In 14 Health Benefits Of Fennel According To Science (Part 1), we listed the first 7 benefits of this amazing food. Here, we delve into the next 7 benefits – points to keep in mind as you plan your diet and map your way to a healthier you.

---

Knowing that Fennel has many, many beneficial properties to the body may have come as a surprise. But indeed, this food has more to offer than you think – and is essential in maintaining good health.

Health Benefits Of Fennel (Part 2):

8. Fennel Contains Nutrients That Assist With High Blood Pressure
Hypertension or high blood pressure is a very common condition. It is characterized by an aggressive blood flow through the arteries causing damage to the blood vessels and other vital organs in the body.

High blood pressure can often lead to heart attack, stroke, and coronary heart disease.

To prevent high blood pressure, a sufficient intake of certain healthy nutrients is required. These include magnesium, potassium, and iron. Fennel is a great source of all these nutrients with anti-hypertensive properties.

Studies show that magnesium reduces the risk of cardiovascular diseases arising from hypertension. It affected both systolic and diastolic blood pressure in a combined trial including 1,173 participants. (16) Lack of iron in the bloodstream can cause high blood pressure in the lungs, a study suggests. Iron is important for stabilizing red blood cell count in the body, which is vital for proper blood flow and regulation. (17)

A low potassium diet is associated with high blood pressure symptoms in adults. The research conducted on over 3,000 subjects showed that a high potassium level in the diet lowered the risk of hypertension. It also prevents hypertension arising from high cholesterol levels, smoking, and diabetes. (18)

Key Takeaway: Fennel contains enough magnesium, iron, and potassium to prevent and treat high blood pressure. A fennel-rich diet is helpful for patients with abnormal blood pressure levels as well as for patients with diabetic symptoms.

9. Fennel With Phytoestrogens Assist In Optimal Menstrual Health

Menstrual health is very important for women. If anything goes wrong, it disrupts the entire physiological function in the body. Phytoestrogens are important compounds with proven health benefits for menstrual health.

It reduces menstrual discomfort, heavy menstrual bleeding, and menstrual pain. What’s more, it reduces the symptoms of premenstrual syndrome or PMS. (19)

By regulating normal hormonal functions in the body, fennel acts as a pain reliever for menopausal women and for women experiencing their menstrual cycles. It prevents the development of menopausal disorders and aids breast enlargement.

Another significant benefit of fennel, according to animal studies, is that it improves lactation in nursing mothers as a galactagogue.

Key Takeaway: Fennel has been shown to boost hormonal action in women. It reduces effects of PMS, menopause, and improves lactation in nursing mothers.

10. The Methanolic Extract Of Fennels Reduces Symptoms Of Allergies
Fennel is a powerful anti-allergenic food. Because of its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant capacity, it reduces swelling arising from certain types of allergies. It even works to inhibit immune sensitivities induced by inflammation in the body. (20)

Allergies is a very common phenomenon that only occurs when your immune system is high reactive or sensitive to certain stimulus. This can be dust, chemicals, insects, certain types of food, etc.

To prevent weak immune responses, the methanolic extracts of fennel prove very helpful. They play an important role in suppressing the development of allergies. What’s more, they have antimicrobial and antiviral properties which enhance your body’s defense system.

Key Takeaway: Allergies don’t discriminate between gender, age, and race. Early detection and treatment of allergies is the only way to prevent severe symptoms of allergies such as swelling. The methanolic extracts of fennel lower your risk of developing certain types of allergies.

11. Increased Intake Of Fennel Supports Proper Muscle Health

Vitamin B deficiency is associated with poor physical or athletic performance in humans, a study suggests.

A study conducted on athletes by Oregon State University suggested that vitamin-rich diets such as fennel can improve muscular health. During high-intensity workouts, weak muscles often take a longer time to repair and recover from injury.

And to fight muscle-related diseases, it’s important to increase your vitamin B intake with the help of fennel. This reduces chances of developing deficiencies and helps your muscles repair itself.

