Chinese Herbal Medicine Database

Abdominal cold pain and cold extremities; dysmenorrhea with cold pain in the abdomen; distending pain in the epigastrium with poor appetite, vomiting and diarrhea; hydrocele of tunica vaginalis

Research Findings

• Fennel is an effective means to manage the symptoms of vaginal atrophy in postmenopausal women and is devoid of side effects. [1]
• Fennel and low-dose combined oral contraceptive can resolve depot medroxyprogesterone acetate induced amenorrhea and increase continuation rate of this contraceptive method.[2]
• Fennel tea drinking after laparotomy for gynecological malignancis, an economical care, is safe, well tolerated and associated with rapider recovery of bowel motility, shorter hospital stay and fewer complications.[3]
• Fennel can use to relieve dysmenorrheal signs and menstrual duration. [4]
• Combination of curcumin and fennel essential oil significantly improved symptoms and quality of life in Irritable Bowel Syndrome patients over 30 days.[5]
• Fennel seed oil emulsion may be superior to placebo in decreasing intensity of infantile colic.[6]

Allergic reactions such as asthma, contact dermatitis and rhinoconjunctivitis have been reported in sensitive patients [7, 8]

Reference

1. Yaralizadeh M, Abedi P, Najar S, Namjoyan F, Saki A. (2016). Effect of Foeniculum vulgare (fennel) vaginal cream on vaginal atrophy in postmenopausal women: A double-blind randomized placebo-controlled trial. Maturitas. , 84:75-80. doi: 10.1016/j.maturitas.2015.11.005. Epub 2015 Nov 12.
2. Mohebbi-Kian E, Mohammad-Alizadeh-Charandabi S, Bekhradi R. (2014). Efficacy of fennel and combined oral contraceptive on depot medroxyprogesterone acetate-induced amenorrhea: a randomized placebo-controlled trial. Contraception. , 90(4):440-6. doi: 10.1016/j.contraception.2014.05.001. Epub 2014 May 14.
3. Ma HW, Zhao JT, Zhao X. (2015). The Effect of Fennel Tea Drinking on Postoperative Gut Recovery after Gynecological Malignancies Operation. Sichuan Da Xue Xue Bao Yi Xue Ban. , 46(6):940-3.
4. Ghodsi Z, Asltoghiri M. (2014). The effect of fennel on pain quality, symptoms, and menstrual duration in primary dysmenorrhea. J Pediatr Adolesc Gynecol. , 27(5):283-6. doi: 10.1016/j.jpag.2013.12.003. Epub 2014 Jul 30.
5. Portincasa P, Bonfrate L, Scribano ML, Kohn A, Caporaso N, Festi D, Campanale MC, Di Rienzo T, Guarino M, Taddia M, Fogli MV, Grimaldi M, Gasbarrini A. (2016). Curcumin and Fennel Essential Oil Improve Symptoms and Quality of Life in Patients with Irritable Bowel Syndrome. J Gastrointestin Liver Dis. , 25(2):151-7. doi: 10.15403/jgld.2014.1121.252.ccm.
6. Alexandrovich I, Rakovitskaya O, Kolmo E, Sidorova T, Shushunov S. ( 2003). The effect of fennel (Foeniculum Vulgare) seed oil emulsion in infantile colic: a randomized, placebo-controlled study. Altern Ther Health Med. , 9(4):58-61.
7. Jensen-Jarolim E et al. Characterization of allergens in Apiaceae spices: anise, fennel, coriander and cumin. Clinical and Experimental Allergy, 1997, 27:1299–1306.
8. Schwartz HJ et al. Occupational allergic rhinoconjunctivitis and asthma due to fennel seed. Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, 1997, 78:37–40.