 to 8 mm long and about 2 mm wide. The base sometimes has a small fruit stalk, with the yellow-brown base of the style remaining at the top. The appearance is yellow-green. The schizocarp is oblong with five raised ridges and a pentagonal cross section. The four sides on the back are approximately equal in length and the joint surface is flat. There is one seed in the sectional fruit, and the cross section is slightly kidney-shaped. It has a fragrant aroma and a sweet and slightly spicy taste. The best ones are those with uniform, plump, yellow-green particles, rich fragrance and sweet taste.

[Chemical composition] The fruit contains about 3-6% volatile oil, the main components of which are 50-60% anisole and 18-20% fenchone. It also contains: α-pinene, α-phellandrene, camphene, dipentene, anisaldehyde, anisic acid, and ophiopogon. It also contains cis-anisole and p-cymene.

[Pharmacological action] Fennel oil can be used as a carminative to expel gas and relieve pain when the abdomen is bloated. It reduces gastric tone and subsequently stimulates it, normalizing its motility and shortening emptying time. It increases intestinal tension and peristalsis, thereby promoting the discharge of gas. Sometimes peristalsis decreases after arousal, thus helping to relieve cramps and reduce pain. This effect can be abolished by local anesthetics and may therefore be a neurological reflex. It also has certain antibacterial effects, and anisole may be the active antibacterial ingredient. In experimental tuberculosis in guinea pigs, anisaldehyde had no anti-tuberculosis effect, but it could slightly enhance the efficacy of small amounts of streptomycin. Fenchone is an isomer of camphor, so it has some local irritating effects similar to camphor.

[Preparation] Fennel: Sift away the dust, pick out the fruit stalks and impurities. Salted fennel: Take clean fennel and fry it over low heat until the surface turns dark yellow and has a burnt aroma. Then spray it with hot salt water and roast it until dry. Method 1: Add clean fennel to salt water, mix well, simmer for a while, put it in a pot and stir-fry over low heat until it turns slightly yellow, take it out and dry it. (For every 100 catties of fennel, use 3 catties of salt and add appropriate amount of boiling water to dissolve and clarify)

【Nature and flavor】 Spicy, warm.

[entry into meridians] Enters the kidney, bladder and stomach meridians.

【Functions and indications】Warms the kidney and dispels cold, harmonizes the stomach and regulates Qi. Treats cold hernia, cold pain in the lower abdomen, low back pain due to kidney deficiency, stomachache, vomiting, dry and wet athlete's foot.

[Usage and Dosage] For oral use: decoct in water, 1 to 3 qian; or make into pills or powder. For external use: grind into powder and apply to the affected area or stir-fry and apply warm.

[Note] People with Yin deficiency and excess fire should take this medicine with caution.

[Additional prescription] ① Treat unbearable pain in the small intestine: ㈠ One liang of almonds, half a liang of green onion (pounded with roots and roasted dry), one liang of fennel. The top is the last. Take three large coins each time, mixed with warm walnut wine on an empty stomach. (Continuation of the Book of Changes)

【Discussions by various scholars】 ① "Compendium of Materia Medica": "Atractylodes lancea is a medicine that warms the middle and quickens the qi. Fang Longtan said that this medicine is pungent and fragrant and dispersing. It is sweet and mild and harmonizes the stomach, so "Tang Materia Medica" is good at treating all kinds of qi, such as cold qi in the heart and abdomen, sudden pain in the heart qi, vomiting and stomach qi, cold and damp foot of the waist and kidney deficiency, stringy qi in the lower abdomen, water qi in the bladder, hernia of yin collapse, dampness of yin sweat, cold qi of yin, water qi of yin swelling, and stagnant qi of yin swelling. It warms the middle and dispels cold, and immediately moves all kinds of qi. It is also a key product for the lower abdomen, lower abdomen and yin. If there is too much fire in the stomach and kidney, vomiting, pain and swelling when heated, and symptoms such as frequent erections of the yang channel, spermatorrhea and nocturnal emission, it should be used with discretion."

【Clinical application】 ①Treatment of incarcerated small intestinal hernia

[Remarks] Dill seeds are very similar in shape to this product. In some areas such as Gansu and Guangxi, dill seeds are used as fennel. "Compendium of Materia Medica" also calls dill seeds fennel, which shows that using dill seeds as fennel has a long history. However, the two names should not be confused. The main differences between the medicinal materials are: dill seeds are smaller and rounder, the sub-fruits are broadly oval, flat, 3 to 4 mm long and 2 to 3 mm in diameter; the four sides of the back of the cross section are unequal in length, and the two sides extend into wings. The smell is weak. See "Dill Seeds".

【Excerpt】 《*Dictionary》

Fennel is a medicinal material that has existed for a long time. It is recorded in many Chinese medicine books, which shows that fennel does have good medicinal value.