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STAR ANISE HEALTH BENEFITS
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/star-anise#benefits
Information on its vitamin and mineral content is lacking, but considering the small amount of spice you may use at any one time, its nutritional value may be less significant (1Trusted Source).
Nonetheless, it’s an impressive source of several powerful bioactive compounds — all of which are vital contributors to good health.
The most valuable component of star anise may lie within its dense supply of flavonoids and polyphenols. These may primarily be responsible for the spice’s broad applications and medicinal benefits (2).
Some of the major health-promoting compounds found in star anise include (2, 3Trusted Source, 4):
Linalool
Quercetin
Anethole
Shikimic acid
Gallic acid
Limonene
Together, these compounds may contribute to the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties of star anise.
Some animal and test-tube research indicates that the antioxidant capacity of this spice may even possess anti-cancer properties, such as reducing tumor size (5Trusted Source, 6).
Ultimately, more research is needed to better understand how the bioactive compounds in star anise may support human health.
SUMMARY
Star anise is rich in a variety of flavonoids and polyphenolic compounds that may contribute to its medicinal capacity.
Offers Medicinal Benefits
Star anise has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for thousands of years and has also been accepted into some Western medicine practices more recently.
Its rise in popularity is largely driven by its antimicrobial properties and pharmacological potential.
Antiviral Capabilities
One of the most popular pharmacologically relevant attributes of star anise is its shikimic acid content.
Shikimic acid is a compound with strong antiviral capabilities. In fact, it’s one of the main active ingredients in Tamiflu, a popular medication for the treatment of influenza (7).
Currently, star anise is the primary source of shikimic acid used for pharmaceutical product development. As the influenza pandemic continues to mount as a threat to global health, the demand for star anise is on the rise (7).
Some test-tube research has also shown that the essential oil of star anise may treat other types of viral infections, including herpes simplex type 1 (8Trusted Source).
Though star anise is frequently used for treating influenza, more research is needed to further understand its potential to treat other viral infections in humans.
Antifungal Properties
Star anise is a rich source of the flavonoid anethole. This compound is responsible for the spice’s distinct flavor and offers potent antifungal benefits.
Some agricultural research has found that trans-anethole derived from star anise may inhibit the growth of pathogenic fungi in certain edible crops (9Trusted Source).
Test-tube research indicates that other bioactive compounds found in star anise essential oil, like terpene linalool, may suppress biofilm and cell wall formation of infectious fungi in humans (10Trusted Source).
More research is needed to better understand the applications for star anise to treat fungal infections in humans.
Antibacterial Benefits
Another important medicinal benefit of star anise is its ability to inhibit bacterial growth implicated in a variety of common illnesses.
Some research has revealed that star anise extract is as effective as antibiotics against multiple drug-resistant pathogenic bacteria. This may be particularly useful for future development of new antibiotic medications (11Trusted Source).
Test-tube studies have also shown that bioactive compounds in star anise may be effective in treating urinary tract infections caused by different bacteria (12Trusted Source).
A separate study revealed star anise extract to be somewhat effective in reducing the growth of E. coli on a petri dish, though it wasn’t as effective as current, more common antibiotic treatments (13Trusted Source).
At this time, most research on the antibacterial properties of star anise is limited to animal and test-tube studies. More studies are needed to better understand how this spice may be used to support human health.
SUMMARY
Star anise has been useful in the medical realm for treating a variety of fungal, bacterial and viral infections.