If you like to cook something new and use cookbooks to search for recipes, you often could meet such a component of the main and sweet dishes as anise. It is very often found as an integral part of various medicines. What is anise and why is it so widely used, we will tell further.

Chemical composition and description of the plant

Anise (another name is aniseed thigh) is an herbaceous plant from the Umbrella family used as a spice. It is not known exactly where this plant comes from, but it is believed to be from the Mediterranean or the Middle East. In nature, you can’t especially meet it, but it is cultivated everywhere in the south of Europe, in Asia Minor, Mexico, Egypt, Ukraine, Belarus. On the territory of Russia, it is most often found in the southwestern regions, where the climate is most suitable for its cultivation.

In appearance, anise is a short, 30–70 cm, herbaceous plant with an upright, rounded and slightly lowered stem. His root is thin, not branched. The lower foliage is rounded heart-shaped, in the middle part it is wedge-shaped, dissected into short petioles, and above it is triple, rounded heart-shaped, practically without petioles.

The plant blooms with small five-membered nondescript flowers, forming complex umbrellas. The fruit is a two-seeded ovoid-oval with poorly pronounced ribbing. It is very similar to fennel seeds, only it tastes pleasantly sweet with a licorice flavor and a refreshing aftertaste. The smell is pleasant.

Here is what dry seed has:

• essential oils - 1.2–3.5% (sometimes 6%);
• fatty oils - 16–28%;
• protein substances - about 19%;
• Sahara;
• organic acids.

In essential oils are present:

• anethole;
• methylchavicol;
• anisic aldehyde;
• anise ketone;
• anise alcohol;
• anisic acid;
• α-fellandren;
• α-pinene;
• dipentene;
• camphene;
• acetaldehyde;
• anisketone.

Beneficial features

• Anis vulgaris was an integral part of many drugs used in antiquity, since it acted as:
• antiseptic;
• anti-inflammatory agent;
• carminative;
• antispasmodic;
• painkiller;
• lactogonous;
• laxative;
• choleretic.

Features of using anise

Although the benefits of anise have been known since ancient times, there are some features in its application.

Anise during pregnancy

Women in the situation should refuse to use the plant and all products containing it. The fact is that it can cause uterine bleeding, which will jeopardize the life of the fetus and the health of the pregnant woman. In the XIX century it was even used to terminate a pregnancy.

In folk medicine

The use in traditional medicine is due to the beneficial effect described above. From the seeds are prepared tinctures, decoctions, teas and other medicines that help with problems with the gastrointestinal tract, respiratory system, gynecological problems.

Important! It should be remembered that anise is a highly allergenic product.

Tincture

The use of tinctures improves lactation, eliminates bad breath, and invigorates the body as a whole. Seeds are used to make this drink. In combination with saffron, the tincture of anise seed wine eliminates inflammation in the eyes.

If you prepare a medicine using the root, then it can be used to eliminate redness and discomfort after burns.

Anise tea

Tea helps with coughing, flatulence and other gastrointestinal problems. Also, a good drink helps with heat. With it, you can improve the quality of sleep and relieve tension of the nervous system.

Decoction

Decoction treat various problems with the respiratory system: asthma, pneumonia. They can also stop intestinal bleeding. If you add egg white to the decoction, you will get another wonderful burn remedy. A decoction of leaves improves lactation, relieves pain during menstruation, and in addition reduces their intensity.

How to apply anise for cough?

To use anise as a cough medicine, you can buy femoral essential oil at a pharmacy. It is taken in 3-4 drops, diluted in 1 tbsp. l warm water, on an empty stomach a maximum of 4 times a day. The potion is very good for wet cough, concomitant pneumonia, bronchitis and other diseases of the lower respiratory tract. You can use oil for inhalation by mixing it with ordinary or alkaline mineral water, but not with saline. 2-3 drops of oil are enough for one procedure.

Important! Anise not only removes phlegm with a wet cough and softens dry, but also is a good diaphoretic. Therefore, it is desirable after its use after 30 minutes. lie down and cover well to sweat.

If the cough is dry, then it is better to prepare a medicine from the seeds. For example, take 1 tbsp. seed, pour 0.5 l of boiling water, cover and cool slightly. Divide into four parts and consume before meals for a quarter of an hour. There is another recipe: 1 hour of seeds crushed into powder is poured into 0.25 liters of water and brought to a boil. The liquid is filtered and used for 1 tbsp. before meals.

Anise at loss of voice

Plant-based products fight well with inflammatory processes in the airways caused by pathogenic microorganisms. Therefore, they treat tracheitis, laryngitis, bronchopneumonia, bronchiectasis and pertussis in children. Such ailments often lead to loss of voice.

To cure and restore the work of the vocal cords, it is recommended to prepare a decoction from anise seeds and 250 ml of water, boiling it for 15 minutes. Ост Art. linden honey and boil the mixture again. Remove from heat and add 1 tbsp. cognac. This remedy should be drunk with hoarseness of the throat, until it recovers, 1 tbsp. every 30 minutes

Collection and storage rules

Anise can be grown in your own area. Most often, seeds of the Vegetable Blues variety are used for these purposes.

If you decide to engage in growing crops in the open field, you need to know the rules of harvesting, as well as the nuances of its storage:

1. The poor fruit in the last month of summer. Harvesting is carried out while the fruits are greenish-gray.
2. To harvest, you need to mow the plant, bind into sheaves and dry them for several days.
3. Seeds are obtained by threshing sheaves.
4. Threshing is best before use, as the taste and aroma of the seeds quickly disappear.
5. If the seed is already dark, it means that it is old and has already lost its bright taste and smell.
6. Spice is stored in sheaves in a ventilated room.

Did you know? Fatty oil remaining after the distillation of anise seeds is used in the manufacture of soap, and its dense component can be a substitute for cocoa.

Possible contraindications

• Despite the significant benefits, there are contraindications for the plant:
• colitis;
• children under 12 years old;
• intestinal atony;
• increased acidity;
• ulcer;
• pregnancy.

As you can see, anise is a very useful medicinal plant. But for therapeutic purposes, it should be used after consulting a doctor, so as not to get the opposite effect.