Aniseed or anise essential oil is derived from the perennial herbal plant that is commonly known as anise or aniseed. It is also scientifically known as Pimpinella anisum. More often than not, this oil is confused with star anise essential oil but that oil comes from star anise plant, scientifically known as Illicum verum. The focus of this article today will be on the former aniseed essential oil.

The plant is prevalent in the Mediterranean regions and it undoubtedly has a long historical record. In fact, it was introduced to northern Europe by the Romans after they discovered that the aniseed herb could be used as a digestive, specifically added to cakes which contained other digestive seeds like cumin and fennel, eaten after meals. Early settlers brought it to North America.

Its essential oil possesses a very distinctive aroma that resembles that of black licorice and it is widely known for its digestive benefits. However, aniseed oil also contains other potent health benefits which will be addressed below, thus making the oil a useful addition to your essential oils collection! Read on to find out more.

Health Benefits of Aniseed Essential Oil:

1. Offers Pain Relief

Aniseed essential oil is an effective pain reliever agent, thus making it a potent oil to soothe muscle aches and stiff or sore joints. As such, it can give much relief from arthritic or rheumatic conditions, or even when you have incurred muscle aches from a strenuous workout session. It has anti-inflammatory and relaxant properties which help to soothe the inflammation and ache away.

How to Use it: Dilute the oil with a carrier oil first (such as rosehip, coconut or jojoba oils) in a 1:1 ratio and gently massage onto the affected areas for pain relief.

2. Offers Respiratory Relief

Aniseed essential oil is also quite remarkable as an expectorant agent, as it helps to loosen up excess mucus and phlegm which are lodged in the respiratory tracts. As such, this helps to relieve congestion in the lungs, which results in a much freer breathing passage.

Moreover, it has muscle relaxant and antispasmodic qualities, which means aniseed oil helps to relax the bronchial and tracheal muscles and soothes irritation along these places, thus alleviating and preventing painful coughing spells. This hence accords one the much needed relief from such respiratory problems, such as coughs, cold, flu, asthma and bronchitis.

In fact, a 2001 study published in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology found that aniseed oil exhibited strong relaxant effects on isolated guinea pig tracheal chains, thus indicating the bronchodilatory effects of aniseed essential oil.

How to Use it: You can diffuse 3-5 drops of the oil into your diffuser or vaporizer for a nice licorice-like scent which helps provide the much needed respiratory relief and comfort as well.

3. Promotes Digestive Health

As abovementioned, aniseed essential oil is well known for its digestive benefits. The oil has carminative properties which helps get rid of excess gas in your digestive organs, thus providing much relief from indigestion, flatulence and bloating.

Its insecticidal property also means that the oil can get rid of intestinal worms while its antispasmodic qualities means it helps to ease contractions and convulsions of the gastrointestinal muscles, thus easing stomach cramps.

In fact, it even works great for relieving nausea! A 2005 study published in the International Journal of Aromatherapy found that a synergistic blend of aniseed, sweet fennel, roman chamomile and peppermint essential oils resulted in nausea relief to 25 patients in a hospice and palliative care program.

How to Use it: For nausea relief, you can consider the blend that has been used in the experiment and diffuse this blend in a distiller or vaporizer. Alternatively, you can dilute the oil with a carrier oil and gently massage onto your lower abdominal area.

4. A Potent Antibacterial and Antifungal Agent

Aniseed essential oil also contains much antibacterial and antimicrobial properties, which thus makes it an antibacterial powerhouse. For example, a 2008 journal study published in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology found that when aniseed essential oil was paired with thyme essential oil, the blend was able to inhibit activity of 8 Gram-positive and Gram-negative pathogenic bacteria.

Aniseed essential oil alone was able to significantly inhibit the bacterial strain of the antibiotic-resistant S. aureus, Bacillus cereus and Proteus vulgaris, thus illustrating its significant and potent antibacterial properties which makes it a useful oil for eradicating bacteria on external wounds and internally to prevent infections.

