Fennel

Fennel is crunchy and slightly sweet, adding a

refreshing contribution to the ever popular
Mediterranean cuisine. Most often associated
with Italian cooking, be sure to add this to
your selection of fresh vegetables from the autumn through
early spring when it is readily available and at its best.
Fennel is composed of a white or pale green bulb from which
closely superimposed stalks are arranged. The stalks are
topped with feathery green leaves near which flowers grow
and produce fennel seeds. The bulb, stalk, leaves and seeds are
all edible. Fennel belongs to the Umbellifereae family and is
therefore closely related to parsley, carrots, dill and coriander.

This chart graphically details the %DV that a serving of

Fennel provides for each of the nutrients of which it is a good,
very good, or excellent source according to our Food Rating
System. Additional information about the amount of these
nutrients provided by Fennel can be found in the Food Rating
System Chart. A link that takes you to the In-Depth

Nutritional Profile for Fennel, featuring information over 80

nutrients, can be found under the Food Rating System Chart.

Health Benefits
Description
History
How to Select and Store
How to Enjoy
Safety
Nutritional Profile
References

Health Benefits
Unique Phytonutrients with Antioxidant and
Health-Promoting Effects
Like many of its fellow spices, fennel contains its own unique
combination of phytonutrients-including the flavonoids rutin,
quercitin, and various kaempferol glycosides-that give it
strong antioxidant activity. The phytonutrients in fennel
extracts compare favorably in research studies to BHT
(butylated hydroxytoluene), a potentially toxic antioxidant
commonly added to processed foods.
The most fascinating phytonutrient compound in fennel,
however, may be anethole-the primary component of its
volatile oil. In animal studies, the anethole in fennel has
repeatedly been shown to reduce inflammation and to help
prevent the occurrence of cancer. Researchers have also
proposed a biological mechanism that may explain these antiinflammatory and anticancer effects. This mechanism involves
the shutting down of a intercellular signaling system called
tumor necrosis factor (or TNF)-mediated signaling. By

shutting down this signaling process, the anethole in fennel

prevents activation of a potentially strong gene-altering and
inflammation-triggering molecule called NF-kappaB. The
volatile oil has also been shown to be able to protect the liver
of experimental animals from toxic chemical injury.
Antioxidant Protection and Immune Support
from Vitamin C
In addition to its unusual phytonutrients, fennel bulb is an
excellent source of vitamin C. Vitamin C is the body's primary
water-soluble antioxidant, able to neutralize free radicals in all
aqueous environments of the body. If left unchecked, these
free radicals cause cellular damage that results in the pain and
joint deterioration that occurs in conditions like osteoarthritis
and rheumatoid arthritis.
The vitamin C found in fennel bulb is directly antimicrobial
and is also needed for the proper function of the immune
system.
Fiber, Folate and Potassium for
Cardiovascular and Colon Health
As a very good source of fiber, fennel bulb may help to reduce
elevated cholesterol levels. And since fiber also removes
potentially carcinogenic toxins from the colon, fennel bulb
may also be useful in preventing colon cancer. In addition to
its fiber, fennel is a very good source of folate, a B vitamin
that is necessary for the conversion of a dangerous molecule
called homocysteine into other, benign molecules. At high
levels, homocysteine, which can directly damage blood vessel
walls, is considered a significant risk factor for heart attack or
stroke. Fennel is also a very good source of potassium, a
mineral that helps lower high blood pressure, another risk

factor for stroke and heart attack. In a cup of fennel, you'll

receive 10.8% of the daily value for fiber, 5.9% of the DV for
folate, and 10.3% of the DV for potassium.
Description
Fennel is a versatile vegetable that plays an important role in
the food culture of many European nations, especially in
France and Italy. Its esteemed reputation dates back to the
earliest times and is reflected in its mythological traditions.
Greek myths state that fennel was not only closely associated
with Dionysus, the Greek god of food and wine, but that a
fennel stalk carried the coal that passed down knowledge from
the gods to men.
Fennel is composed of a white or pale green bulb from which
closely superimposed stalks are arranged. The stalks are
topped with feathery green leaves near which flowers grow
and produce fennel seeds. The bulb, stalk, leaves and seeds are
all edible. Fennel belongs to the Umbellifereae family and is
therefore closely related to parsley, carrots, dill and coriander.
Fennel's aromatic taste is unique, strikingly reminiscent of
licorice and anise, so much so that fennel is often mistakenly
referred to as anise in the marketplace. Fennel's texture is
similar to that of celery, having a crunchy and striated texture.
The scientific name for fennel is Foeniculum vulgare.
History
Ever since ancient times, fennel has enjoyed a rich history.
The ancient Greeks knew fennel by the name "marathron"; it
grew in the field in which one of the great ancient battles was
fought and which was subsequently named the Battle of

