Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) is becoming more and more popular across America. Most commonly associated with Italian or Indian cooking, fennel belongs to the same family as carrots and dill, sometimes being mistakenly associated with anise due to their shared anise flavor; however fennel stands on its own as an unrelated vegetable altogether.
As well as adding it as garnish or spice, fennel can also act as the cornerstone of an entire meal! From adding it uncooked in salads or cooked as part of recipes fennel provides nutrients worthy of extra consideration and should never be underestimated as an important dietary staple.
Vitamin and Mineral Information Here’s some fennel nutrition info provided by the United States Department of Agriculture: 1 cup (87g).
Energy for Fennel = 27 (Calories from Fat = 0.24g; Protein from Carbohydrates = 6.8; Fiber = 2.7; Sugars = 3.45; Protien = 1.16 (Max Calories from Fiber=2.7g and Sugars=3.35) The Glycemic Index Index rating for this food item stands at 16; making fennel an especially nutritious low glycemic meal choice!
Fat
Uncooked fennel contains very minimal or no fats; similarly, cooked versions offer minimal additional dietary fats due to cooking process. Fennel doesn’t make up a significant part of total diet fat intake but what it does contain can provide heart-friendly polyunsaturates (and thus protect the heart from potential disease).
Fennel may not be high in protein content, but eating an entire cup serving will give your diet an incremental 1 gram increase of the essential nutrient.
Nutritional Vitamin & Mineral Content / Value
Fennel is an effective source of potassium, phosphorus and calcium; while its main sources of vitamins C and folate. Furthermore, this plant also supplies important minerals like manganese chromium copper iron zinc as well as many others.
Fennel Has Numerous Health Advantages
Alongside nutritional vitamins and minerals, fennel contains many phytonutrients and flavonoids with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties – these properties contribute to its long-standing reputation as a therapeutic agent.
Fennel Helps Prevent Most Cancers
Fennel contains an abundance of flavonoids and an intriguing compound known as anethole, an effective free radical scavenger that has been demonstrated to destroy broken cells before they progress further into cancerous states – its effectiveness having been studied through extraction from its essential oils.
Fennel Seeds Support Dental Well Being
Chewing on Fennel Seeds Can Alter The pH Balance In Your Mouth Research shows that chewing fennel seeds for 10 minutes increases saliva production and produces slight increases to pH values within your mouth – leading to decrease in bacteria activity, and ultimately protecting from tooth decay.
Reduces Risk of Coronary Illness
Fennel is an ideal vegetable to incorporate into a heart-healthy diet. Not only is fennel naturally freed of saturated and trans fat, its fiber content and antioxidants offer great protection from heart issues; vitamin C may even stimulate production of nitric oxide which relaxes and opens blood vessels through vasodilation reducing blockages risk significantly.
Fennel Aids Breastfeeding
Breastfeeding moms have used fennel for decades to increase lactation. Fennel contains compounds known to promote galactogenic exercise and enhance lactation such as anethole; dopamine normally blocks prolactin production while inhibiting lactation whereas the Anethole found in Fennel competes against Dopamine so lactation doesn’t get inhibited by Dopamine blocking effects; so by having Dopamine blocked through Fennel Anethole dopamine can’t inhibited inhibited and lactation can continue uninterruptedly without inhibition preventing it blocking it’s effects; dopamine inhibiting prolactin production is inhibited and lactation isn’t inhibited.
Improves Digestion Fennel is commonly used to address digestive conditions like Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), colic and heartburn. When combined with turmeric oil in therapy trials conducted over 30 days of therapy sessions fennel oil significantly decreased IBS symptoms significantly within this time. Fennel may even contribute towards reduced stomach ache caused by IBS symptoms.
Fennel may not be an allergen of note; nonetheless, allergic reactions could occur. Signs of such allergic responses include anaphylaxis. Other non-allergic responses might also appear similar; skin rashes or itchy mouth can sometimes be misconstrued for allergic responses when in fact these could simply indicate intolerance or irritation instead. See an allergist immediately if you suspect having an issue with Fennel!
Opposed Results
Medical advisors warn that when taking drugs in the fluoroquinolone family such as Ciprofloxacin, you should avoid eating fennel as this could hinder how quickly and completely your body absorbs this drug.
Fennel can be grown in various varieties. Florence fennel is most frequently seen at grocery stores; its stalks resemble celery’s with short green stalks sporting dark-green feathery fronds that reach into its bulb. A smaller tender version known as child or young fennel (or sometimes young or wild fennel) typically found more frequently at specialty markets or farmer’s markets is called child fennel/wild fennel.
Fennel seeds are edible and used as flavor enhancers in dishes. Their source lies within an entirely bulb-less variety known as frequent fennel that’s grown specifically to harvest its seeds.
Storage and Meals Security, The. Choose fennel that features firm bulbs free from brown spots with straight stalks close together – flowers on its stalks indicate it may have reached maturity too early.
Fennel should follow the same food safety measures as other produce items, with its full surface area washed under running water to remove dust and microorganisms before cutting into it. Once cut, store chilled in your fridge before consumption within several days (cooked fennel dishes should also be refrigerated until use).
Fennel can add an irresistibly savory sweetness to meals both cooked and uncooked, including seafood dishes such as roasting salmon or cod in its shell, salads and more. Fennel’s mildly anise-flavor can be lessened by cutting thinly and submerging it for several minutes in cold water before using; its white bulb, stalks seeds fronds are all edible components of its edible variety!
Delicious Fennel Recipes to Indulge In
Tuna Fish Salad With Fennel and Orange Salsa To Try Tomato Fennel Stew with Cod, Candy Crunchy Fennel Apple Salad to Roasting Hens with Turmeric and Fennel To make Fast Roasted Tomato and Fennel Soup; these are among many others!
