Botanical Source
The ripe fruit of Foeniculum vulgare Mill., a plant of the Apiaceae family.
Nature, Flavor & Meridian Tropism
Pungent in flavor, warm in nature. It acts on the Liver, Kidney, Spleen and Stomach meridians.
Functions & Indications
Dispels cold and relieves pain, regulates qi and harmonizes the stomach, warms the kidney and reduces frequent urination.
It is used for cold hernia with abdominal pain, testicular ptosis, cold pain in the abdomen, poor appetite, vomiting and diarrhea, hypochondriac pain, lumbago due to kidney deficiency and dysmenorrhea.
Being pungent and warm, it dispels cold. Acting on the Liver and Kidney meridians, it warms the kidney and liver, moves qi and alleviates pain, making it a key herb for cold hernia and abdominal pain in clinical practice. It also warms the middle energizer to relieve cold pain, regulates spleen and stomach qi to stimulate appetite and stop vomiting, and works well for symptoms caused by cold qi stagnation in the middle energizer and deficiency-cold stomach disorders.
Pharmacological Research
It has anti-ulcer and analgesic effects, as well as sex hormone-like activity. Fennel oil also exerts antibacterial effects to varying degrees.