Fennel, Bitter

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(Foeniculum vulgare ssp. piperitum)
Supports healthy digestion, circulation and kidney/bladder function.

 Info

Fennel, Bitter (Common, Bitter Fennel)
Foeniculum vulgare ssp. piperitum

Similar to Sweet Fennel with high anethole content but with a spicier, less sweet aroma.

Plant Origin: USA
Method: Steam distilled from dried seeds
Cultivation: unsprayed (grown organically but not certified)
Chemical Family: Ether
Aroma: Spicy, Pungent, Sweet, Fresh, Anise-like
Note (Evaporation Rate): Middle

Key Constituents from GC/MS Analysis: Lot#111
anethole 58.26%
fenchone 12.66%
alpha pinene 10.76%
limonene 6.15%
alpha phellandrene 7.18%
methyl chavicol (estragole) 2.08%

Safety Information
Children: Avoid use with children under 5 (due to estrogenic properties)

Pregnancy/Breastfeeding: Not suitable. "Fennel is contraindicated during pregnancy and nursing because it is estrogenic (due to potentially 75% trans-anethole content). This probably explains why it can boost milk supply, but the concern is that it might upset the delicate balance of hormones in an infant. This is only a theoretical risk, but it's one that is perhaps worth heeding" (Tisserand).

Medication/Health Condition:
Contraindicated All Routes: Endometriosis, estrogen-dependent cancers
Caution Orally: Diabetes and Anticoagulant medication (such as aspirin, heparin, warfarin), Major Surgery and Childbirth (up to one week before and after), Peptic Ulcers, Hemophilia and other Bleeding disorders, Severe Hepatic (liver) or Renal (kidney) impairment, Hypertensive or Diabetic Retinopathy, Thrombocytopenia (decreased platelet count), Vasculitis

[Contraindicated orally because Bitter Fennel "may inhibit platelet aggregation based on in vitro data either for the oil or a major constituent." Essential Oil Safety by Tisserand/Young, page 117.]

Therapeutic Uses
Bitter Fennel essential oil may support, aid, ease, soothe, reduce, calm, relax, promote and/or maintain healthy function of the following:
Appetite, stimulate (Price: inhaled or applied topically)
Arthritis
Birth, facilitate
Bladder
Colic
Cystitis
Diabetes
Digestion (constipation, cramps, gas, indigestion, nausea, sluggish, spasms)
Estrogen, stimulate
Fluid retention
Gout
Kidney support
Heart
Hormones
Lactation, may increase
Liver
Menopause
Nausea
Pain
Pancreas
Parasites, intestinal
PMS
Respiratory
Skin, oily
Spleen
Tonic
Urinary Tract Infection (UTI)
Wrinkles

Hopewell Essential Oil blends with Bitter Fennel
Digestion Support
Kidney / Bladder
Master
Ovarian Cyst
Rejuvenate
Tapestry
Woman Ease
Wrinkle Ease

Application Suggestions (See Essential Oil Usage for more information and a Dilution Chart.)
Topical: Dilute with a carrier oil, unscented lotion or unscented cream and apply on area of concern or as desired. Consider using a roll-on applicator for ease of application of prediluted oil. Maximum dermal use level is 1.8% based on 6.5% estragole. See the current level to determine the exact limit per batch.

Children: Avoid use with children under 5 (due to estrogenic properties). Please follow the Dilution Chart on the Babies and Children page and don't exceed the maximum topical use of about 2%.

Inhalation: Diffuse or use a personal Nasal Inhaler

Internal: Fennel is suitable for internal use within safe parameters if such use is deemed appropriate. We feel that internal use is rarely *needed* and should only be used with respect for how concentrated the oils are. HEO does not advocate internal use of essential oils without appropriate knowledge and understanding of how to administer, for what purpose, how much, which essential oils, safety concerns and so on. In our experience, essential oils are generally more effective used topically with proper dilution or inhaled. Kurt Schnaubelt Ph.D. notes that "French aromatherapy literature contains many references to using oils orally." He goes on to note that "generally 1 drop is always enough when ingesting essential oils." A potential toxicity hazard could occur when untrained people use essential oils orally and ingest too much. Keep in mind that while medical doctors or health care practitioners may prescribe essential oils for internal use, they are trained and experienced in the safe application of essential oils. It is not a matter of using "French" or "British" methods, it's a matter of experience and appropriate application.

Tisserand's maximum adult oral dose for Bitter Fennel is 54mg (slightly less than 2 drops).

Kurt Schnaubelt wrote in The Healing Intelligence of Essential Oils (p. 133) that 1-2 drops orally is analgesic and sedates reflexes.

Click here for information about internal usage.

