What is Anise Tea, What are its Benefits?

It is one of the most recommended teas among herbal medicinal teas due to its benefits. It is the drink with the most famous anise flavor.

Sweet and flavored anise tea helps to cope with digestive problems. It has a wide list of benefits, from lowering blood sugar to reducing menopausal symptoms. At the same time, its seeds are an ideal spice to enhance the flavor of any dish or drink. The taste of tea has a unique flavor. Do not confuse classic anise with star anise (Chinese anise); Although the flavors are similar, there are differences between them. You can find these differences and the information shared by experts about anise tea in our article!

What is Anise Tea?

This tea is obtained from the seeds and leaves of the anise plant. The botanical name of the anise plant is “pimpinella anisum”. It is also called “Anis” or “sweet cumin”. It is a plant closely related to carrots, parsley and celery in the “Apiaceae” family.

It was brought to Spain by the Arabs and spread to the Mediterranean from there. Today, it is grown and used worldwide, especially in the Eastern Mediterranean.

The anise plant can reach a height of 50 to 80 centimeters. It has small white flowers. It has a sweet and highly aromatic flavor similar to licorice, fennel, tarragon. It is a wonderful spice that can be used especially as a tea.

Produces oblong fruits and white flowers known as “anise seeds”. The body of the anise plant is upright, hollow and cylindrical. It has a very branched, hairy and striped upper body. The lower leaves with long stems are heart or oval shaped. While it has flowers collected in compound umbrellas, it has small pear-shaped, hairy, greenish-yellow fruits or seeds.

The flavor is often compared to licorice, fennel, and star anise. It is widely used as a flavoring for teas, desserts, and liqueurs in seed, extract, and oil form. Historically, it has been in demand for its medicinal properties.

What are the Benefits of Anise Tea?

Anise seed is seen as one of the best spices for healing.

It can be used as a tonic to cleanse the stomach and intestines.

Colic in adults; that is, it reduces spasms and bloating of the intestinal muscles or organs in the gastrointestinal tract. For the same purpose, it also gives effective results in children. Anise tea, which can relieve toothache, can be used as a natural mouthwash.

Research in recent years has proven a number of benefits including reducing menopausal symptoms, lowering blood sugar levels and protecting against stomach ulcers. Potential benefits are also envisioned, such as breast milk production, reduced seizure risks, and increased urine flow; however, more research on these is needed.

Let’s list the other benefits of anise tea, which has a strong nutritional value for health;

While cleaning the respiratory system; It can help with problems such as asthma, bronchitis, colds, pneumonia (pneumonia) and sinusitis.
It is stated to help manage blood sugar levels. The compound called “anethol” in its content can prevent high blood sugar by changing the activity of some key enzymes that play a role in carbohydrate metabolism.
It is recommended to breastfeeding mothers to increase breast milk.
Mild antiparasitic for intestinal parasites
It has strong antifungal properties in the treatment of fungal infections such as athlete’s foot and ringworm.
It can effectively inhibit the growth of certain types of fungi.It reduces the frequency and severity of hot flashes in postmenopausal women.
A study has shown that it can significantly reduce the symptoms of depression.
It has been determined that it can reduce the symptoms of depression characterized by postpartum (postpartum) and functional indigestion (dyspepsia) in particular.
Can treat stomach ulcer, protect against ulcer-related damage. It exhibits anti-ulcer activities in the body.

The following potential benefits of anise tea can also be seen;

It is a diuretic and expectorant, increases appetite.
Treats menstrual pain, facilitates childbirth.
Has aphrodisiac effects that increase libido.
Can treat andropause symptoms in men .
Effective against seizures and nicotine addiction.
Can solve sleep problems.
Recommended for constipation.
Supports heart health.
Prevents blood clotting.
Cataract It is recommended for the problems of the pancreas.

Note: Consuming anise tea every day in addition to a balanced diet and regular physical activity contributes to a healthy lifestyle.

Are There Any Side Effects of Anise Tea?

Negative side effects of anise tea, which is generally accepted as safe, can also be seen.