Marathon after this revered plant. Fennel was also awarded to

Pheidippides, the runner who delivered the news of the
Persian invasion to Sparta. Greek myths also hold that
knowledge was delivered to man by the gods at Olympus in a
fennel stalk filled with coal. Fennel was revered by the Greeks
and the Romans for its medicinal and culinary properties.
Fennel has been grown throughout Europe, especially areas
surrounding the Mediterranean Sea, and the Near East since
ancient times. Today, the United States, France, India and
Russia are among the leading cultivators of fennel.
How to Select and Store
Good quality fennel will have bulbs that are clean, firm and
solid, without signs of splitting, bruising or spotting. The
bulbs should be whitish or pale green in color. The stalks
should be relatively straight and closely superimposed around
the bulb and should not splay out to the sides too much. Both
the stalks and the leaves should be green in color. There
should be no signs of flowering buds as this indicates that the
vegetable is past maturity. Fresh fennel should have a fragrant
aroma, smelling subtly of licorice or anise. Fennel is usually
available from autumn through early spring.
Store fresh fennel in the refrigerator crisper, where it should
keep fresh for about four days. Yet, it is best to consume
fennel soon after purchase since as it ages, it tends to
gradually lose its flavor. While fresh fennel can be frozen after
first being blanched, it seems to lose much of its flavor during
this process. Dried fennel seeds should be stored in an airtight
container in a cool and dry location where they will keep for
about six months. Storing fennel seeds in the refrigerator will
help to keep them fresher longer.

How to Enjoy
For some of our favorite recipes, click Recipes.
Tips for Preparing Fennel:
The three different parts of fennel-the base, stalks and leavescan all be used in cooking. Cut the stalks away from the bulb
at the place where they meet. If you are not going to be using
the intact bulb in a recipe, then first cut it in half, remove the
base, and then rinse it with water before proceeding to cut it
further. Fennel can be cut in a variety of sizes and shapes,
depending upon the recipe and your personal preference. The
best way to slice it is to do so vertically through the bulb. If
your recipe requires chunked, diced or julienned fennel, it is
best to first remove the harder core that resides in the center
before cutting it. The stalks of the fennel can be used for
soups, stocks and stews, while the leaves can be used as an
herb seasoning.
A Few Quick Serving Ideas:
Healthy sauted fennel and onions make a wonderful side
dish.
Combine sliced fennel with avocados, and oranges for a
delightful salad.
Braised fennel is a wonderful complement to scallops.
Next time you are looking for a new way to adorn your
sandwiches, consider adding sliced fennel in addition to the
traditional toppings of lettuce and tomato.
Top thinly sliced fennel with plain yogurt and mint leaves.

Fennel is a match made in Heaven when served with salmon.

Safety
Fennel is not a commonly allergenic food, is not known to
contain measurable amounts of goitrogens, oxalates, or
purines, and is also not included in the Environmental
Working Group's 2003 report "Shopper's Guide to Pesticides
in Produce" as one of the 12 foods most frequently containing
pesticide residues.
Nutritional Profile
Fennel is an excellent source of vitamin C. It is also a very
good of dietary fiber, potassium, manganese, folate, and
molybdenum. In addition, fennel is a good source of niacin as
well as the minerals phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, iron,
and copper.
For an in-depth nutritional profile click here: Fennel.
In-Depth Nutritional Profile
In addition to the nutrients highlighted in our ratings chart, an
in-depth nutritional profile for Fennel is also available. This
profile includes information on a full array of nutrients,
including carbohydrates, sugar, soluble and insoluble fiber,
sodium, vitamins, minerals, fatty acids, amino acids and more.
Introduction to Food Rating System Chart
In order to better help you identify foods that feature a high
concentration of nutrients for the calories they contain, we
created a Food Rating System. This system allows us to
highlight the foods that are especially rich in particular
nutrients. The following chart shows the nutrients for which

