Fennel is a delicious and healthy vegetable to add to any recipe. It’s yummy sautéed with onions and mushrooms, stir fried with other veggies, grilled, or roasted. The stalks and leaves are perfect for soups and stews. It smells like licorice which I do not like but it tastes sweet. It’s texture is like celery and might be a great addition to stuffing or casseroles this week! I enjoy it fresh on salads too.
Fennel is medicinally used as an anti-inflammatory to the intestines, a colic remedy for infants as an oil, and an aid for heartburn, gas, and bloating. Fennel provides a good amount of potassium, calcium, vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Research shows that it acts as a stimulant for better bone health through vitamin K, phosphorous, calcium, iron, and zinc. Fennel provides protection for heart health through dietary nitrates that lower blood pressure naturally. Fiver in fennel also decreases risk for heart disease and helps reduce cholesterol. Fiber also feeds the good bacteria in our gut microbiome which boosts overall health, especially our immunity and mood. Fennel also contains selenium which is not high in many other foods other than Brazil nuts which helps to reduce cancer, liver dysfunction, and inflammation. Fennel can also aid in reducing candida due to its anti-fungal property. So many medicinal properties in one vegetable!
References:
1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/30328892/?i=9&from=Fennel
2. https://www.webmd.com/vitamins/ai/ingredientmono-311/fennel