According to this;

It can cause some allergic reactions on the skin.
Food allergy symptoms such as skin itching, swelling or hives may occur, especially in people who are allergic to herbs from the same family, such as dill, fennel or celery.
Anise is stated to be an “estrogenic” food, meaning it acts like estrogen in the body.
Therefore, it may worsen conditions in a hormone-sensitive condition such as breast cancer, ovarian cancer, or endometriosis, which can lead to infertility.
Can interact with estrogen-containing birth control pills It is not recommended to consume this tea during the process or it is recommended to drink it with the advice of an obstetrician doctor.

How to Make Anise Tea?

Even the taste alone may be enough to consume anise tea, of which we have mentioned many benefits.

You can consume it with different recipes, especially by nutritionists and gourmets.

Whatever the recipe is, the benefits of pure anise tea will not change; however, some other herbs or teas added to tea can differentiate or enrich both its flavor and potential benefits.

In cases of colic and bloating that may occur after a heavy meal, the recipe we will give below about 10 minutes before the meal will relieve you.

Anise tea recipe;

Grind 1 tablespoon of anise seeds or pound them in a mortar.
Boil 2 glasses of water.
Add the crushed seeds to the water.
Cook for five minutes.
You can sweeten anise tea with honey.

Nutritional Value of Anise Seed

Anise seed, which is a small but powerful food source; It can be used as a daily nutritional supplement, including iron, manganese and calcium.

One tablespoon of anise seeds contains the following ingredients:

• 22 calories
• 3.3 grams of carbohydrates
• 1.1 grams of protein
• 1 gram of fat
• 0 .9 grams of fiber
• 2.4 milligrams of iron (13 percent)
• 0.1 milligrams of manganese (7 percent)
• 42 milligrams of calcium (4 percent)
• 11.1 milligrams of magnesium (3 percent)
• 28.6 milligrams of phosphorus (3 percent)
• 93.7 milligrams of potassium (3 percent)
• 0.1 milligrams of copper (3 percent)

In addition to the above nutrients, it also contains small amounts of zinc, vitamin B6 and vitamin C.

Their names and tastes are similar; but they are two completely different plants.

Anise is often confused with star anise spice, a similar aromatic flavor. This is because, like fennel, an organic compound responsible for its distinct flavors and odors is “anethol”.

However, when “aniseed” is mentioned, photos of star anise, which looks very aesthetic, are usually shared. This leads to mixing up two types of anise, which are actually completely different.

However, due to the similarities in flavor, ground star anise can be used instead of anise seeds in some tea or recipes.

We can list the differences between classic anise and star anise as follows;

Star anise;

Also known as “Chinese star anise”.
The scientific name is “Illicium verum”.
It is native to South West China.
The aroma is stronger.
It is widely used in Asian cuisine.
It is widely used in especially Chinese, Indian and Indonesian cuisines.
The fruits are harvested just before they ripen.
It is cheaper than classical anise.
Especially in liver and bile problems useful.

Classic anise;

The scientific name is “pimpinella anisum”.
Its homeland is the Middle East and the Eastern Mediterranean.
It is widely used in Western cuisine tradition.
It is the type used in alcohol production.
It is especially preferred in cakes and pastries.
The aroma is lighter; but it is more expensive.
It is especially useful in digestion, blood sugar and menopausal problems.

Useful Information About Anise

Anise is one of the 14 medicinal plants mentioned in the Bible .
Anise is used in various foods such as cookies and bread in parts of Europe and the Middle East.
In India, this spice is used to add flavor to curried seafood.
Historically, anise is used in soups and cakes. It is used as a spice and flavoring in many foods.
Anise is used to sweeten some alcoholic beverages such as raki, absinthe and anisette.
It is especially preferred in the preparation of alcoholic liqueurs called “anisette”, which is widely consumed in Mediterranean countries.
The characteristic aromatic odor and taste of anise gives the oil called “anethol”.
Anethole, which is soluble in alcohol, precipitates as the water ratio increases.It is often called “catnip for dogs”; however, large amounts given to animals can cause adverse symptoms such as stomach problems or a depressed nervous system.