Herbs & Herbal Remedies @ Green Papaya

Many herbalists recommend anise during pregnancy to treat morning sickness. The herb has never been associated with miscarriage or birth defects, but the medical consensus is that pregnant women should steer clear of all drugs, including medical doses of herbs.

Estrogen-and even herbs such as anise that have mild estrogenic activity-may conceivably cause harm. Estrogen is an ingredient in birth control pills, so any woman whose physician advises her not to use the Pill should consult her doctor about anise’s estrogenic activity before using medicinal quantities of the herb. Estrogen may contribute to migraine headaches and abnormal blood clotting and promote the development of certain types of breast tumors.

Other Cautions

Anise is on the Food and Drug Administration’s list of herbs generally regarded as safe. In medicinal amounts, it is considered safe for otherwise healthy nonpregnant, nonnursing adults. High doses of anise oil-on the order of several teaspoons-may cause nausea and vomiting. Anise should be used in medicinal amounts only in consultation with your doctor. If anise causes minor discomforts, such as stomach upset or diarrhea, use less or stop using it. Let your doctor know if you experience any unpleasant effects or if the symptoms for which the herb is being used do not improve significantly in two weeks.

Native Cultivation - A licorice-Scented Garden

Anise is an erect annual that reaches 2 feet. Its smooth stem supports feathery leaves divided into many leaflets, and umbrella-like clusters of tiny white or yellow flowers, which bloom in midsummer and produce small, downy, ribbed fruits in late summer.

Anise grows from seeds planted at a depth of 1/8 inch after danger of frost has passed. Rich, well-drained soil and full sun are best, but the herb tolerates poorer soils. Seeds require a temperature of about 70°F to germinate, typically in one to two weeks.

Anise’s long taproot precludes successful transplanting beyond the seedling stage. Thin seedlings to 18-inch spacing. Anise is easy to grow, but it may become spindly or suffer wind damage in unsheltered locations.

Harvest the seeds when they have turned from green to grayish brown by cutting the entire flower head before the seed clusters have broken open. Collect the flowers in a paper bag to prevent seed scatter. Dry seeds on paper or cloth in a sunny location. Store in tightly sealed opaque containers to preserve the volatile oil.

Anise and star anise should not be confused with Japanese Anise (Illicium landeo/atum), which is poisonous.

Contemporary herbalists continue to recommend anise as it has been used for more than 2,000 years-for cough, bronchitis, upset stomach, and flatulence. Some also suggest taking it for morning sickness. Still, one popular herb guide flatly states: “None of anise’s purported medicinal properties has been investigated scientifically.” Clearly, someone hasn’t been reading the medical journals.

Cough Remedy. Science has supported anise’s traditional use as a treatment for coughs, bronchitis, and asthma. According to several studies, the herb contains chemicals (creosol and alpha-pinene) that loosen bronchial secretions and make them easier to cough up.

Digestive Aid - Another chemical (anethole) in anise acts as a digestive aid, which supports its traditional use after meals.

Women’s Health - Anise also contains chemicals (dianethole and photoanethole) similar to the female sex hormone estrogen. Scientists suggest their presence probably accounts for the herb’s traditional use as a milk promoter in nursing mothers.

Anise has only mild estrogenic activity, but it may help relieve menopausal discomforts.

Men’s Health - Female sex hormones similar to estrogen are used to treat some cases of prostate cancer. Of course, by itself anise cannot treat this disease, but men taking hormone therapy for prostate cancer should discuss anise’s mild estrogenic action with their physician. Taking the herb in addition to standard medication can’t hurt-and it might help.

Intriguing Possibility - One report shows that anise spurs the regeneration of liver cells in laboratory rats, suggesting a possible value in treating hepatitis and cirrhosis. While there are no studies that support using anise to treat liver disease in humans, anise looks promising in this area.

Rx for Anise

For an infusion, gently crush 1 teaspoon of anise seeds per cup of boiling water. Steep for 10 to 20 minutes and strain. Drink up to 3 cups a day.

In a tincture, take 112 to 1 teaspoon up to three times a day. Diluted anise infusions may be given cautiously to infants to treat colic. For older children and people over 65, begin with low-strength preparations and increase strength if necessary.

Licorice-Flavored Cough Remedy

Family: Umbelliferae; (includes Carrot, Parsley; Star Anise)

Magnoliaceae; (includes Magnolia)

Genus and species: Pimpinella anisum; Star Anise: Illicium Verum

Also known as: Aniseed, Sweet Cumin; Star Anise: Chinese anise, Illicium

Parts used: Fruits (”seeds”)

Anise sends down a long taproot. But its roots in the history of herbal healing are equally deep.

Since the time of the pharaohs, the aromatic seeds (actually fruits) of this small plant have had many uses. Its alluring fragrance made it one of the world’s earliest perfumes-and smelling salts. Ancient Greeks used it to prevent seizures.

Today the herb is best known as a popular spice. And its rich taste of licorice is used to make candy. In fact, most “licorice” candies contain no licorice. They are flavored with anise. Its taste can also be detected in many commercially made cough syrups and lozenges. For some, its flavor is even intoxicating:

The Greeks, for example, are known to love their anise-based ouzo, the French their pastis. But anise’s greatest potential is not found in the candy jar or liquor cabinet. It’s found in the medicine chest.

Sweet Dreams and Other Nice Payoffs

Hippocrates, the father of medicine, recommended the herb to help clear mucus from the respiratory system. His contemporary, Theophrastus had a more romantic use for the herb. He wrote that anise, when kept by one’s bed at night, brought sweet dreams with its sweet aroma. The Roman naturalist Pliny recommended chewing fresh anise seed as a breath freshener and digestive aid after big meals.

Ancient Chinese physicians made similar use of the Asian species of this herb, star anise-as a digestive aid, flatulence remedy, and breath freshener.

The Romans cultivated the herb extensively for its fragrance, flavor, and medicinal properties. Anise was one of several spices used to make a cake called mustaceum, which was often served as a dessert and digestive aid at Roman feasts. Historians consider mustaceum the forerunner of the modern wedding cake.

Early English herbalist John Gerard suggested anise for “hicket” (hiccups) It has also been prescribed as a milk promoter for nursing mothers and as a treatment for water retention, headache, asthma, bronchitis, insomnia, nausea, lice, infant colic, cholera, and even cancer.

America’s 19th-century Eclectic physicians recommended anise primarily as a stomach soother for nausea, gas, and infant colic.

In Central America, nursing women still use star anise to promote the flow of milk.

Anise was so important as a cash crop throughout the ancient Mediterranean, it was used as a medium of exchange for payment of taxes. In the Bible, Matthew 23:23 says: “Ye pay tithes of mint, anise, and cumin.” Anise was so popular in medieval England as a spice, medicine, and perfume that in 1305 King Edward I placed a special tax on it to raise money to repair London Bridge.