Transcript
Are people around you annoyed because you're farting too much? Or are you too uncomfortable because of bloating? This is something for you. It's Star Anise. So you take a handful of these. You put that in, let's say, 8, 10, 12 ounces of oil. Do not do this if you value your nervous system. More on that soon. He says that Star Anise will help with farting and bloating. Just boil a handful of them in 8 to 12 ounces of water. But the only source that he brings is, trust me, I'm an herbalist. I'm a scientist who says, don't trust me. So, what the science? Let's dive in. First, there are no randomized controlled studies on star anise for flatulents. No surprise, because it's pretty hard to fund if it's hard to patent. But there are some studies referencing its use in traditional medicines across Japan, China, and India, and more. To treat everything from rheumatism to the common cold to flutulents. So that's at least one type of evidence. Many cultures also use it to treat baby colic, i.e. stomach pain. But here's the problem. This is a case report where a two-month-old showed up to an emergency room with neurological and it turned out that his mother had been giving him Star Anise tea for the previous week, where she brewed only one to two stars per 16 ounces of water. And here's a series of 18 more infant ER visits in Spain, where Star Anise, used to fight farts, led to neurological problems. Why? There are two different species of Star Anise. Anis. Elysium Barum, normal star anise, and Elysium Anasatum, or Japanese Star Anis. They both contain a compound called Anaphyl, which is responsible for a lot of its distinctive licoricey sort of smell and flavor, and which at low concentrations, can act as an antispasmodic, which is perhaps one of the reasons why it helps to fight the farts. But at high concentrations, it can become neurotoxic, and it gets worse. Normal star anise also contains a bunch of chemicals called varanacadins, which are also neurotoxic at high concentrations. But Japanese star anise contains compounds called anisatins, which are much more toxic even at low doses. And it could be hard to tell the difference between the Japanese stuff and the normal stuff. Can you tell between these? It turned out that the normal star anise had been contaminated with the Japanese star anise, which happens a lot, unfortunately. But, and this is very important, even normal star anise can be toxic at too high of a dose. The maximum recommended dose is one star per six or seven ounces of water. Not a whole handful in 8 to 12 ounces. And back in 2003, the FDA warned people to not consume teas made with star anise, not just infants, because it could lead to serious neurological effects like seizures. with someone who likes their anise.
Additional notes
Is star anise dangerous or helpful? As with many compounds, the dose makes the poison! @stemcellchristian 📚 Some of the studies: DOI: 10.1016/j.nrleng.2019.02.003 PMID: 12392661 doi: 10.1016/j.jep.2011.04.051 #health #nutrition #anise #science