Sweet and Soothing Anise Seed

Anise seed is one of the many aromatic spices in the parsley family. It has a sweet, earthy, licorice-like flavor. Anise is a soothing aromatic that has antispasmodic and carminative properties, much like fennel, which I’ve also written about.

Anise and Digestion

Recently, I’ve been learning more about the vagus nerve because of its role in the gut-brain connection. It is the primary nerve in the parasympathetic nervous system, part of the autonomic nervous system (ANS). The parasympathetic branch of the ANS activates digestion. This includes stimulating digestive secretions and intestinal motility, the movement of food through the GI tract. 

Under the influence of the sympathetic nervous system, the opposite branch of the ANS, digestion is shut down. Activated by stress, this branch of the nervous system inhibits digestive secretions and motility. Since many of us are chronically stressed, eating on the run, and struggling to find time to relax and unwind, many of us suffer digestive problems as a result. These problems include gas, bloating, lack of appetite, and digestive cramps.

Anise appears to act on the gut-brain connection as a parasympathetic nervine and has been traditionally used as a remedy to settle indigestion and expel gas. It can help stimulate the appetite, minimize fermentation and reduce belching. It also relaxes abdominal spasms, easing colic or gripping. The sweet flavor of anise and fennel make them more soothing and moistening to the GI tract than other digestive-settling herbs like chamomile and peppermint.

Other Uses for Anise

Anise is also expectorant and can be used to break up mucus and relieve respiratory congestion. Its cooling and antispasmodic action help it soothe irritation and relax spasmodic coughing. It is particularly helpful for coughing and mucus in children after a fever has subsided. It is also helpful for dry, painful, and unproductive coughs, which can often be found in bronchitis or emphysema. It may also be helpful for whooping cough and asthma.

Anise has also been used to encourage breast milk production during nursing. And like fennel, it can be used to ease colic in infants. It appears to reduce estrogen and may help with cramping during menstruation.

Anise Essential Oil

The essential oil of anise has a sweet, licorice-like fragrance, with an earthy, narcotic, and calming quality to it. Like the herb, it is antispasmodic, carminative, and expectorant. It is also antiseptic. It can be inhaled to relieve lung congestion and wheezing. It will help relax bronchial spasms and expel mucus. It may also stimulate breast milk production.

Internal use is controversial. If it is used internally, it should be diluted and used in doses of no more than a drop or two a day and for a week or less. The essential oil should not be used internally with infants or children.

Emotional Uses for Anise

The essential oil of anise can be helpful for people who are introverted, withdrawn, and melancholic. The sweet and grounding fragrance helps open a person up to experiencing pleasure (sweetness) in life and to release or overcome bitter and resentful feelings.

The herb can help people who experience nervousness and/or insomnia associated with digestive problems. It may also be indicated for nervousness associated with perfectionism. This is an interesting observation because the stomach zone in the iris reflects both a tendency to indigestion and towards being a perfectionist, that is, worrying too much about doing things just right.

Using Anise Seed

The best way to use anise is either as a tincture or a tea made from freshly ground seeds. This is because the medicinal properties of anise quickly degrade after grinding the seeds. You can make the tea using a teaspoon of ground seeds per cup and steeping for 3-5 minutes. Take one or two cups a day. You can also take 1-3 drops of the tincture up to three times a day. 

Anise is also a common ingredient in many digestive bitters formulas, including the famous Swedish Bitters. It is also used in many cough formulas.

Be cautious not to confuse anise (Pimpinella anisum) with star anise (Illicium verum). Although the essential oils have similar properties, regular anise can be used internally, while star anise should never be. 

To use the essential oil of anise, put one drop into a teaspoon of coconut oil and take that once a day for no more than a week. The essential oil can also be diffused or inhaled.