Anise is not star anise. Anise (Pimpinella anisum) is the dried fruit, usually called a seed, of a plant in the parsley family. Its relatives include fennel, dill, caraway and coriander. Star anise (Illicium verum) is the star-shaped fruit of an unrelated tree from southern China.
Both taste of licorice because they share the same main flavor compound, anethole. It makes up roughly 90% of anise oil.
Anethole dissolves in alcohol but not in water. That is why ouzo, pastis and sambuca, all flavored with anise, turn milky white when you add water. The alcohol keeps the anethole dissolved, and water forces it out as tiny droplets that scatter light.
A teaspoon of anise seed (2.1 g) has 7 calories and 0.3 g of fiber. It also gives 4% of the Daily Value for iron, the FDA’s daily target. So it flavors food more than it feeds you.
The human research on anise is small and mostly from Iran. It often used far more than a recipe does, from 330 mg capsules to 50 g of powder a day, or concentrated oil in capsules.
Health benefits of anise
The top findings from 12 studies, strongest evidence first
What the stars mean
- Strong. Several randomized trials, pooled in a meta-analysis, point the same way, or regulators (FDA or EFSA) have approved the claim.
- Moderate. Good randomized trials support it, but there are fewer of them, or their results vary.
- Limited. Small, short or single trials, or mixed results. Promising, but it needs confirmation.
Population and lab studies get no stars: they show a link or a mechanism, not proof.
How we rate evidence →- ★Lower indigestion scores in one trialOver 4 weeks, indigestion scores fell from 10.6 to 2.44 on 3 g of anise after meals, and rose from 10.96 to 13.05 on placebo. The dose was about 4 teaspoons a day, far more than a recipe uses.
- ★More people free of irritable bowel symptomsIn 120 people with irritable bowel syndrome, 75% were symptom free after 4 weeks of anise oil capsules, against 35% on placebo. This was concentrated oil, not the spice.
- ★Fewer and milder hot flashes after menopauseIn 72 postmenopausal women, the hot flash frequency score fell from 4.21 to 1.06 at week 4, with no change on placebo. The severity score fell from 56.21 to 14.44, on about 1 g of anise a day.
- ★Lower premenstrual syndrome scoresIn 67 college students, anise capsules lowered premenstrual syndrome scores by 13.9 points after the first cycle and 9.8 after the second. Scores were compared with starch capsules, and it was a small trial.
- ★More pumped milk in mothers of premature babiesAnise seed tea added about 98 ml of pumped milk by day 7, based on one trial. The authors rate the certainty of the evidence as low.
All 12 studies, strongest evidence first
Anise seed tea added about 98 ml of pumped milk
This systematic review covered 10 randomized trials of herbal remedies to increase milk in mothers of preterm (premature) babies. Each trial tested a different herb or mixture, so the anise result rests on one trial of anise seed tea. The mean gain was 98 ml by day 7, and the authors rate the certainty of the evidence as low.
3 g anise after meals cut indigestion scores from 10.6 to 2.44
This double-blind randomized trial included 107 adults with the postprandial distress type of functional dyspepsia (indigestion), 47 on anise powder and 60 on placebo. Over 4 weeks, placebo scores rose from 10.96 to 13.05, and the gap held at week 12 (1.08 on anise, 13.30 on placebo). The anise dose was 9 g a day, about 4 teaspoons, far more than a recipe uses. It was a single trial, and the abstract’s conclusion names postpartum depression by mistake.
Daily anise lowered depression, anxiety and stress scores in menopausal women
In this randomized trial, 60 menopausal women took 4 g of anise a day in two doses (about 2 teaspoons in total) or a placebo. At 8 weeks, more than 80% of the anise group reported no symptoms of depression, anxiety or stress. Menopausal symptom and vaginal health scores also improved, while the placebo group showed no notable change. The abstract does not say whether the anise was ground seed or capsules, and the trial is small and unrepeated.
Aniseed eased abdominal pain, poor appetite and diarrhea in mild COVID-19
This placebo-controlled trial included 225 adults with COVID-19 who did not need hospital care, split 1 to 4: 45 took aniseed and 180 placebo. They took 25 g of powder twice a day (50 g, about 24 teaspoons) for 2 weeks, far more than a meal holds. Nausea, vomiting and bloating did not clearly improve, and 2 people on aniseed and 3 on placebo had mild to moderate side effects. It measured gut symptoms only.
Anise capsules cut hot flash frequency and severity after menopause
In this double-blind trial in Qazvin, Iran, 72 postmenopausal women took 330 mg anise or potato starch capsules 3 times a day. That is about 1 g of anise a day, under half a teaspoon. At week 4 the frequency score fell from 4.21 to 1.06 and the severity score from 56.21 to 14.44, with no change on placebo. These are the abstract’s figures; women were followed for 4 more weeks, and the trial is small with little detail.
Anise capsules lowered premenstrual syndrome scores against placebo
In this double-blind trial, 67 college students aged 18 to 35 took anise or starch capsules over two menstrual cycles. They took 110 mg three times a day for 10 days around each period, or 330 mg a day, about a sixth of a teaspoon. The abstract reports score differences of 13.9 points after the first cycle and 9.8 after the second. It is a small trial in young students, and the capsule contents are not described.
