Fennel seeds are a very versatile spice in Ayurveda. They can be used in cooking, teas, herbal formulations or can be chewed by themselves.

This spice is good to have in the kitchen, and it shows up in many of Vaidya Mishra's products.

Fennel As A Digestive Aid

According to Bhava Prakash, fennel is dipani (enhancing the digestive flame). But unlike black pepper or ginger, fennel has a madhur rasa (sweet taste) that is akin to licorice.

The sweetness of fennel helps to balance the pungency of the spice so that it does not overheat the body. This makes it an especially helpful spice for the high pitta physiology.

It can be used in cooking, and Vaidya Mishra recommends grinding the fennel seeds into a fresh powder before cooking. Fennel should be used with other freshly ground spices like coriander and cumin, along with organic turmeric powder.

A sample spice mix for the high pitta body type might be 6 (or even 10) parts fresh fennel powder, 6 (or even 10) parts fresh coriander powder, 1 part fresh cumin powder, 1 part turmeric.

Sometimes Vaidya Mishra also recommends toasting the seeds before grinding them. Toasting deactivates some of the pungency of the spice, making it less heating for the body. Toasting is often necessary for high pitta people.

Chewing Fennel Seeds For Digestion Or Colic

It can be very helpful to keep fennel seeds on hand in your kitchen, or to travel with them, or to keep a few in your car. If you eat something wrong, or overeat and start getting bloated and heavy, chewing a few fennel seeds can help alleviate the symptoms and jump start the digestion again.

One trick that Vaidya Mishra often recommends, which has been passed down in his family for many generations, is to make a mix of 50% toasted fennel seeds and 50% untoasted fennel seeds. For people with chronic low digestion, this can be eaten throughout the day until digestion improves.

In the case of colic, the ancient texts say that fennel is visheshadyo nishulanut (especially good for colic pain due to gas). Many people find almost immediate relief by chewing fennel seeds.

This home remedy is not a substitute for medical care. Abdominal pain can be caused by many things. Please check with your doctor.

Don't Use Fennel Indiscriminately

If you use a lot of fennel you should be aware that it is estrogenic, and can reduce semen in men (shukrahrit). It should not be used if your doctor or Shaka Vansya Ayurveda practitioner has recommended that you avoid estrogenic foods such as papaya, pineapple, etc.

Fennel is also heating. The ancient text Bhava Prakash describes it as pittakrit (increasing pitta), if used in large quantities. Fennel should not be used as a fix-it-all for bad diet. Good food is the foundation for good digestion, fennel is just a help along the way.

Fennel Seeds In Tea

Another way to use fennel seeds is to infuse them in hot water. Vaidya Mishra is well known for his herbal water recipes, unique for each person.

Fennel is included in many of his herbal water recipes for its balanced effect of improving digestion, and for fennel's unique ability to coordinate the effects of other herbs in the tea.

Learn About Fennel From The Sanskrit Verses

You can discover several other uses of fennel straight from the Sanskrit texts by listening to Vaidya Mishra's 14 minute audio lecture on this important herb. For 99¢, you can download a PDF of the Sanskrit source text and an MP3 file with the lecture.

Download the lecture and supporting material here: Fennel - Learn About A Great Spice For High Pitta Low Agni.

Ingredients

Grade A organic fennel seeds

Size

2 oz.

Directions

Add one pinch of fennel seeds to your one or two liters of herbal tea mixture given to you by your Shaka Vansya Ayurveda practitioner and sip throughout the day. May also be used as a cooking spice (see above) or for chewing (see also above).

Use under the guidance of a Shaka Vansya Ayurveda practitioner.  As with all herbs, please consult with your physician before using.

Fennel In Our Herbal Products

Fennel Herbal Memory Nectar

• Contains only the subtlest fraction (sukshma bhag) of fennel, not the sharp, pungent physical properties. This allows even people with very high pitta to use fennel, when they might otherwise react to its heating nature.
• Travels quickly, without delay of digestion and begins acting right away.
• Should be added to 1 to 2 liters of cool, neutral pH spring water and sipped throughout the day.

Fennel Transdermal Cream

• Is absorbed through the skin.
• Does not contain much of the heating properties of fennel so it is safe to use with high pitta physiologies.
• Can be used when a person's channels are severely blocked and chewing fennel seeds would be too aggravating.
• Can easy be targeted to the stomach for colic or to other areas as directed by a Shaka Vansya Ayurveda practitioner.
• Gives sustained delivery of fennel over several hours.

The Following Products Contain Fennel as an Ingredient

• Pitta Masala
• Pitta Tea
• Mum's Kid - Super Spice Mix
• Mum's Kid - Super Spice Gift Basket
• Madhur (Sweet) Masala
• DD's Mum's Super Spice
• Spicy Mum's Super Spice
• Shroto-Shudhi Cooking Masala
• Shroto-Shudhi Tea
• Pre-Biotic Support Herbal Memory Nectar
• Celebration Nectar
• Kamini Transdermal Cream
• Kamini Herbal Memory Nectar
• Triphala For High Pitta Tablets
• Triphala Herbal Memory Nectar
• Kalunji Herbal Memory Nectar
• Prakrit Herbal Memory Nectar
• Moringa (Drumstick Leaf) Herbal Memory Nectar
• Estro-Balance Herbal Memory Nectar
• Pro-Apana Herbal Memory Nectar
• Liver Assist Herbal Memory Nectar
• Flash Freeze Herbal Memory Nectar
• Shakti For Her Herbal Memory Nectar
• Cream For Her
• Maha Saraswati Ghee
• Bal Saraswati Ghee
• Winter Soap
• Shatavari Herbal Memory Nectar

Disclaimer

This product and statements have not been evaluated by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) and are not intended to be used to diagnose, treat or cure any disease. All of the information above is intended to be used for educational purposes only and may not be used to replace or compliment medical advice.