Tincture of Star Anise (Illicium verum) 1:4 45%
Illicium verum, organic grain alcohol
Daily adult dose unless otherwise prescribed: up to 5 ml 3 x per day
Avoid during prenancy, breastfeeding, endometriosis, oestroen dependent cancers and alongside blood clotting disorders. Not for children under 5yrs.
Traditional and current uses:
Actions:
Common name: Star Anise, Badiane, Aniseed Stars, Eight Horned Spice
Family: Schisandraceae
Part used: Beautifully shaped dried fruit or ‘pericarp’ with the seeds.
Habitat: Star anise has been cultivated in the wider south and southeast Asian region since approximately 2,000BC with crops and naturalised wild trees in China, Hainan, India, Japan, Korea, Laos, Philippines and Vietnam, making it difficult to pinpoint the plant’s exact origins.
The tree reaches 10-15m in height, with white bark and a mature trunk diameter of around 25cm, bearing fruit after 6yrs of growth. The leaves are glossy, leathery and elliptic with a pointed tip, arranged in bunches of 3-6. The flowers are either green-yellow or pink-red and beautifully star like, which makes this a decorative as well as a culinary and medicinal spice plant. The eight-pointed star shaped fruit begins as a fleshy, green version of the dried form which is defined and woody, each point like a small brown boat with a shiny seed towards its base.
Folklore and History:
Star anise is a powerfully aromatic spice; ‘anise’ reflecting its sweet smell similar to aniseed. It is classed as a food in the UK and used in many dishes, drinks and products around the world including Garam Masala, Chinese Five Spice, mulled wine, perfume, confectionery, anointing oil and Christmas decorations (Hartvig 2016). Its anethole content turns Ouzo and Pastis cloudy in water.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine star anise is used to clear excess cold from the body, for rheumatism and colic. As it’s common name ‘Eight Horns’ suggests there are usually 8 points to the star, but similar to our four-leaf clover, it is considered lucky in China to find a star anise with more than 8 points (The Homestead Garden 2018).
Constituents:
Disclaimer: The information on this website is provided for educational use only, and is not intended as a replacement for the services of a qualified medical herbalist, doctor or licensed health practitioner. The information contained herein is not diagnostic, always consult a medical health professional before embarking on a treatment programme. Urban Fringe Dispensary disclaims any liability, loss, injury or damage incurred as a consequence of the use and application of the advice given herein.
Online products are coded with the following keys:
£4.00 - £50.00