Fennel, dill and similar herbs: clear pooled effect on period pain
This systematic review covered 14 randomized trials of herbs such as anise, fennel and dill, and pooled 7 that compared them with standard treatment. Results were pooled across several herbs, not anise alone, and the clear subgroups were fennel seed and dill seed against mefenamic acid or ibuprofen. Trials of anise and fennel against placebo had a low risk of bias in randomization and outcome measurement. The authors call the herbs possible add-on treatments and ask for better trials.
Anise oil capsules left 75% of people with IBS symptom free
In this double-blind trial in Shiraz, Iran, 120 people with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) took 3 enteric-coated capsules a day for 4 weeks. On placebo 35% were symptom free, and on a peppermint oil product (Colpermin), a second comparison, 52.5%. Anise oil beat both after the 4 weeks and 2 weeks later, and the number needed to treat was 4. This was concentrated oil, not the spice, with no dose in the abstract; a 2026 review found too few anise oil trials to pool.
In rats, anise seed cut early colon lesions by 65.93%
In this study, rats given a cancer-causing chemical (6 per group) got anise seed at 400 mg per kg of body weight for 8 weeks. It lowered aberrant crypt foci, early changes in the colon lining, by 65.93% and raised antioxidant enzymes in colon tissue. Rats given 4 g per kg showed no signs of toxicity over 14 days. This is an animal study with no human data.
Anise extracts raised milk production in nursing rats by 68.1% and 81%
Rats got water or ethanol extracts of anise seeds at 1 g per kg of body weight. These raised milk output by 68.1% and 81% over the control group. Milk output was judged by the pups’ weight gain, and pups also gained weight at 0.5 g per kg. These were extracts in rats, which says little about a cup of tea in women.
Anise oil delayed seizures in rats given a seizure-triggering drug
In rats and rat brain slices, anise oil lengthened the delay before seizure attacks and shortened the abnormal electrical bursts. It reduced the number of damaged dark neurons and delayed the damage from oxygen loss in slices. It also blocked the long-term strengthening of nerve connections, which the authors suggest is how it works. This was oil in animals only.
Aniseed oil changed the effects of codeine and several sedatives in mice
Mice got 0.3 mg per kg of aniseed oil by mouth for 5 days before six brain-acting drugs. The authors call this a human-equivalent dose. The oil raised the pain relief from codeine, worsened the movement problems from midazolam and shortened pentobarbital sleeping time. The authors advise avoiding aniseed oil with brain-acting drugs until it is tested in people.
Who should be careful with anise
Most people can eat anise freely. Take a little care if one of these applies:
- Star anise or star anise tea. Anise is a different plant from star anise, and Japanese star anise (Illicium anisatum) is toxic. In 2003 the FDA advised against drinking teas brewed from star anise after about 40 illnesses, about 15 of them in infants. A US case series described 7 infants with neurologic reactions to home star anise tea. Its authors had found evidence that Chinese star anise had been contaminated with the Japanese kind. Do not give star anise tea to babies.
- Babies, pregnancy and anise oil. The European Medicines Agency (EMA) does not recommend aniseed medicines for children under 12 or in pregnancy and breastfeeding. Its reasons are limited safety data and animal findings on anethole and estragole, and it advises against anise oil under 18. Swallowing 1 to 5 ml of the oil has been linked to vomiting and seizures. A German outbreak of Salmonella from aniseed-containing herbal tea hit infants in 2002 and 2003, so follow the brewing directions on infant teas.
- Allergy. People allergic to both birch and mugwort pollen are most at risk of reacting to spices such as anise. The EMA advises anyone sensitive to aniseed, to other parsley-family plants (caraway, celery, coriander, dill, fennel) or to anethole to avoid it.
How to choose, store and eat anise
- As tea: the EMA assessment lists 1 to 3.5 g of crushed seed (about a teaspoon) in 150 ml of hot water as usual practice. That can be up to three times a day.
- In food: the seed goes into Italian biscotti and pizzelle, Italian sausage and Mexican atole de anís. In India and Pakistan, people chew it after meals as a digestive.
- Powder, capsules and oil: the trials used 4 g or 9 g of powder a day, and the IBS trial used oil capsules. Anise oil is a concentrate, so keep it out of food and away from children.
Whole seeds keep their flavor longest. Oregon State University Extension advises crushing them just before use and keeping them airtight in a cool, dark, dry place. There, dried herbs and spices keep well for up to a year. If a recipe calls for aniseed, look for seed labeled Pimpinella anisum, not star anise.
Sources
- Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, 2003 (star anise tea advisory of September 10, 2003). U.S. Food and Drug Administration, enforcement story archive.
- Ize-Ludlow D, Ragone S, Bruck IS, et al. Neurotoxicities in infants seen with the consumption of star anise tea. Pediatrics. 2004.
- Assessment report on Pimpinella anisum L., fructus and Pimpinella anisum L., aetheroleum (EMA/HMPC/321181/2012). European Medicines Agency, Committee on Herbal Medicinal Products. 2013.
