Anise can help protect you from harmful organisms

Monday, January 13, 2014 by: P. Simard
Tags: anise, harmful organisms, herbal medicine

(NaturalNews) Anise is a plant that is believed to originate from Greece and Egypt, where it's been used to treat various medical issues for hundreds of years, going as far back as the 7th century. Way back in time, in certain areas of the world, taxes could be paid in crops, and anise happened to be amongst the accepted ones. It is a well regarded herb with very strong antiviral, antibacterial and antifungal properties.

It's definitely a great aid to digestion, but it truly stands for its efficacy when faced with detrimental organisms. Apparently, when combined with other similar herbs, its potent effects may increase exponentially. It was noted that, when anise seed was added to horopito pepper in order to get rid of Candida yeast infections, it became up to 32 times more efficient than without this beneficial addition. Based on research conducted at the University of Mississippi's School of Pharmacy, anise came out on top in tests comparing various plant extracts' ability to inhibit growth of fungal and microbial matter.

Alternative medicine has long been using aniseed to treat health conditions associated with dyspepsia and coughs, but some of the most interesting observations were related to its possible anticancer properties. As incredible as it seems, the vast majority of star anise is already used by Roche, a pharmaceutical company, to manufacture Tamiflu. Unfortunately, the fact that anise takes quite a bit of time to flower means that you'd be stuck with quite a low production rate for any product conceived with the intent of treating cancer at large.

Aniseed considered as an immune stimulant and a growth promoter

Research was undertaken at the NWFP Agricultural University of Peshawar in Pakistan to evaluate the effects of a 6% concentrated aniseed extract when given to various groups of broiler chicks. The quantities given to the broiler chicks ranged between 20 ml and 40 ml depending on the chosen groups. By the end of the study, it was clear to scientists that the chicks that had received up to 40 ml of the aniseed extract displayed significantly better growth performance and overall immunity in comparison with the other groups.

Most of us will agree that mosquitoes can be quite unpleasant to have around; therefore, it's no surprise that more people are now looking for safe and effective ways to get rid of them without having to use harmful chemicals. This is where anise may come into play as a safe alternative. In Turkey, many essential oils, such as the ones from eucalyptus, mint and basil, to name just a few, were tested to find out which one was the most effective to keep mosquitoes off people. Although all essential oils showed promise, it was anise that seemed to have the most compelling results.

Sources for this article include:

http://www.naturalnews.com

http://science.naturalnews.com

About the author:
After spending several years working in property management, P. Simard is now focusing on being a naturopath in Quebec.