Top 5 Health Benefits of Anise Essential oil

Hi Friends
Some of you may probably know that a few servings of anise each week can be a valuable addition to a tasty and healthy lifestyle.

But do you aware of the amazing antioxidant, antibacterial, antifungal, stimulant and expectorant properties of Anise essential oil?

Yes, it’s true!

Anise Essential oil has amazing antioxidant, antibacterial, antifungal, stimulant, and expectorant properties and that’s why many pharmaceuticals companies are seeking to take advantage of Aniseed essential oil’s benefits by adding it to their medicine, such as pills and cough syrups.

But before discussing the medicinal properties of Aniseed essential oil lets first investigate

What is Anise Essential oil:

Anise is often confused with fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) and Chinese star anise (Illicium verum) because of its similar taste, aroma, and appearance. 

Anise essential oil is extracted from by steam distillation from the dried ripe fruit and seeds of the perennial herbal plant anise which is also called aniseed or Pimpinella anisum. Anise is an annual grassy herb with 30–50 cm high, small green to yellow seeds, and white flowers, which grows in the Eastern Mediterranean Region, Mexico, Spain, Egypt, the Middle East, and West Asia.

Anise essential oil contains trans-anethole, anisaldehyde, methylchavicol, terpene hydrocarbons, umbelliferone, estragole, coumarins, scopoletin, polyenes, and polyacetylenes as its major compounds.
These compounds which are present in Anise essential oil adorn it with amazing medicinal properties viz:
* Anti-spasmodic:- It can relieve, prevents, or lowers the incidence of muscle spasms.
* Anti-inflammatory:- It can reduce inflammation (redness, swelling, and pain) in the body and also blocks certain elements in the body that cause inflammation.
* Carminative:- It can prevent or relieves gas in the gastrointestinal tract.
* Anti-epileptic:- It can reduce the frequency of epileptic seizures (which is a period of symptoms because of abnormally excessive neuronal activity in the brain).
* Insecticide:- It can kill insects.
* Anti-septic:- It has the ability to act against bacteria to reduce the possibility of infection & putrefaction.
* Decongestant:- It can relieve nasal congestion in the upper respiratory tract.
*Sedative:- It helps in relieving anxiety, easing agitation and permitting sleep.
*…………………………………Etc.
By virtue of these above mentioned medicinal properties Anise essential oil can be used in various health conditions and can provide a variety of health benefits.

Top 5 health benefits of Anise essential oil :

health benefits of Anise essential oil

1. Promote wound healing by Hindering the Growth of Fungus & Bacteria:

Open wounds are very prone to fungal & bacterial infections and these topical infections hinder the healing process of the wounds and make the wounds even worse by making it difficult to heal.

But thanks to the antiseptic, anti-fungal, and anti-bacterial properties of the anise essential oil, which prevent topical infections by these microorganisms (such as Fungus, yeast, Bacteria) on the surface of the wounds and contributing in faster and overall recovery, by promoting the faster healing process. 

2. Relieve muscles Spasms:

Muscle spasms also called as muscle cramps.
It is basically a spontaneous & involuntary contraction of muscles. Its origin of occurrence is indecipherable and can occur to anybody at any time.

Although anybody at any time may build up a muscle spasm which can involve all of a muscle or only a part of the muscle or several muscles in a group simultaneously.

But the elderly people (over the age of 60-65), athletes, infants, and the people who overexert during exercise are at higher risk for muscles spasms.

But thanks to the natural anti-spasmodic property of Anise essential oil, which can help to calm those annoying, painful and random contracts of parts of the body in terms of muscles spasms. Because when Anise essential oil, applied topically to muscle spasms, it begins to help our body against these spasms and starts soothing them with almost immediate effect.

Furthermore, the anti-spasmodic property of Anise essential oil may also help in reducing the contraction of the muscles of the uterus, when it applied topically to the abdomen and promotes healthy menstrual flow by relieving menstrual cramps and pain.

3.Relieve Inflammation & joints pain:

Although Inflammation is considered to be a normal response by the body’s immune system to protect us against injuries and infection but still this inflammation is a great contributor to joints pain in people.

In other words, we can say that Joints pain related to arthritis indicates that inflammation is occurring within the joint space.

But thanks to the anti-inflammatory property of the anise essential oil, by virtue of which it works exceptionally well against inflammation, and when we massage that inflamed part of the body (including joints and muscles) with this oil (after mixing it with carrier oil,) then anise essential oil may be able to increase the blood flow to that part of the body (including inflamed joints and muscles) thus, helps in reducing swelling, redness and pain.

4. Treats congestion & Respiratory disorders:

Our breathing is the most essential process of our life which makes us alive but the Congestion (which refer to a feeling of stuffiness in the nasal or breathing pathways) and other respiratory disorders (such as Sinus congestion, bronchitis etc.) obstruct in our natural breathing pattern and makes us difficult to breathe.

All these respiratory conditions may correlate with excess phlegm or mucus and can occur individually or together.

Again thanks to the Decongestant and expectorant properties of this amazing oil by virtue of which it can assist us in the management of respiratory disorders and help us in treating nasal congestion.

Anise essential oil can aid in constriction of the blood vessels in the nasal cavity and also capable of removing phlegm or mucus by loosening mucus or phlegm deposited in the lungs and respiratory tracts and gives relief from a cough heaviness in the chest, and other respiratory disorders (such as: breathing troubles, asthma, bronchitis).

Just by inhalation of this oil, we can very easily relieve chest congestion, breathing troubles, other common disorders associated with sinusitis.

5. Treat depression and anxiety:

In today’s modern and fast pace life stress become our part of life and prolong stress comes with the other psychological disorder such as depression and anxiety.

But the good news is that we can easily manage all these psychology disorders just by incorporating this amazing oil.

Because Anise essential oil works as a natural sedative agent and has an ability to relax mind and body both. By virtue of which it can prevent and heal nervous disorders associated with neuroendocrine disruption (such as anger, depression, anxiety, and stress.

According to the study published in the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) anise oil has revealed a promising result in alleviating the symptoms of mild to moderate depression in patients suffering from IBS.

The natural sedative properties of the anise essential oil make it an excellent non-habit forming sleep aide because it improves the quality of sleep, therefore, the body is left more refreshed and energized. 

The bottom line for Anise essential oil:

Although anise essential oil is safe and even beneficial and most of the time beneficial things too comes with some limitation and side effects and their overuse and use without proper knowledge can adversely affect our health.

*Anise essential oil also include phytoestrogen properties and might act like estrogen so better to avoid its use if a person has Hormone-sensitive condition or consult your physician before using it.

*Anise essential oil should be avoided during pregnancy due to its anti-spasmodic properties.

*Anise essential oil is a very potent and the anethole (which is the major compound of anise essential oil) can cause dermatitis in some individuals. So best to avoid it for problem skin.

Conclusion:

We have no words to say thanks to our mother nature. How amazingly and efficiently she takes care of our well-being and caters us such amazing medicines in terms of fruits, vegetable, and herbs.

Anise is also one of those herbs, because when we use it in our food, then not only it enhances the flavor of our food with its exotic taste and aroma, furthermore aids in digestion due to its Carminative property.

So incorporate this exotic herb as a whole or in terms of anise essential oil to enhance the quality of your well-being by preventing and relieving pain and discomfort.

If you have any query or suggestion you can write it in the comment section or at prajsanjivani@gmail.com.

Thanks
Ms. P Rajeshwari
(Aromatherapist)
Diet and beauty Consultant