- Koch J, Schrauder A, Alpers K, et al. Salmonella Agona outbreak from contaminated aniseed, Germany. Emerg Infect Dis. 2005.
- SŁowianek M, Majak I, LeszczyŃska J, et al. New allergens from spices in the Apiaceae family: anise Pimpinella anisum L. and caraway Carum carvi L. Cent Eur J Immunol. 2020.
- Drying herbs. Oregon State University Extension Service.
- Anise. Wikipedia.
History of anise
Anise is native to the eastern Mediterranean and southwest Asia. Wikipedia reports that it has been grown in Egypt for about 4,000 years.
In Iranian traditional medicine the fruits were used as a carminative (against gas), an aromatic, a disinfectant and a galactagogue, a remedy to increase milk. Many of the modern trials come from Iran.
The English word came through Old French from Latin anisum, which came from the Greek anethon, a word that referred to dill. For centuries the two plants were easy to mix up in name as well as in the garden.
Pliny the Elder gave anise a chapter in his Natural History in the first century AD and counted 61 remedies for it. He also said it was prized in seasonings and sauces and was put under the crust of bread. It sweetened the breath, he wrote, and hung by the pillow it would stop bad dreams.
The 1855 translators added a note that this claim, and another about a youthful look, were utterly fabulous.
The herbalist John Gerard praised anise as a carminative in 1597. By the 19th century, medicine made aqua anisi and spiritus anisi from it. Today the seed lives on in drinks as much as in medicine: ouzo, sambuca, pastis, arak and Turkish rakı are all flavored with it. The cloudy swirl of the “ouzo effect” was described in a 2003 paper.
In Western markets, star anise has largely displaced anise because it is cheaper to produce. That is one reason the two are so often confused.
Sources
- Pliny the Elder. The Natural History, book 20, chapter 72: Anise, sixty-one remedies. Translated by John Bostock and H. T. Riley. Perseus Digital Library. 1855.
- Shojaii A, Abdollahi Fard M. Review of pharmacological properties and chemical constituents of Pimpinella anisum. ISRN Pharm. 2012.
- Vitale SA, Katz JL. Liquid droplet dispersions formed by homogeneous liquid-liquid nucleation: the “ouzo effect”. Langmuir. 2003.
- Anise. Wikipedia.
- Ouzo effect. Wikipedia.
Frequently asked questions about anise
Is anise good for you?
It is a flavorful seed more than a health food, and small trials hint at benefits. A teaspoon (2.1 g) has 7 calories, 0.3 g of fiber and 4% of the Daily Value of iron. Of the 12 studies here, eight were in people, most were small Iranian trials, and none reaches moderate or strong evidence. In cooking amounts it is fine for most people.
Is anise the same as star anise?
No: anise is the seed of a parsley-family plant (Pimpinella anisum), and star anise the fruit of an unrelated tree (Illicium verum). Both get their licorice taste from anethole, and none of the studies on the cards here used star anise. Japanese star anise is toxic and has contaminated Chinese star anise. In 2003 the FDA advised against drinking star anise teas after about 40 illnesses, including about 15 in infants.
What is the difference between anise and fennel?
They are related and taste alike, but they are different plants. Both belong to the parsley family and both carry anethole, which makes up 87 to 94% of anise oil. The EMA notes that fennel oil also holds more estragole, and fenchone, which anise oil lacks in any real amount. No study here compares them head to head, though one review of period pain trials pooled anise with fennel and dill.
Does anise help with digestion, bloating or IBS?
Possibly, but the evidence is thin. In one 107-person indigestion trial, 3 g of anise powder after each meal cut symptom scores from 10.6 to 2.44 over 4 weeks. In a trial of 120 people with irritable bowel syndrome, anise oil capsules left 75% symptom free, against 35% on placebo. Both are single trials, the second used concentrated oil, and a 2026 review of plant-based IBS treatments found too few anise oil trials to combine.
Is anise safe during pregnancy or breastfeeding?
Anise as a seasoning has not been tested in these groups, and the EMA does not recommend aniseed medicines for them. Its reasons are limited safety data and animal findings on anethole and estragole, not a known harm in people. One anise seed tea trial in mothers of premature babies found 98 ml more pumped milk by day 7 (low certainty, in a review). Ask your midwife or doctor before using teas or supplements.
Does anise help with hot flashes or PMS?
Two small trials say yes, but neither is firm evidence. In 72 postmenopausal women, 330 mg anise capsules three times a day lowered hot flash scores over 4 weeks, with no change on placebo. In 67 college students, 110 mg capsules three times a day lowered premenstrual syndrome scores. A 60-woman trial of 4 g a day also reported lower depression, anxiety and stress scores after menopause.
How much anise is safe to eat?
No safe upper limit has been set for anise in cooking. Trial doses ran from 330 mg of capsules a day to 50 g of powder daily for 2 weeks, with only mild side effects reported. The EMA report lists 1 to 3.5 g of crushed seed in a cup of tea, up to three times a day, as usual practice. It says preparations with more than 5 g should not be used for more than two weeks without medical advice. Do not swallow anise oil: 1 to 5 ml has been linked to vomiting and seizures.