Testimonies
The following anecdotal testimonies have not been reviewed by the FDA.
The products mentioned are not intended to diagnose, prevent, treat or cure disease.
Information shared on the HEO website is not intended to be a substitute for medical advice given by your trusted health care provider.
We believe that essential oils are provided by the Lord to support our health and well-being.
The Lord is our wisdom, protector and healer.
(Genesis 1:29-30, Ezekiel 47:12)

1. I added just a drop of Fennel to honey, then to water I drank (in glass never plastic) while nursing my eighth child, and I had no problems with my milk supply even though I was using quite a bit of Peppermint for neck pain. She has Trisomy 21 and initially had poor nursing "skills," so I did this to be sure my milk supply didn't wain as we worked through the lactation issues. I'd guess I only did it for about a month or so and anytime I felt drained and lacking in supply. - Linda

2. I put the Fennel EO in a couple drops of carrier oil and applied to my sternum after nursing. I literally felt myself fill up! - Malissa

3. I have never taken Hopewell Oils' blends with Fennel due to past personal experience with another high-quality Fennel essential oil and fennel tea, so this information is about Fennel in general from any company. I think everyone may have a different sensitivity regarding different seizure types. For me, Fennel in any form is a trigger. I had not had any seizure episodes for over a year and a half. I do not take seizure medication - never have. I went through a Functional Neurology Treatmtent to try a natural recovery. I had never had seizures until my TBI from a motor vehicle accident. I have healed, however I still need to be careful about what I taken internally. I learned that MSM and Fennel both stir things up for me despite how well I have been doing or how much I have healed. In my personal situation I learned that Frankincense can counter seizure episodes, so I took some internally and applied some to the base of my skull on my spine, then on my stomach and right big toe (apparently a path to the brain). It worked fast and ended the seizures. I share this in case anyone has an episode. Having Frankincense on hand saved me much grief, and you never know when you might face that kind of an emergency! - Natalie
[HEO's Comment: Curiously, Tisserand/Young do not mention Fennel as a seizure trigger in Essential Oil Safety 2014.]

Safety
Drug Interaction: Reproductive hormone modulation, may inhibit blood clotting (Tisserand).

Avoid by all routes (topical, inhalation, oral): Pregnancy, breastfeeding, endometriosis, estrogen-dependent cancers, children under five years of age (per The Expanded Commission E Monographs. Tisserand notes that no explanation is given.) Specifically regarding (E)-anethole, Tisserand writes: "We consider that there is sufficient evidence of an estrogenic action for ( E )-anethole, and that administration of essential oils containing a high proportion of it should be avoided by any route in pregnancy, breastfeeding, endometriosis and estrogen-dependent cancers."

Tisserand also noted: "Fennel is contraindicated during pregnancy and nursing because it is estrogenic (due to about 75% trans-anethole content). This probably explains why it can boost milk supply, but the concern is that it might upset the delicate balance of hormones in an infant. This is only a theoretic risk, but it's one that is perhaps worth heeding."

Caution with Oral Use: Diabetes medication, anticoagulant medication, major surgery, peptic ulcer, hemophilia and other bleeding disorders (Tisserand).

Estragole: Tisserand writes: "Estragole is a rodent carcinogen when oral exposure is sufficiently high."

The Complete Guide to Aromatherapy by Salavatore Battaglia on the safety of Fennel: "I have a suspicion that some aromatherapists may be concerned about the fenchone content, which is a ketone. As we know, some ketones are reputed to be neurotoxic. There is no pharmacological evidence to suggest that fenchone or transanethole are neurotoxic in the doses used in aromatherapy." Battaglia references other noted authors: Blumenthal, Lawless, Tisserand.

Clinical Aromatherapy by Jane Buckle: "Some essential oils are generally contraindicated for all therapeutic uses." Her list includes Fennel. She continues: "These oils all contain toxic constituents." She lists Fennel as one to avoid if prone to epilepsy and then writes: ". . . although there is no published report of any of these triggering a seizure." (Note that the "toxic constituent" Buckle refers to in Fennel is a ketone - see Battaglia's note above.)

The Encyclopedia of Essential Oils by Julia Lawless: Fennel is "non-irritant, relatively non-toxic, narcotic in large doses . . ."

Avoid contact with the eyes and other sensitive areas. Essential oils are both lipophilic and hydrophobic. Lipophilic means they are attracted to fat— like the membranes of your eyes and skin. They are also hydrophobic, meaning they do not like water. Applying a carrier oil will create another fat for the essential oil to be attracted to other than the membranes of the eyes or skin. Tisserand suggests: "With essential oils, fatty oil has been suggested as an appropriate first aid treatment, though the advantage of saline [eyewash] is that the eyes can be continually flushed, and this is less easy with fatty oil.” We are not aware of a case where essential oil in the eyes caused permanent injury or long-term discomfort, but if you feel concerned, please call your health care provider.

References
Battaglia, Salvatore, The Complete Guide to Aromatherapy, 2002, pages 200-202.
Buckle, Jane, Clinical Aromatherapy, 2nd Edition 2003.
Lawless, J. The Encyclopedia of Essential Oils,1992.
Purchon, Nerys; Cantele, Lora, Complete Aromatherapy and Essential Oils Handbook for Everyday Wellness, 2014, page 56.
Tisserand, Robert; Young, Rodney, Essential Oil Safety: A Guide for Health Care Professionals, Elsevier Health Sciences UK, 2013, pages 152-153, 276-277, 486-488.
Tisserand, Robert, private communication in regard to why Fennel is contraindicated for use during pregnancy and lactation.

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May the Lord guide you continually, preserving your health and watering your life when you are dry. May you be like a well-watered garden, like an ever-flowing spring full of hope for your future in His care.
From Isaiah 58:11 & Jeremiah 29:11