|
|
|
Fennel Essential Oil
|
 Fennel Foeniculum vulgare the dried grass aroma earned fennel the Roman name of ‘foeniculum’ derived from the latin word foenum meaning ‘like hay’. Native to the shores of the mediterranean, fennel is a biennial or short lived perennial herb growing up to 2m high, with dark green feathery leaves and umbels of yellow flowers, and small, ridged, oval-shaped seeds, which are gathered in the autumn. All parts of the plant are aromatic, although the highly prized essential oil derives from the ripe fruit or seeds.
There are two main varieties of fennel, common fennel or bitter fennel; and foeniculum vulgare var. dulce sweet fennel or garden fennel. Sweet fennel is the preferred for aromatherapy, becuse of its more gentle and milder nature. The fennel plant has become naturalised in many parts of the world, including, India, Japan and the USA, it mostly grows beside the sea. Many varieties are also cultivated worldwide, the main essential oil producing countries are Hungary, Bulgaria, Germany, France and India.
Fennel is one of the oldest cultivated plants and much valued by the Romans. Warriors took it to keep good health, while their ladies took it to stave off obesity.
The Romans also believed that serpents sucked the juice of the plant to improve their eyesight prompting Pliny to recommend the herb for ”dimness of human vision”.
In ancient Greece, fennel seeds were eaten by Olympic athletes in the belief that they would increase stamina and promote longevity. In 812 CE, Charlemagne declared it was essential in every garden because of its healing properties. Fennel is mentioned in Anglo Saxon recipes, and was traditionally eaten with salted fish during lent. This combination fulfilled the dual function of helping to prevent the flatulence and making the fish more disestible. By the 17th century, fennel had acquired a reputation as a slimming aid, its seeds were chewed to relieve hunger pangs.
The Lacnunga, a 10th century Anglo-Saxon medical text, recommends "Take fennel and hassuck (dried grass or rushes) and cotton and burn all together on the side which the wind is" and, it recommends, that the practitioner "reek" patients with steam. This is similar to the Native American use of the sweat lodge or the modern sauna, where herbs are placed on the hot rocks to be added to the steaming process. In many old herbalism books, fennel seed eye lotion was recommended as a remedy for failing eyesight. Herbal practioners today do not credit the herb with quite such remarkable properties, but instead prescribe it in tea mixtures for ailments such as long-term constipation and diarrhoea, indigestion, flatulence (fennel extract is an ingredient in childrens ‘gripe water’), urinary disorders, coughs and bronchitis, and for its ability to increase the milk flow in nursing mothers. Applied as an eye lotion or compress, cooled fennel seed tea is helpful for minor eye complaints, such as irritation and morning puffiness.
In the kitchen, fresh fennel leaves are excellent for flavouring food, especially fish, while the thickened base of the related Florence fennel (foeniculum azoricum) is boiled or braised like celery, and the yourng stalks eaten raw in salads. The seeds may be chewed after meals to aid digestion and to sweeten the breath. |
 Essential Oil Sweet fennel essential oil is produced by steam distillation of the crushed seeds and yields 2 - 4 %. Although usually colorless. the oil sometimes has a yellowish tint. The powerful aroma is reminiscent of aniseed, very sweet, but slightly earthy with a peppery-spice topnote and camphorous undertones. The odour effect is generally perceived as warming and energizing.
The first mention of fennel as an essential oil is in The Art of Distillation, a book by Jerome Brunschwig in 1500, In the 19th century, French Doctors, Cazin, Bozin and Bontemps classified fennel essential oil as a tonic, aperitif, galactagogue (stimulates milk flow in nursing mothers), emmanagogue (promotes menstruation), and carminative (alleviates flatulence). More recently, French aromatherapy pioneers Dr Leclerc and Dr Maury recorded cases of gout, rheumatism and kidney stones that had been successfully treated with internal doses of the essential oil.
Therapeutic properties Like the herbal remedy, fennel oil’s principle shpere of action is on the digestive system. However, it is important to point out that the for long term digestive problems, the essential oil would need to be taken internally by mouth or suppository. Such potentially risky methods are commonly employed be French aromatherapy doctors, but should never be undertaken by the home user. For mild indigestion, a few drops of fennel essential oil may be inhaled from a tissue at intervals till you experience relief. alternatively, drink fennel-seed tea.
When used in a massage blend, sweet fennel has a reputation for helping to reduce celulite, although for best results it should be combined with a detox diet (high in fruits, vegetables, wholegrains and water, low in caffeine and food additives) along with specialized massage treatments.
Anecdotal evidence amongst herbal practitioners and professional aromatherapists suggests that both the essential oils and the herbal remedy have a beneficial effect on the female reproductive system. Although this is thought to be due to the constituent anethole, a substance which is broadly similar in structure to the female hormone oestrogen. However rather than being a form of ‘hormone replacement therapy’, the effect of anethole in the body is thought to be primarily ‘balancing’ helping to steady the hormonal fluctuations associated with PMS and the menopause. but fennel’s traditional reputation as a substance capable of increasing milk production in nursing mothers is something of a mystery, as high levels of oestrogen in the body actually inhit milk flow! Nevertheless, historical accounts suggest that fennel is indeed a galactagogue. There may well be another substance in fennel (as yet unidentified) that accounts for this apparant anomaly. Certainly there is much more to natural remedies than can as yet be determined in the laboratories.
Other uses of the essential oil include that of a gargle or mouthwash for gum infections, and sore throats and as a breath sweetener in toothpaste and other commercial dentifrices. Incorporated into ointment base, or applied as a cold compress, fennel can help reduce bruisuing. For skin care, a tiny amount of fennel oil may be included in aromatherapy skin creams and lotions for livening a dull complexion, clearing an oily skin and fighting wrinkles in mature skins. It is also useful for removing cellulite, to fight rheumatism and helps with edema.
Sweet Fennel |
| Adulteration: | Sweet fennel, which is more important in the fragrance industry, is often adulterated with bitter fennel. Various synthetic components may also be used eg. trans-anethole, fenchone, methyl chavicol and limonene. Fractions containiing these components from natural essential oils are also used. (27) |
| GRAS Status: | Sweet Fennel essential oil has GRAS status. |
Properties, Indications
and Uses: | Uses: Fennel oil is used as a carminative, especially for children. (37) |
| Toxicity: | LD50 - (oral) rat 3.8g/kg; (dermal) rabbit >5g/kg.
Irritation/Sensitisation - Nil at 4% (Human)
Phototoxicity - Nil reported |
| Perfumery Uses: | |
Bitter Fennel |
| Adulteration: | |
| GRAS Status: | Bitter Fennel essential oil is not included in FDA, FEMA or COE listings. |
Properties, Indications
and Uses: | Uses: |
| Toxicity: | LD50 - (oral) rat 4.5g/kg; (dermal) rabbit >5g/kg.
Irritation/Sensitisation - 3 out of 25 at 4% (Human) (a)
Phototoxicity - Nil reported (a) |
| Perfumery Uses: | |
References:-
(a) D.L.J. Opdyke, Monographs on Fragrance Raw Materials, Vol 14, p309.
|
|
|
|
|
|
