Anise

7 spices that heal

Besides imparting complex flavours into food, some spices also have medicinal properties. Here are 7 spices that can be used to minimize symptoms and even treat some basic health problems.

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Anise

In ancient Rome, at the end of an indulgent feast, people would serve cakes made with anise to calm digestion and freshen the breath. In the 1930s, Margaret Grieve—in her highly influential book A Modern Herbal – said the “stimulant and carminative properties of anise make it useful in flatulency and colic”.

Like ginger, anise has several uses. It’s still used as an aromatic digestive, a group of remedies that calms digestive problems, and reduces nausea, gas and bloating. Anise can also be used as an expectorant and can be used for coughs and colds.

Anise works well in vegetable soups: add seeds or whole star anise when sautéing onion and garlic. You can also make a tea by pouring boiling water ofer slightly crushed seeds. Drink a cup of this after dinner, or anytime you are feeling a bloated or gassy.