Furthermore, it possesses much antifungal activities as well. A 2005 research study conducted by researchers from the University of Zagreb in Croatia found that aniseed essential oil exhibited strong antifungal activities against five species of yeast, including the Candida albicans bacterial strains.

How to Use it: Dilute the oil with a carrier oil and apply onto external wounds, but be careful to avoid open wounds, cuts and sores. Alternatively, you can diffuse the oil in a distiller or vaporizer and breathe in the aromatic wafts.

5. Alleviates Tension, Stress and Anxiety

Like many essential oils out there, aniseed essential oil is one oil that soothes and relaxes you. It is ultimately a sedative, which means it can help alleviate anxiety, stress and tension to induce relaxation and calmness from within. As such, this makes it a tranquilizer as well, helping you to sleep more easily. Therefore, aniseed oil is also great for those suffering from insomnia.

Because of its narcotic and sedative effects, it can calm down epileptic and hysteric attacks as well, as it soothes nervous afflictions.

How to Use it: Simply diffuse a few drops of the oil in a diffuser or vaporizer and diffuse for no more than 20 minutes.

6. A Potent Insect Repellent

Because of its insecticidal nature, it is a toxic oil for insects, pests and other parasitic agents which can potentially invade your homes. As such, this oil is great for eradicating off these pesky creepy crawlies. You do not need to use synthetic and commercial pesticide agents anymore, because those can be harmful for your health and for the environment due to the high toxic chemical content.

In fact, scientific literature substantiates this. A 2014 study published in the Journal of Asia-Pacific Entomology found that aniseed oil, with its major compound trans-anethole, helped to inhibit the growth of various mosquitoes and water insects. As such, the researchers recommend the oil to be suitable potential botanical insecticide.

How to Use it: You can add 4-5 drops of the oil in a spritz bottle containing water and use this mixture to spray onto places where mosquitoes and other creepy crawlies are likely to be at.

Safety Precautions:

• Aniseed essential oil is potentially toxic, especially when taken in large doses. Therefore, always be cautious when using the oil as large dosages might slow down respiration and circulation.

• Aniseed oil should not be ingested at all due to its toxic nature.

• It is best to avoid aniseed oil if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.

• Always dilute the oil with a carrier oil (like coconut, jojoba or sweet almond oils) in a 1:1 ratio before applying it topically onto the skin.

• Prior to that, perform a skin patch test first to ensure you do not have sensitive or allergic reactions to the oil.

• Keep out of reach from small children.

• If you have preexisting medical conditions and are under drug prescriptions by your doctor, do consult your doctor first before using aniseed oil (and any other essential oils) as a form of treatment. This is because aniseed oil is known to interact with some drugs (such as diazepam and blood thinner medications) and medical conditions to produce unwarranted consequences.

References:

Boskabady MH, Ramazani-Assari M, “Relaxant effect of Pimpinella anisum on isolated guinea pig tracheal chains and its possible mechanism(s)”, Journal of Ethnopharmacology (2001); 74(1)

N.P. Gilligan, “The palliation of nausea in hospice and palliative care patients with essential oils of Pimpinella anisum (aniseed), Foeniculum vulgare var. Dulce (sweet fennel), Anthemis nobilis (Roman chamomile) and Mentha x piperita (peppermint)”, International Journal of Aromatherapy (2005); 15(4)

Al-Bayati FA, “Synergistic antibacterial activity between Thymus vulgaris and Pimpinella anisum essential oils and methanol extracts”, Journal of Ethnopharmacology (2008); 116(3)

Kosalec I, Pepeljnjak S, Kustrak D, “Antifungal activity of fluid extract and essential oil from anise fruits (Pimpinella anisum L., Apiaceae)”, PubMed (2005); 55(4)

Roman Pavela, “Insecticidal properties of Pimpinella anisum essential oils against the Culex quinquefasciatus and the non-target organism Daphnia magnia”, Journal of Asia-Pacific Entomology (2014); 17(3)