ANISEED (Pimpinella anisum, Vilayati Saunf)

Anise belongs to celery family and is an annual culinary herb and its fruit is known as ‘Aniseed’ which is an important part of every kitchen. It has a pleasant and an agreeable odour. It does not easily grow in tropical low lands, as it requires plenty of warmth and sunshine.
It contains essential oils, ash, starch, choline, sugars, plenty of protein, crude fibre. Chief constituent of aniseed oil is Anethole that imparts it pleasant and characteristic flavour. Its oil also contains chavicol, methyle, some amounts of p methoxyphenol acetone, terpenes. It carries high medicinal properties and has been in use, since long, in India, Europe, Mexico, Greece and Rome, Egypt, Asia Minor, due to its multiple uses.
If aniseed is boiled for too long it is liable to get divested of its essential oil and digestive properties due to heating/boiling process.

Therapeutic Uses

Digestive Disorders

It expels wind from the stomach and can be added to pepper, cumun and ginger (in equal quantities) and taken a TSP with water after meals.
It can be used also as an infusion. Mix a TSP of aniseed to a cup of boiling water, for being kept overnight. The clear fluid should be mixed with honey-1 TSP to be taken daily. It will remove gurgling in the abdomen, remove indigestion, and prevent fermentation and gas formation in the bowels & stomach.

Insomnia

Add a TSP of aniseed to 400 ml of water, adding some tea to it. Let it simmer for fifteen minutes, and then strain (when the liquid quantity is reduced to 1/3rd quantity), adding hot milk and honey to it—it should be better taken at bed time or sipped after meals.

Cure & Prevention of Cataract

Progression of cataract can be delayed for a fairly long span or even cured by taking 5 gm aniseeds in the morning and evening or prepare powder from equal quantity of coriander seeds and aniseed, adding equal quantity of unrefined sugar to it. 10 gms of this mixture may be taken in the evening and morning.

Sundry Uses

To relieve flatulence anise oil is used as an aromatic carminative. For its flavouring quality its oil is for mouthy washes and in dental preparations, in addition to for flavouring cakes, sweets, curries, biscuits and cookies.
For its insecticidal properties, it is used (externally) to kill vermin, lice and mites.

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