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Pharmacy Links

HERBS: ANISE

30th March 2009

Action: Carminative, aromatic, stomachic, pectoral, liquefacient, expectorant, sedative, antispasmodic, galactagogue.

Systems Affected: Lungs, sinuses, stomach, pancreas, intestines, and female reproductive system.

Preparation and Dosage (thrice daily): Dried seed, dose 2-5 grams by infusion.

Anise, one of the most ancient of spices, was cultivated by the Egyptians and later by the Greeks and Arabs. In the Middle Ages it was used as a spice and carminative medicine, but also entered into the composition of several classic mixtures as an aphrodisiac and galactagogue. Modern research has confirmed this latter function, establishing the presence of oestrogen-like compounds in both Anise and Fennel, another traditional galactagogue.

Anise is important commercially as a flavoring for food and liqueurs. The fresh leaf is sometimes used in salads. The seed is added to vegetable curries, or chewed to sweeten the breath. The plant occasionally enters into perfumery, in one well-known instance as a constituent of eau de Cologne.

Anise is particularly useful for breaking up mucus. It is thus of value in bronchial catarrh, especially for hard dry coughs where expectoration is difficult. It is also excellent for naso-pharyngeal catarrh, and will relieve the miseries of congested sinuses, blocked nose and difficult breathing attendant upon a head cold. It is sometimes employed in bronchitis and in spasmodic asthma, for which it is immediately palliative when used in hot water.

Anise aids digestion and stimulates the appetite by promotion of gastric secretions. It is especially effective for colic and flatulence. Added to laxative formulas, it will reduce griping (cramping of the bowels).