Anise

Medicinal properties of an anise are known since Avicenna and Hippocrates, and as spice grow up it not one thousand years.

Description

Anise – an annual herbaceous plant from family Umbrella. In height it reaches 50 cm. In a wild look grows in Greece, and here cultivate it practically worldwide. In the medical purposes use roots, seeds and a land part of a plant.

Stalks collect during blossoming with even immature fruits. They are cut off and dried in the dry dark place. Fruits (seeds) collect already mature, and too dry in the dark place, spreading a thin layer. Roots of a plant dig out after collecting fruits, in the fall.

The homeland of an anise are Middle Eastern and Mediterranean regions. Began to grow up a plant some more thousands years ago. For certain it is known that in the 1st century B.C. it was grown up in Ancient Greece, Egypt and on the island of Crete. At the time of the Middle Ages the plant extended across all Mediterranean where it was grown up not only as spice, but also as a medicinal plant. Today the anise is cultivated worldwide, but this seasoning enjoys the greatest popularity in Egypt, Southeast Asia, Southern Europe and in the Middle East.

Use of an anise in cookery

Anise fruits in cookery use as spice. They are added to pastries, confectionery and baking products as independent ingredient or in combination with other spices. Add them to tinned fruit and jam, various gravies and sauces to vegetable and meat dishes.

On the basis of an anise prepare Arak, to an elder, absinthe liqueur, mastic and other alcoholic drinks. In east kitchen the anise is often added to tea, fruit soups and infusions for aromatization and a soaking of products.

Do oil which was widely used in confectionery, baking, meat, fish and alcoholic production, and also in soap manufacture of an anise.

Structure and caloric content of an anise

In 100 g of an anise 9,5 g of water, 17,6 g of proteins, 15,9 g of fats, 14,6 g of cellulose, 35,4 g of carbohydrates, 7 g of ashes contain; vitamins: thiamin (B1), Riboflavinum (B2), Niacinum (RR), pantothenic acid (B5), pyridoxine (B6), folic acid (B9), ascorbic acid (C); macrocells: phosphorus, sodium, magnesium, potassium, calcium; microelements: zinc, selenium, copper, manganese, iron.

Caloric content of an anise makes 337 kcal on 100 g of a product.

Advantage of an anise

In traditional medicine an anise ordinary apply as anesthetic, expectorant, sudorific, disinfecting, an antipyretic. Improvement of a vermicular movement of intestines, secretory function of respiratory tracts and digestive tract belongs to useful properties of an anise.

Anise seeds very much are appreciated and are a component of laxative, chest, sudorific and gastric collecting. Thanks to advantage of an anise, it with success is used in the perfumery, alcoholic beverage and food industry.

Decoction from seeds of an anise is applied to treatment of enterospasms, inflammatory processes in digestive tract, at a meteorism, locks, gastric bleedings, painful periods and disturbances of a menstrual cycle and also as means for digestion improvement. At nursing mothers decoction from seeds of an anise improves a lactation.

Infusion of stalks and seeds of a plant improves work of a liver and pancreas. Apply it at cough, bronchitis, asthma, pneumonia, short wind, tracheitis, laryngitis. The curative properties of an anise promoting fluidifying of a phlegm therefore often it is applied at whooping cough at children are known.

Broth of seeds of an anise with honey has good effect at hoarseness of a voice. And at burns use the broth of seeds mixed with ovalbumin.

The advantage of an anise as diuretic at an urolithiasis, diseases of kidneys and a bladder is known.

On the medicinal properties the anise ordinary concedes to caraway seeds and fennel, but it has much more pleasant taste. Therefore from an anise tasty and useful tea turns out.

Do the oil representing yellowish liquid with pleasant spicy and sweet aroma of an anise. Anisic oil is included in structure of chest elixirs, cough drops. Use it as an expectorant and antiseptic agent at treatment of cold and inflammations of upper respiratory tracts (bronchitis, quinsy, laryngitis, cold, flu).

Anisic oil is applied at a scurvy, loss of a voice, burns and inflammatory processes on almonds and gingivas.

One more advantage of an anise is that the smell it is not transferred by insects therefore often it is used at fight against bugs, flies, mosquitoes and louses.

Roots of an anise include in various collecting for improvement of cordial activity. And to get rid of an unpleasant smell from a mouth, they are allowed to chew to smokers.

Contraindications

The anise and drugs on its basis have also contraindications. So, they cannot be applied at stomach ulcer and a 12-perstny gut, pregnancy, ulcer colitis, at a hyperoxemia of a gastric juice, and also to children up to twelve years.

Treatment duration anisic oil should not exceed seven days. Besides, at the long or excessive use broth and infusion of an anise can cause allergic reaction.