Saunf - Health Benefits, Uses and Important Facts

Indians love to eat, and it's well known that they like Saunf (fennel seeds) to help them feel better after a meal. They often eat fennel seeds after every meal to help their bodies digest food faster and feel better. But these tiny seeds aren't just good for reviving you; they're also important for their medicinal and culinary uses. India is one of the biggest exporters of fennel seeds because of this.

These fragrant seeds come from a herb called Foeniculum vulgare. India and the Mediterranean are the main places where it is grown. They are known to have a lot of healthy nutrients that are good for your health.

What is saunf?

In Hindi, fennel seeds are called saunf. Saunf is the name of a flowering plant in the family Foeniculum Vulgare, which also includes carrot, caraway, dill cumin, and parsley. The seeds of the fennel plant, which is white and green with feathery leaves and yellow flowers, are what make this herb taste good. It grows naturally in the Mediterranean regions, but it is also grown in many places around the world near the coasts and rivers. India is said to send out the most saunf of any country. The fennel plant has a mild, licorice-like flavour that is also sweet and woody. Its unique flavour comes from the goodness of essential oils that are very strong.

Types of saunf:

There are two kinds of fennel. One, called Foeniculum vulgare, is used as a herb, and the other, called Florence fennel, is a vegetable with a stem that looks like a bulb and is used like a bulb. The herb grows from 3 to 5 feet tall and has fine-textured leaves that look like dill.

Nutritional value of saunf: 

There is a list of nutritional values on the Fennel Saunf. It contains a lot of vitamin C and fibre. It also has potassium, manganese, copper, phosphorus, molybdenum, folate, and folate. It also has calcium, pantothenic acid, magnesium, iron, and niacin.

Health benefits of saunf: 

1: Helps fight bad breath

There is a specific aromatic essential oil in fennel seeds that is antibacterial and helps freshen your breath. The sweet fennel seeds make you spit out more saliva, which helps kill bacteria. It is an easy and effective way to get rid of bad breath at home. If you ate 5 to 10 fennel seeds, your breath might smell better.

2: Helps the digestive system

Essential oils from fennel seed help your body make more digestive juices and enzymes, which makes your digestion better. There are chemicals in fennel seeds called anethole, fenchone, and estragole that help relax muscles and reduce inflammation. They work great for problems like constipation, heartburn, and bloating. If you want to keep your digestive system healthy and happy, drink fennel tea. Fennel seeds also have fibre, and even though they are small, they have a lot of fibre. This can help your digestion even more. Fennel seeds help your heart because they add fibre to your diet. Many studies have shown that people who eat more fibre have a lower risk of heart diseases.

3: Helps to keep blood pressure in check

The amount of fluid in the blood is controlled by the amount of potassium in fennel seeds. It can help you keep your heart rate and blood pressure under control. According to a study that has been published, fennel seeds raise the amount of nitrite in the saliva. Nitrite is a natural substance that keeps blood pressure under control.

4: Helps asthma and other lung problems.

Fennel seeds have a lot of phytonutrients that help clear the sinuses. These tiny seeds help relax the bronchial tubes, which can help asthma, bronchitis, and congestion symptoms.

5: Promotes lactation

The anethole in fennel seeds makes the galactagogues (substances that help you breastfeed) make more milk. Many studies show that anethole acts like the hormone oestrogen and helps women to start breastfeeding.

6: Makes skin look better

Fennel extract does amazing things for the skin by protecting it from damage caused by free radicals and making skin cells live longer. They have a lot of minerals like zinc, selenium, and potassium. The balance of your hormones and the amount of oxygen in your bloodstream depends on these minerals. People use them a lot to treat skin problems like acne, rashes, and dryness.

7: Purifies blood

The essential oils and fibres in fennel seeds help clean your blood and get rid of harmful substances in your body.

8: Helps keep cancer away

Many studies show that fennel seeds can help fight cancer. They have powerful antioxidant properties that neutralise free radicals and fight oxidative stress. It could be the reason why cancer doesn't happen.

9: It helps improve vision

Your eyes can benefit greatly from a handful of fennel seeds. It has vitamin A, which is important for healthy eyes. In the past, glaucoma could be treated with an extract from fennel seeds.

10: Helps you lose weight

Fennel seeds have a lot of fibre, which may help you lose weight and keep you from feeling hungry. They make you pee more often and speed up your metabolism. When combined with a healthy diet and exercise, eating fennel seeds every day helps you lose weight quickly. If you want better results, mix roasted fennel seed powder with warm water and drink it on an empty stomach. Fennel seeds are also considered appetite suppressants because they are high in fibre, which makes you feel full for longer. This could also help you reach your weight-loss goals and keep you from eating too much.

11: Lowers gas

Fennel seeds are thought to help reduce gas because they are good for digestion and kill germs. By making it easier to digest food, this seed makes it easy to go to the bathroom without getting too gassy. And because it has an antimicrobial effect (mostly from the anethole, an organic compound in the seed), it stops the growth of bacteria and releasing gases in the first place.