Fennel bulb is sweet flavored vegetable often used as ingredient in Mediterranean cooking. Its juicy puffy bulb imparts distinctive “anise like” sweet flavor to the recipes. Bulb fennel is grown as a vegetable due to its attractive, squatted stems in numerous regions in the southern Europe, mainly in Italy. It is also known as Florence fennel, finocchio, sweet fennel, etc.
Bulb fennel is a cool season perennial herb but grown in all seasons of the year. Fennel is a small plant, growing up to only 2 m in height. As the plant grows, its compact lower leaves overlie one above the other to form a swollen, bulb like arrangement just above the ground. At fully grown fennel bulb measures about 3-5 inches wide and about 3 inches in long. As the plant grows, oftentimes, surrounding soil is pulled around the stem base to make a mound to obtain long lightened fronds.
Fennel is certainly an aromatic and also delicious herb which has numerous cookery as well as other therapeutic uses. You may enjoy the health benefits of the licorice-tasting herb simply by using in egg recipes, omelet, with grilled fish and cooked on fish dishes and bouillons, stewed with different kinds of beans and chickpeas and in various soups and sauces, adding fresh fennel roots in sautéed vegetables. Listed here are the top health benefits of fennel bulb:
1. Bone Health
Fennel bulb consists of higher calcium content that help to maintain bone strength and health. Bulb contains about 43 mg of calcium or about 4.30% of the RDA which help increase calcium in your diet, especially for those who do not consume enough from other sources.
Calcium isn’t the only bone-strengthening nutrient found in the bulb; fennel also contains magnesium, phosphorus, and vitamin K, which all play a role in maintaining bone strength.(1)
2. Immune System
1 cup of fennel bulb contains nearly 11.56% of the daily requirement of vitamin-C, which makes fennel quite a rich source of this beneficial element of our diet. Vitamin-C plays an important role in improving general immune system health, produces and repairs skin tissue, helps to form collagen, and also protects the blood vessel walls as an antioxidant against the harmful effects of free radicals that can often lead to heart disease!(2)
3. Anemia
Iron and histidine are found in a considerable amount in fennel bulb is helpful in treatment of anemia. While iron is the chief constituent of hemoglobin, histidine encourages production of hemoglobin and also helps in the formation of various other components of the blood.(3)
4. Lowers Blood Pressure
Fennel bulb consists of huge amount of potassium which is extremely important for lowering blood pressure and inflammation. Potassium works against sodium, helping to fight high blood pressure in the body.
A diet high in potassium can decrease systolic blood pressure by 5.5 points when compared to a high sodium diet. However don’t expect lower blood pressure immediately, it takes nearly four weeks of consuming a high potassium diet to see a drop in blood pressure.(4), (5)
5. Heart Disease
Fennel bulb is considered one of the best methods of obtaining fiber, but besides the advantages to digestion, it also helps to maintain healthy levels of cholesterol in the blood stream. This means it can encourage the elimination damaging LDL cholesterol, which is a key factor in heart disease, atherosclerosis, and strokes.(6)
6. Supports Lung and Respiratory Health
Several researches suggest taking manganese along with minerals like selenium and zinc can help people suffering from lung disorders, like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Oxidative stress is supposed to be a key mechanism for smoking-induced chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and other respiratory disorders, thus manganese’s ability to help lower inflammation and oxidative stress through the production of SODs makes it beneficial for those in need of lung healing.
7. Eye Health
Fennel bulb consists of 42 µg of Vitamin A which is 6.00% of the daily recommended value. Vitamin A is extremely important for your eye health. Consuming sufficient amount of vitamin A ensures the health of your eyes and improves your vision. Vitamin A helps to keep eyes moist and improves your night vision.
Vitamin A prevents common conditions like dry eyes, by helping the formation of visual purple in your eyes. Regular consumption of fennel bulb helps to increase rigidity to brightness and darkness.
8. Arthritis
Copper found in fennel bulb is extremely beneficial in reducing the symptoms of arthritis. Copper work as a home cure for arthritis; store water in a copper container overnight to accumulate copper traces. It is also beneficial in strengthening the muscular system, so drink the water when you wake in the morning. You will feel energized and active for the day, because your metabolism will have a good source of copper for its daily processes. Fennel bulb consists of 0.057 mg of copper which is 6.33% of the daily recommended value so consume fennel on a regular basis.
9. Weakness
Phosphorous found in fennel bulb helps to remove minor health problems like muscle weakness, numbness, fatigue as well as similar ailments. Normal levels of phosphorous in the body are a great way to remain fit and active. According to experts and from suggestions of various health practitioners, a normal amount can be about 1200 mg for adults. Apart from that sexual weakness can also be cured with healthy supplementation of phosphorous into the body, so issues like loss of libido, impotence, frigidity, and sperm motility can be boosted by having a sufficient supply of phosphorus in your system.
10. Pregnancy and Birth Defects
Regular consumption of fennel bulb is one of the best methods for limiting defects during pregnancy and the birth of a child as it consists of considerable amount of Vitamin B9. Pregnant women having a diet deficient of this vitamin cannot deliver a healthy child. Birth defects caused by its deficiency include neural tube defects. Therefore, fennel bulb effectively improves the chances of giving birth to a healthy, happy child.
Selection and storage
Fresh fennel bulb is available in the market in spring season.
In the United States it can be available year around.
The bulbs are labeled as “anise” in the markets, because of their anise like flavor.
To crop the fennel, gently pull it from the ground as it firmly holding the bulb base.
Remove the roots and cut the top green leaves.
To select fennel from stores choose fresh, creamy white fennel having attractive anise like sweet flavor.
Buy medium sized fennels weighing about 5-10 ounces.
Avoid dried out, shriveled bulbs and those with yellow discoloration, spots, splits, and bruise.
Store fennel in refrigerator holding in plastic bag stays 3 to 5 days, after it loses its nutrients.
Preparation and serving tips
Fennel is a sweet flavored vegetable used in many dishes.
It is generally used in salads, soups and stews.
To prepare recipes with fennel cut its base, leaves and remove outer layers also like Endive, Cabbage.
And cut the bulb as slices, sticks, cubes as you like for recipes.
Thin sliced layers are added to salads.
This fennel is baked, steamed, and added to various dishes.
Fennel bulb can be added to flavor meat, fish, pork, and poultry recipes.