Studies claim that your body loses most of its nutrients in urine, sweat, and faeces. Hence, proper nutrient absorption in the body is ideal for energy production and muscle repair. (21)

Key Takeaway: Vitamin B helps in energy production, nutrient absorption, and muscle repair in most athletes. It inhibits chances of nutrient loss in sweat, urine, and faeces, which helps in increasing muscle strength and maintenance

12. Fennel Directly Affects Neurological Brain Function

Proper blood flow to the brain is an important factor for optimal brain health. It even improves memory and learning function in most children and adults.

According to a study, increased sodium and potassium intake can reduce the effects of Parkinson’s disease and brain injury. It inhibits brain disease progression by regulating normal cellular function.

This study also found that sodium and potassium levels positively affect the stimulation of physiological homoeostasis. This ensures proper brain peripheral and central levels health in the prevention of neurodegenerative diseases. (22)

Fennel contains plenty of antioxidants that help increase the brain’s neural activity. It balances oxygen transportation to the brain’s cellular levels.

Lastly, by increasing blood flow, proper regulation of blood vessels in the brain plays an important role in preventing the proliferation of migraines, Alzheimer’s disease, memory loss, etc.

Key Takeaway: Multiple studies found that sodium and potassium nutrients, present in fennel, may protect against neurodegenerative diseases, mental illnesses, and other cognitive dysfunctions.

13. The Phenolic Compounds Found In Fennels Reduce Cardiovascular Diseases

Fennels contain powerful phenolic compounds that are associated with anti-inflammatory properties. It helps reduce diseases that are linked with free radical damage and oxidative stress.

Fennel contains apigenin, quercetin, rosmarinic acid, and ethanol extracts that prevent the proliferation of heart diseases caused by inflammation. (23)

Another study proves that the flavonoids and phenolic compounds such as rutin, chlorogenic, and caffeic acid have a positive effect on reducing excessive inflammation and oxidative stress in the human body. (24)

Lastly, a study proves that a diet high in antioxidants that help reduce the proliferation of coronary heart disease in women. This disease is one of the leading chronic cardiovascular diseases in women in the world. It may occur due to untreated myocardial infarction.

A simple study conducted to prove the effectiveness of antioxidants for treating coronary heart diseases showed that people who consumed more vegetables such as fennel with high amounts of antioxidants had a twenty percent lower risk of disease. (25)

Key Takeaway: Antioxidants play an important role in stimulating proper heart health by reducing inflammation and oxidative stress in the body. It contains powerful flavonoids and phenolic compounds that lower cholesterol, reduce high blood pressure, and prevent buildup in the arteries.

14. Greater Intake Of Omega-3 Fatty Acids Present In Fennel Reduces Diabetes
Nutrients such as those found in fennel may help reduce symptoms of diabetes.

A study on dietary omega-3 fatty acids proved that it has a positive effect on reducing diabetic retinopathy. With decreased diabetic retinopathy, a patient is less likely to encounter abnormal blood glucose levels and insulin resistance.

An increase in omega-3 fatty acids intake can help alleviate serious symptoms of diabetes while support proper cellular health against diabetic retinopathy. (26)

As you already know, fennel also contains sufficient amounts of dietary fiber which may help reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes.

There have been many studies with over 300,000 participants that proved the positive impact of fiber on diabetes prevention and treatment. It shows that people who consume more fiber-rich diets have a 18% lower risk of developing different types of diabetes than those with a much lower fiber intake.

The fiber intake greatly contributes to total body mass index, fat content, and cholesterol levels. (27)

Key Takeaway: Fennel contains omega-3 fatty acids which are good for the prevention and treatment of diabetes. Whereas its high fiber content helps people maintain a healthy weight which may influence diabetes development.

PREVIOUS ARTICLE: 14 Health Benefits Of Fennel AccordingTo Science (Part 1)