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Fennel Flavor Doesn’t Signal Danger

Q. I am 68 years old and have a lot of trouble with gas. You suggested using fennel seed tea.

I have had success with that, but fennel tastes a lot like licorice. I have heard that licorice is not good for your health. Does fennel create the same problems?

A. The ingredient in licorice that can raise blood pressure is a sweet-tasting compound called glycyrrhizin. But the licorice-like flavor shared by anise, fennel and licorice is created by a natural compound called anethole, which does not affect blood pressure. In fact, anethole, along with a number of other spice-derived nutraceuticals, shows promise as an anti-inflammatory compound (Nutrition and Cancer, online Dec. 9, 2011).

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About the Author
Terry Graedon, PhD, is a medical anthropologist and co-host of The People’s Pharmacy radio show, co-author of The People’s Pharmacy syndicated newspaper columns and numerous books, and co-founder of The People’s Pharmacy website. Terry taught in the Duke University School of Nursing and was an adjunct assistant professor in the Department of Anthropology. She is a Fellow of the Society of Applied Anthropology. Terry is one of the country's leading authorities on the science behind folk remedies..
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