Star Anise

What it is:

With it's feathery leaves and clusters of small yellow or white flowers, anise grows throughout North America, usually in gardens and every once in a while, in the wild. The brown fruit, which looks more like a seed, contains the essential oil that serves as the licorish-tasting spice found in candies, cough nostrums and the liquor Ouzo. The leaves can be used as a garnish or in salads. This is the regular plant of anise.

The Star Anise seed pods, are star shaped and lovely to see growing. The star anise is close to my Cherokee heart, not only for it's flavor and beauty, but because the star shaped seed pod is the seven pointed star of the Cherokee People.

Therapeutic Uses:

Bronchitis, colds, coughs, fever, gall-bladder problems, liver problems, poor appetite, sore throat, anemia, bad breath, breast milk deficiency, colic, gas and indigestion, psoriasis.

Folk Uses: Congestion. cramps, low libido, male menopause, morning sickness, nausea, scabies.

Medical Properties:

The therapeutic powers of anise's phytochemicals, including creosol and alpha-pinene, are so apparent and well established that the herb is commonly used in prepairations that break up congestion, ease coughing, and relieve gas. Another constituent, anethole, is similar in chemical structure to the stress hormones adrenaline and noradrenaline, and it is thought to encourage the secretion of breast milk.

Dosage Options:

Pour a cup of boiling water over 1-2 tsps. of crushed anise seeds, steep for 10 to 15 minutes, strain and enjoy. Have a cup in the morning and then again in the evening. Alternatively, a typical dosage is 1/2 to 1 tsp. of anise tinture three times a day.

Personal Experience:

I just love to grow this beautiful herb, and as I stated above the Star shape is close to my heart, as it has seven points. I even feel it's a fun thing to grow in my garden, for luck, as well a beauty. I make liquors out of it to give as Christmas gifts. It is well loved by all my friends. It is just plain yummy to use, and mixed in a tea with sassafras, it tastes like root beer. *But a precaution, never use sassafras in a tinture, only in tea, as it contains carsenenogens when rendered into alchol or vinigar.

Precautions:

A few people might experience an allergic response to anise, particularly dermatologically, respiratory, or gastrointestinal. In reasonable amounts, though, most people will be fine. So use this herb with care and wisdom. If you try anis oil, don't take too much; as little as 1 to 5 Milliliters could cause nausea, vomiting, and a buildup of fluid in the lungs. More is not necessairly better with the concentrate.