5 Fennel Seed Beverages to Promote Weight Loss
There are many fennel seed remedies that can be useful to lose weight when dieting. Their interesting properties can help relieve anxiety , improve digestion, and keep you full.
Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) is the only species of the genus Foeniculum. Both its bulb and seeds have been part of the human diet for hundreds of years. However, the seeds are best when it comes to weight loss.
You can easily blend them with other ingredients to help eliminate toxins and breakdown fats. Although they don’t burn fat magically, they’re great allies to get rid of those few extra pounds. How do you use them?
The fennel seed benefits for weight loss
Let’s review the main benefits of fennel seeds before explaining how to use them for weight loss. Most people use fennel as a carminative and anti-inflammatory agent, but it’s also great for shedding inches.
- Fennel seed is great against slow digestion, constipation, and bloating.
- Promotes the regulation of liver function and optimizes the fat digestion process.
- Have diuretic properties that improve kidney function and counteract fluid retention.
- Suppress your appetite for longer so you don’t feel hungry as often. This function could be due to anethole, one of its components. In a study with women with no health problems, those who drank a cup of fennel tea (250 milliliters) before eating had a smaller intake and experienced less appetite. There’s more research to be done on this.
- Calm excess acidity and reduces excess gas in your intestines.
We think you may also like to read this article: How to Drink Horsetail to Lose Weight
How to use fennel seeds to lose weight
You can include fennel seeds for weight loss in your diet in many different ways. For example, dried seeds are great for seasoning fish or as decoration on cakes. However, you can also use them in drinks to facilitate their consumption. Check them out!
1. Fennel Seed Tea
The traditional way to take advantage of fennel seeds to lose weight is through tea, In addition, since it has all of the properties we mentioned before, you can also drink it when you have indigestion or stomach pain.
Ingredients
- 1 tsp. of fennel seeds (5 g)
- 1 c. of water (250 ml)
Preparation and consumption
- Firstly, add the seeds to a cup of boiling water.
- Cover the drink and let it steep for 10 minutes.
- Strain it and drink it before every meal.
Like this article? You may also like to read: 5 Plant-Based Teas for Fighting Indigestion
2. Fennel seed and lemon
Adding a little lemon juice to the tea will help it optimize its slimming effects. In addition, it alkalinizes the drink reducing the acidity caused by digestive and inflammatory disorders.
Ingredients
- 1 tsp. of fennel seeds (5 g)
- 1 c. of water (250 ml)
- The juice of 1/2 lemon
- 1 tbsp. of honey (25 g)
Preparation and consumption
- Add the fennel seeds to the water.
- Then, boil the drink and reduce the heat as soon as it bubbles.
- Turn the heat off after 5 minutes.
- Then, wait 10 minutes for it to sit, and strain it.
- To finish, add the lemon juice and a spoonful of honey.
- Drink this tea on an empty stomach at least three times a week.
3. Green tea and fennel infusion
This is ideal to drink in the mornings as it combines the activating power of green tea with the properties of this plant and fennel to aid in weight loss efforts.
Ingredients
- 5 g. of fennel seed
- 1 tsp. of green tea leaves
Preparation and consumption
- Boil a cup of water and add the fennel seeds; leave them for 5 minutes and turn off the heat.
- Then, use the water to make your tea as usual (by infusing the leaves for two to four minutes).
- You can drink a cup in the morning and combine it with the other fennel drinks the rest of the day.
4. A fennel and plum seed shake
Using plums and fennel seeds is an interesting and delicious way to lose weight. However, keep in mind that it’s a remedy with laxative properties that can help you regulate your stool.
Therefore, if you drink too much of it, it can be counterproductive if you aren’t constipated. Therefore, it’s best to drink this moderately, a maximum of two to three times a week.
Ingredients
- 6 large plums
- 1 tsp. of fennel seeds (5 g)
- 2 tbsp. of soaked flax seeds (30 g)
- 1 tsp. of soaked hemp seeds (5 g)
- 1 c. of water (250 ml)
Preparation and consumption
- First, add the flax and hemp seeds to individual cups with water.
- Let them soak overnight so they can soften.
- The next day, boil the plums in the water and add the fennel seeds.
- Then, reduce the heat to low, let it cook for 10 minutes, then turn it off.
- When the tea is at room temperature, pour it into a blender.
- Then, add the seeds that you soaked and blend.
- Drink the shake on an empty stomach, following the recommendations that we mentioned earlier.
- Finally, drink it 5 days in a row if you’re constipated.
5. Fennel seasoning powder
Maybe you dislike infusions. No worries, there are other ways you can incorporate fennel seed into your diet to lose weight and obtain good benefits.
Ingredients
- Fennel seeds
Preparation and consumption
- Grind a good amount of fennel seeds in a coffee grinder or food processor.
- Pour the powder into a glass jar with an airtight seal.
- Add half a teaspoon your lunch and dinner, be it mashed vegetables to make a cream, mixed with oil to make a dressing, or sprinkled on any other dishes of your choice.
What else you should know about the use of fennel seed
The properties of fennel seeds make them a perfect complement to weight loss diets but be clear that they’re not a miracle slimming product on their own.
Any positive effects you obtain from this ingredient derive from its multiple actions in your organism. There are few specific studies on the properties of fennel in weight loss at the moment. Moreover, some of the tests have been conducted on non-human animals.
For sure they promote the elimination of liquids, keep you full (as they provide volume), and improve digestion and abdominal swelling. All this can make you feel better while you diet.
You must adopt a satisfying diet adequate to your needs when trying to lose weight. You must also do regular physical activity and adopt other positive habits like finding ways to relax and rest. Many health professionals can help you do this so consult yours.
Also, keep in mind that medicinal plants such as fennel may have contraindications. So if you have any health problems, take medication, are pregnant or breastfeeding, run it by your doctor as well. Finally, don’t exceed the recommended doses.
Add fennel seeds to help you slim down
Would you like to try fennel seeds for weight loss? Find them at your local market and of course, be sure to maintain healthy habits for best results.
All cited sources were thoroughly reviewed by our team to ensure their quality, reliability, currency, and validity. The bibliography of this article was considered reliable and of academic or scientific accuracy.
- Anwar, F., Ali, M., Hussain, A. I., & Shahid, M. (2009). Antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of essential oil and extracts of fennel (Foeniculum vulgare Mill.) seeds from Pakistan. Flavour and Fragrance Journal. https://doi.org/10.1002/ffj.1929.
- Bae J. Y, Kim J, et al. Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) and Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum) tea drinking suppresses subjective short-term appetite in overweight women. Clinical Nutrition Research. Julio 2015. 4 (3): 168-174.
- Hursel R, Viechtbauer W, et al. The effects of green tea on weight loss and weigh maintenance: a meta-analysis. International Journal of Obesity. Septiembre 2009. 33 (9): 956-961.
- Malhotra, S. K. (2012). Fennel and fennel seed. In Handbook of Herbs and Spices: Second Edition. https://doi.org/10.1533/9780857095688.275
- Oktay, M., Gülçin, I., & Küfrevioǧlu, Ö. I. (2003). Determination of in vitro antioxidant activity of fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) seed extracts. LWT – Food Science and Technology. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0023-6438(02)00226-8.
- Saghafi N, Ghazanfarpour M, et al. Effect of Foenicum vulgare (Fennel) on body composition in postmenopausal women with excess weight: a double.blind randomized placebo-controlled trial. Journal of Menopausal Medicine. Diciembre 2017. 23 (3): 166-171.
