From taking away mood swings, to lessening vaginal dryness and helping you sleep, fennel is a ‘wonder herb’.
If you’ve heard of it before and you have it as part of your diet, you know how wonderful fennel is. If you haven’t, here’s a chance to give it a glance.
Fennel is a flowering plant that comes from the carrot family, and it’s used in cuisine, worldwide. In addition to having a great taste, A study published recently in Menopause, the journal of The North American Menopause Society (NAMS), shows that fennel is effective at treating the symptoms of menopause, with the benefit of having very few side effects.
Related: Why Menopause Is a Time of Liberation and How You Can Spot the Signs
To come to their conclusions, researchers conducted a small trial that involved 79 Iranian women between the ages of 45 and 60. Participants ingested 100 mg of fennel via capsules that were administered two times a day, for eight weeks.
The work is one of the first clinical studies to examine the benefits of taking fennel to manage menopause symptoms.
So, here are the results. If you’re a woman going through menopause, or simply someone looking to learn more about it, here are 4 reasons you might like to have the herb in your life.
1) It Takes Away Period Cramps
How can an herb take away your horrible period pains? Fennel has what are called phytoestrogenic properties. This means that it contains estrogen-like chemicals, or chemicals that mimic the make up of estrogen.
It’s powers as an antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antispasmodic also help to reduce menstrual pain. Drink it as a tea or take fennel extract to reap the benefits.
2) It Reduces Sleeplessness
Suffering from insomnia is a common side effect of going through menopause. It can be caused by a variety of things, but hot flashes are a sure culprit. Hot flashed happen when the body produces a surge of adrenaline, which causes women to wake up, if they’re asleep.
Related: Beauty Products Linked to Early Menopause
If your insomnia is caused by hormonal changes, taking fennel can help to reduce your symptoms and bring back normal sleep.
3) Vaginal Dryness
Feeling itchy down there? In your mid-life and you know it’s not a yeast infection? It could be caused by vaginal dryness, due to hormonal fluctuations.
Related: Can Eating Bananas Help Your Sex Drive?
The balancing properties of fennel also have an effect on your most precious parts. Drink up and add some comfort back into your life.
4) Anxiety
Changes in life can make you anxious. Especially changes in your body that indicate time is passing and you’re aging. It’s not that everyone else isn’t aging every second of every day too, but physical reminders make you really think about it. And some times, too much.
Related: Older Women Who Get More of This Have Better Sex
Fennel’s phytoestrogen properties also make it successful at reducing anxiety associated with menopause. For an effective treatment without side effects, it’s hard to beat.
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