Description

Anise is an herb. The seed (fruit) and oil, and less frequently the root and leaf, are used to make medicine.

Anise is used for upset stomach, intestinal gas, “runny nose,” and as an expectorant to increase productive cough, as a diuretic to increase urine flow, and as an appetite stimulant. Women use anise to increase milk flow when nursing, start menstruation, treat menstrual discomfort or pain, ease childbirth, and increase sex drive. Men use anise to treat symptoms of “male menopause.” Other uses include treatment of seizures, nicotine dependence, trouble sleeping (insomnia), asthma, and constipation.

Some people apply anise directly to the skin to treat lice, scabies, and psoriasis.

In foods, anise is used as a flavoring agent. It has a sweet, aromatic taste that resembles the taste of black licorice. It is commonly used in alcohols and liqueurs, such as anisette and ouzo. Anise is also used in dairy products, gelatins, meats, candies, and breath fresheners.

In manufacturing, anise is often used as a fragrance in soap, creams, perfumes, and sachets.

Uses & Effectiveness?

Possibly Effective for

• Menstrual discomfort. Some clinical research shows that taking a specific product containing anise, saffron, and celery seed (SCA, Gol Daro Herbal Medicine Laboratory) reduces pain severity and duration during the menstrual cycle.

Insufficient Evidence for

• Asthma. Early research suggests that drinking one cup of a tea containing anise, German chamomile, saffron, fennel, caraway, licorice, cardamom, and black seed reduces coughing and sleep discomfort in people with allergic asthma.
• Constipation. Early research suggests that drinking an herbal tea containing anise, fennel, elderberry, and senna improves constipation in some people.
• Lice. Early research suggests that applying a spray containing anise oil, coconut oil, and ylang ylang oil to the scalp helps get rid of head lice. The effect of the anise oil combination spray appears to be comparable to a spray containing the chemicals permethrin, malathion, piperonyl, butoxide, and isododecane.
• Starting menstrual periods.
• Increasing breast milk.
• Increasing sex drive.
• Scabies.
• Psoriasis.
• Coughs.
• Spasms.
• Other conditions.

More evidence is needed to rate the effectiveness of anise for these uses.