If weight loss is one of your fitness goals, then fennel is something that needs to be in your kitchen starting today. While in medieval times its use included being hung over the doorway to ward off evil spirits, fennel is an established product in the medical and health community. Here are six reasons why fennel can help you lose weight.
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1. Diet-friendly at 13 calories: According to the USDA, ½ a cup of fennel has just 13 calories, which means that if you are hit with a hunger pang, overeating fresh fennel won't kill your diet. Also, fennel seeds are known to be naturally diuretic which can cause water weight loss; which in turn results in temporary weight loss. Additionally, research shows that fennel speeds up the fat metabolism process resulting in faster weight loss in less time.
2. Rich in potassium: At 360 mg per cup, fennel is loaded with potassium. Not only is this electrolyte necessary to lower your risk of cardiovascular disease and high blood pressure, it also plays an important role in helping weight loss by stimulating the conversion of food to energy and aiding muscle growth. Along with weight loss, your goal should be to replace fat with lean muscle, and potassium will help with that.
3. High in calcium: Just the bulb of fresh fennel contains a whopping 115 mg of calcium. Research shows that a high calcium diet can convert your body into a fat burning machine. Calcium is an electrolyte that regulates how much calcium gets stored in the cell and how much is used to produce energy. People who follow a calcium rich diet burn fat more efficiently. Since fennel is already low-calorie, the added calcium gives you even greater weight loss benefits.
4. Filled with antioxidants: As a spice, fennel contains a powerful combination of phytonutrients, such as quercitin and rutin, that are great antioxidants. One phytonutrient specifically, called anethole, has been linked to inflammation reduction and cancer prevention. Other antioxidants in fennel, such as vitamin C, strengthens our immune system by neutralizing the detrimental cellular damage caused by free radicals.
5. Fights bloating and indigestion: In some subcontinents, fennel seeds are chewed after a meal to freshen breath. But this habit has one more benefit which is that it helps digestion. The essential oils in fennel seeds stimulate the production of digestive enzymes and juices. It improves the absorption of nutrients in our stomach, and reduces the inflammation in our intestines. It also prevents constipation; in fact, in the powdered form, fennel is a laxative.
6. Increases your breast size: This effect of fennel is an unusual one, but it has the ability to increase your estrogen levels. More specifically, fennel aids in the formation of new cells and tissue in the breast region resulting in an increase in breast size.
So if you are not already a fennel fan, add this crunchy vegetable to your diet now, or use it as a spice to add that flavorful punch to your diet.
Original post was published on October 6, 2014.
