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Star anise

Star anise is a plant whose seeds and oil are used to make medicine.

You should know what you are using. The star anise used as medicine is Chinese star anise or true star anise (Illicium verum). Chinese star anise should not be confused with Japanese star anise (Illicium anisatum), which is poisonous. Some tea products made from Chinese star anise are contaminated with Japanese star anise. The difference between these two types of star anise cannot be seen with the naked eye. Until safety is ensured by chemical analysis, star anise tea should not be consumed. Star anise is used for respiratory infections, swelling of the lungs, coughs, bronchitis and influenza. Star anise is also used for digestive tract problems including upset stomach, flatulence, loss of appetite and colic in babies. Some women use star anise to increase the flow of breast milk, promote menstruation and facilitate childbirth. Star anise is also used to increase libido and to treat male menopause. Some people inhale star anise to clear congested airways. Star anise is used as a spice in food and drink. Both seeds and oil are used as flavorings. In industrial production, star anise oil is used as a fragrance in soap, cosmetics, perfume and toothpaste, as well as to mask unwanted odors in medicines.

How does star anise work?

Star anise seeds contain ingredients that may have activity against bacteria, yeasts and fungi. Some people try to use star anise to treat flu, as it is a good source of shikimic acid, which is used in the manufacture of the flu drug oseltamivir (Tamiflu). However, there is no scientific research to date showing that star anise has any activity against viruses such as the flu virus.

How effective is star anise?

There is not enough scientific data to make a statement about the effectiveness of star anise for coughs, flatulence, loss of appetite, menstrual disorders, swelling of the lungs and stomach upsets. Further scientific research is needed to evaluate the effectiveness of star anise in these applications.

Safety and side effects

Staranise is safe and harmless when used as a spice in food. There is not enough information to say whether star anise is safe and harmless when used as a medicine. Some star anise ingredients can cause skin problems including swelling, flaking and blisters when applied to the skin.

You should make sure to use Chinese star anise and not Japanese star anise, which is toxic.

Precautions and warnings

Pregnancy and breastfeeding: Not enough is known about the use of star anise during pregnancy and breastfeeding. For this reason, pregnant and breastfeeding women should avoid star anise.

Children: The use of star anise is not safe and harmless for children. It is too difficult to ensure that the products used contain pure Chinese star anise and are not contaminated with poisonous Japanese star anise. Pure Chinese star anise is commonly used with young children and has a long history of safe use. Side effects such as irritability, vomiting and seizures have been observed in some infants who drank star anise tea. These symptoms can probably be attributed to star anise contaminated with toxic Japanese star anise. Until it can be verified that star anise tea does not contain Japanese star anise contaminants, this tea should not be given to young children. Not enough is known about the safety of star anise for older children.

Hormone-sensitive diseases such as breast cancer, uterine cancer, ovarian cancer and endometriosis: star anise could act like estrogen. If you suffer from a disease that can be aggravated by estrogen, you should not use star anise.

Interactions

At this time, there is no information on interactions of star anise with medications or supplements.

Dosage

An appropriate dosage of star anise depends on various factors such as age, state of health and others. At the present time, there is insufficient scientific data to make a statement about appropriate dosage ranges for star anise. For this reason, you should follow the dosage instructions on the label and/or consult a doctor or pharmacist before use.

References

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