Anise also called aniseed is a flowering plant in the family Apiaceae native to the eastern Mediterranean region and Southwest Asia. Its flavor has similarities with some other spices, such as star anise, fennel and liquorices’.

Anise plants grow best in light, fertile, well drained soil. The seeds should be planted as soon as the ground warms up in spring. Because the plants have a taproot, they do not transplant well after being established, so they should be started either in their final location or transplanted while the seedlings are still small.

Anise is a perennial herbal plant; generally, grows up to a height of about 2 feet. And it is harvested by cutting the whole plant once the seeds ripened. Then the seeds are separated from the flower heads by threshing method. The seeds feature oblong or curved like comma shape, about 3-4 mm long, light brown color and fine stripes over its outer surface.

Star anise is an herb. The seed and oil are used to make medicine. The star anise used as medicine is Chinese star anise. Don’t confuse it with Japanese star anise, which is poisonous and should not be taken. Some Chinese star anise tea products have been contaminated with Japanese star anise. You cannot tell the difference between them just by looking. Unless safety can be assured by chemical analysis, star anise tea should not be used.
People try taking star anise for respiratory tract infections, lung swelling (inflammation), cough, bronchitis, the flu (influenza), and swine flu and bird flu. They also use it for digestive tract problems including upset stomach, gas, loss of appetite, and colic in babies.

Some women use star anise for increasing the flow of breast milk, promoting menstruation, and easing childbirth. Star anise is also used for increasing sexual drive (libido) and treating symptoms of “male menopause.” Some people inhale star anise to treat respiratory tract congestion.

In foods and beverages, star anise is considered a culinary spice; both the seed and oil are used as flavoring. In manufacturing, the oil is used as a fragrance in soaps, cosmetics, perfumes, and toothpaste and to mask undesirable odors in drug products.

Benefit & Uses: Star anise has been used for centuries to relieve abdominal discomfort. Specifically, one drop of star anise oil is typically mixed with 1 tsp. of honey and taken internally to relieve abdominal cramps, indigestion, gas, bloating and nausea. Be cautious in the amount of oil used. Too much oil, which may be as little as 1 to 5 ml, can cause severe nausea and vomiting.

Use star anise oil as an expectorant. Add one drop of oil to cough syrups and lozenges to help cough up mucous in certain conditions, such as asthma, bronchitis, the common cold and whooping cough.

Oil from the star anise plant is also used to treat skin conditions. Historically, the oil has been applied topically to treat mild forms of acne. In addition, star anise oil is toxic to many insects, and has been used to treat scabies and lice infections. Although star anise may help treat certain skin condition, never apply pure star anise oil to your skin because it may cause a severe irritation. The oil should always be diluted with lotion to decrease your risk of irritation.

Star anise is effective against several types of viruses, including the herpes virus, Star anise works by preventing further viral replication.

Exotic anise spice contains some of the important plants derived chemical compounds that are known to have been anti-oxidant, disease preventing, and health promoting properties.

Anise seed oil obtained from extraction of the seeds is found application in many traditional medicines asstomachic, anti-septic, anti-spasmodic, carminative, digestive, expectorant, stimulant and tonic.

The seeds are an excellent source of many essential B-complex vitamins such as pyridoxine, niacin, riboflavin, and thiamin. Pyridoxine (vitamin B-6) helps increase GABA neuron- chemical levels in the brain.

 

The spicy seeds are the great source of minerals like calcium, iron, copper, potassium, manganese, zinc and magnesium. 100 g dry seeds contain 36.96 mg or 462% daily required levels of iron. Potassium is an important component of cell and body fluids that helps control heart rate and blood pressure.