Fennel is a flavourful culinary herb and medicinal plant. The plant is green and white, with feathery leaves and yellow flowers. Both the crunchy bulb and the seeds of the fennel plant have a mild, liquorice-like flavour. Yet, the flavour of the seeds is more potent due to their powerful essential oils. In local markets, fennel is sold in bunches or individually, depending on what a customer wants, and one single fennel ranges between Rwf 200 to 300 while a bunch costs Rwf 600. Aside from its many culinary uses, fennel and its seeds offer a wide array of health benefits and may provide antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial effects. Emmy Ntamanga, a Kigali-based nutrition consultant, says fennel contains fibre, potassium, folate, vitamin C, vitamin B-6, and phytonutrient content, coupled with its lack of cholesterol that supports heart health. The fibre in fennel helps decreases the risk of heart disease as it helps reduce the total amount of cholesterol in the blood. Potassium, he says, helps promote heart health too. Vitamin B-6 and folate prevent the build-up of a compound called homocysteine by converting it into a different compound, methionine. “When excessive amounts of homocysteine build-up, it can damage blood vessels and lead to heart problems,” he says. Ntamanga says vitamin B-6 plays a vital role in energy metabolism by breaking down carbohydrates and proteins into glucose and amino acids. These smaller compounds are more easily used for energy within the body. He adds that the fibre content in fennel as well helps to prevent constipation and promotes regularity for a healthy digestive tract. Consuming dietary fibre has been linked to weight management and works as a bulking agent in the digestive system. He explains that these compounds increase satiety and reduce appetite, making an individual feel fuller longer and in doing so, lowering overall calorie intake. Rene Tabaro, a nutritionist and dietician at King Faisal Hospital, says consuming fennel helps in increasing iron absorption. Iron deficiency is one of the most common nutrient deficiencies in the world, affecting around two billion people globally. It is also a leading cause of anaemia. Tabaro says pairing high-vitamin-C foods, such as fennel, with iron-rich foods, can improve the ability of the body to absorb iron. “Fresh fennel bulb is a good source of vitamin C, a water-soluble vitamin critical for immune health, tissue repair, and collagen synthesis,” he says. On top of this, the nutritionist notes that vitamin C in fennel also acts as a potent antioxidant in the body, protecting against cellular damage caused by unstable molecules called free radicals. Most impressive benefits of fennel come from the antioxidants, and potent plant compounds that contain essential oil of the plant have been shown to contain more than 87 volatile compounds, including the polyphenol antioxidants rosmarinic acid, chlorogenic acid, quercetin, and apigenin. Polyphenol antioxidants are potent anti-inflammatory agents that have powerful effects on one’s health in general. Studies suggest that people who follow diets rich in these antioxidants have a lower risk of chronic conditions like heart disease, obesity, cancer, neurological diseases, and type 2 diabetes. Meanwhile, 1-cup (87-grams) serving of raw fennel bulb packs 3 grams of fibre — 11% of the Daily Reference Value (DRV), a set of numerical quantities developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the dietary intake of energy-containing macronutrients, including carbohydrates, cholesterol, fat, fibre, saturated fatty acids, potassium, protein, and sodium.
