Fennel
Food · Vegetable · Food, Typed Supps
Crunchy raw fennel is a low-calorie veggie that can calm an upset stomach while giving you vitamin C and potassium.
Stage by stage
- Aromatic Release (Mouth): Chewing crushes fennel's oil cells, releasing anethole and fenchone, the aromatic compounds behind its licorice-like scent.
- Gastric Calm (Stomach): In the stomach, these essential oils act as carminatives, relaxing digestive smooth muscle and easing bloating and gas.
- Nutrient Absorption (Small intestine): The small intestine absorbs fennel's vitamin C, potassium, fiber, and vitamin K as digestion continues.
- Circulate & Support (Bloodstream): Potassium and vitamin K enter the bloodstream, supporting healthy blood pressure and normal blood clotting.
Timing
Fennel is traditionally eaten with or after meals, raw in salads or cooked into soups and braises, to take advantage of its digestive, gas-relieving properties.
Time to effect
- Minutes to hours: The digestive, gas-relieving effect of fennel's essential oils is typically noticeable within 30 to 60 minutes of eating, while benefits from its potassium, fiber, and vitamin content build with regular consumption over weeks.
Allergens
None of the fourteen major allergens. Derived from what this food is, not from a product label.
Eating patterns
Fits: Vegan, Vegetarian, Pescatarian, Halal, Kosher, Keto, Gluten-free. Depends on the product: Low-FODMAP.
In season
August to November in the northern hemisphere, February to May in the southern.
Satiety
The satiety index is measured on 240 kcal servings. At 26 kcal per 100 g that is 930 g of this, which is not a serving anyone eats — so the index has nothing to say about it.
Environmental footprint
0.5 kg CO2e and 108 litres of freshwater per kg, matched to "Other vegetables" in Poore & Nemecek (2018), Science 360.
Cost band
Mid — roughly £9 per kg, as a band midpoint rather than a price.
Key nutrients
Nutrition per 100g
- Calories: 25.8
- Protein: 1.2g
- Carbohydrate: 3.9g
- of which sugars: 3.9g
- Fat: 0.1g
- of which saturated: 0g
- Fibre: 2.1g
- Sodium: 42mg
Food vs. supplement
Whole fennel bulb supplies fiber, potassium, and vitamin C within a low-calorie food matrix, while fennel-seed supplements and teas concentrate essential oils like anethole and estragole to levels not found in the vegetable itself.
Kitchen tip
Slice the bulb thin against the grain and toss with lemon juice and olive oil for a crisp raw salad, or roast wedges to mellow its licorice-like flavor while keeping much of its vitamin C and fiber intact.
Common myth
"Fennel tea is a completely safe, natural remedy for infant colic." In reality: Concentrated fennel preparations contain estragole, a compound that shows genotoxic carcinogenicity in animal studies at high doses, plus anethole's estrogenic activity; regulatory bodies including Swissmedic and the EMA advise against fennel tea for infants, young children, and pregnant or breastfeeding women outside of medical supervision, even though whole fennel bulb eaten as food carries no such warning.
Recipes that use it
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