this food is either an excellent, very good, or good source

(below the chart you will find a table that explains these
qualifications). If a nutrient is not listed in the chart, it does
not necessarily mean that the food doesn't contain it. It simply
means that the nutrient is not provided in a sufficient amount
or concentration to meet our rating criteria. (To view this
food's in-depth nutritional profile that includes values for
dozens of nutrients - not just the ones rated as excellent, very
good, or good - please use the link below the chart.) To read
this chart accurately, you'll need to glance up in the top left
corner where you will find the name of the food and the
serving size we used to calculate the food's nutrient
composition. This serving size will tell you how much of the
food you need to eat to obtain the amount of nutrients found in
the chart. Now, returning to the chart itself, you can look next
to the nutrient name in order to find the nutrient amount it
offers, the percent Daily Value (DV%) that this amount
represents, the nutrient density that we calculated for this food
and nutrient, and the rating we established in our rating
system. For most of our nutrient ratings, we adopted the
government standards for food labeling that are found in the
U.S. Food and Drug Administration's "Reference Values for
Nutrition Labeling." Read more background information and
details of our rating system.
Fennel, raw, sliced
1.00 cup
87.00 grams
26.98 calories

Nutrient

World's
DV Nutrien Healthies
Amoun (%
t
t
t
) Density
Foods

Rating
vitamin C

10.44
mg

dietary fiber
potassium
manganese

17.4

11.6

excellent

2.70 g 10.8

7.2

very good

360.18
10.3
mg

6.9

very good

5.3

very good

0.16 mg 8.0
23.50
mcg

5.9

3.9

very good

molybdenu
m

4.34
mcg

5.8

3.9

very good

phosphorus

43.50
mg

4.3

2.9

good

calcium

42.64
mg

4.3

2.8

good

magnesium

14.80
mg

3.7

2.5

good

iron

0.64 mg 3.6

2.4

good

copper

0.06 mg 3.0

2.0

good

vitamin B3
(niacin)

0.56 mg 2.8

1.9

good

folate

World's
Healthie
st
Foods
Rating
Rule
excellent DV>=75 O Density>=7 AN DV>=10

very
good
good

%
DV>=50
%
DV>=25
%

R
.6
D
%
O Density>=3 AN
DV>=5%
R
.4
D
O Density>=1 AN DV>=2.5
R
.5
D
%

In-Depth Nutritional Profile for Fennel

References

Chainy GB, Manna SK, Chaturvedi MM, Aggarwal

BB. Anethole blocks both early and late cellular
responses transduced by tumor necrosis factor:
effect on NF-kappaB, AP-1, JNK, MAPKK and
apoptosis. Oncogene 2000 Jun 8;19(25):294350 2000. PMID:12930.
Ensminger AH, Ensminger, ME, Kondale JE,
Robson JRK. Foods & Nutriton Encyclopedia.
Pegus Press, Clovis, California 1983.
Ensminger AH, Esminger M. K. J. e. al. Food for
Health: A Nutrition Encyclopedia. Clovis,
California: Pegus Press; 1986 1986.
PMID:15210.
Fortin, Francois, Editorial Director. The Visual
Foods Encyclopedia. Macmillan, New York 1996.
Grieve M. A Modern Herbal. Dover Publications,
New York 1971.
Ostad SN, Soodi M, Shariffzadeh M, et al. The
effect of fennel essential oil on uterine
contraction as a model for dysmenorrhea,
pharmacology and toxicology study. J

Ethnopharmacol 2001 Aug;76(3):299-304 2001.

PMID:12940.
Ozbek H, Ugras S, Dulger H et al.
Hepatoprotective effect of Foeniculum vulgare
essential oil. Fitoterapia 2003 Apr; 74(3):317-9
2003.
Ruberto G, Baratta MT, Deans SG, Dorman HJ.
Antioxidant and antimicrobial activity of
Foeniculum vulgare and Crithmum maritimum
essential oils. Planta Med 2000 Dec;66(8):68793 2000. PMID:12920.
Wood, Rebecca. The Whole Foods Encyclopedia.
New York, NY: Prentice-Hall Press; 1988 1988.
PMID:15220.
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