"The Medicinal Uses of Star Anise"
It’s amazing how many foods and spices, fruits and seeds have medicinal, therapeutic properties. For many thousands of years, and in many cultures, foods were prepared to heal and relieve minor ailments, and prevent serious ones. I think the Creator made our foods and plants with medicinal properties because many diseases start in the digestive tract. In this day and time, because there are soo many varieties in what foods are available to us from all around the world and in every season, what we ultimately choose to eat will actually define the quality of our health. Wecan make conscious choices to use foods and spices in our dietary regimen that will provide remedies that require no doctors’ visits, no co-pays, and not even a prescription! Hence, we can actually access our power to create better health by using what’s already in our kitchens.
Anise seeds are one of those spices that are well known for its sweet, aromatic bouquet and distinct liquorice flavor, which can be enhanced by gently toasting the seeds. It is also familiar to it many of us as the liquor, annisette. Though its essential oil, anethole, is responsible for its unique fragrance, anethole has also been noted for its estrogenic effect (the whole seeds are also mildly estrogenic). This effect has substantiated the use of anise seedsto stimulant the production of breast-milk. Sit about a teaspoon of anise seeds in a quart of water, to make anise seed water. The water has also proven very helpful in relieving infants of a runny nose, as well as greatly relieving the pain babies suffer from colic. Such an easily prepared spice, anise seed tea/water is popular in relieving gas and bloating, and has been known to relieve bleeding ulcers very quickly.
I always suggest that when wanting to use herbal teas for children and infants, simply prepare a cup of herb tea for yourself, halving the amount of herb (taking ¼ to ½ teaspoon) to a full cup of boiling water. Then simply take one teaspoon of that tea and put in a child’s or infants’ water bottle. In these instances, herbal teas don’t have to be strong to have a healing effect.
Recently, as I was preparing some herbal antibiotic capsules and honey for one of my clients who is one of the unfortunate polluted water victims in Flint, Michigan, as I was gathering notes for this article, I learned that star anise is a power stimulant in breaking up mucus. I am definitely going to add it to my already existing herbal honey formula – Mucus Buster.
Star Anise is a very important spice in many cultures. It is used in flavoring soups, sauces, breads, and cakes. In Asian cultures the seeds and oil is used in to prepare sweet dishes. In Chinese cuisine, star anise is an important spice in a famous “five-spice-powder, along with cinnamon, cloves, Sichuan pepper and fennel seeds.
Another beneficial effect of the anise seeds, is their ability to treat a variety of respiratory ailments, mainly their antispasmodic properties which are very helpful in effectively dealing with the asthma attacks, spasmodic coughing and other bronchial disorders.
As usual, women who are pregnant should be careful of taking any food, herb or spice that might cause any discomfort, and they should consult their health care physician.
The seeds are an important source of calcium, iron, copper, potassium, manganese, zinc and magnesium. The potassium content in the seeds are an important part in controlling cell and body fluids that contribute to controlling heart rate and blood pressure. The oil extracted from the seeds is used medicinally as an antiseptic, antispasmodic, stomachic, carminative, expectorant and tonic.
This information is not intended to treat, cure or prescribe, but to help balance your natural healing abilities, and is for educational purposes only. Please always consult your natural health practitioner before making any changes to your health regimen.
Contact information: Web site: www.sacredhealing7.com; Blog: www.herbsarenaturesmedicine.blogspot.com; to ask any questions, you can also send email to: zakiyyah@sacredhealing7.com, or to request her FREE “email” Newsletter.
