Diet & Fitness

The active constituents in anise, particularly the terpenoid anethole, are contained in its volatile oil. The volatile oil gives the plant a delightful flavor and has been combined with other less pleasant tasting medicinal herbs to offset their taste. The oil is also antispasmodic, helping to relieve intestinal gas and spasmodic coughs.¹ Anise has been combined with cathartic laxatives to help reduce the spasmodic cramping they can cause.² It may also have modest antiparasitic actions and has been recommended by some practitioners to treat mild intestinal parasite infections.¹ Anethole has been documented to have phytoestrogen activity in test tubes and animals;⁴ the relevance of this to humans is unknown. No clinical trials have been conducted to support any of these uses, though anise is approved for use by the German Commission E for relieving coughs and indigestion.⁵