Anise warms the abdomen, dispels gas (especially after eating beans) and is helpful for belching, vomiting, chronic diarrhea, abdominal pains, sluggish digestion and hernia. The tribal people of the Amazon find it especially good for children with stomachaches. Star Anise is used as a sedative, especially for nervousness and to induce sleep. It is thought to prevent fainting. In the Amazon, this herb is thought to function as a female tonic during the menses by eliminating sad thoughts.
The volatile oil in Aniseed provides the basis for its internal use to ease griping, intestinal colic and flatulence. It also has a marked expectorant and anti-spasmodic action and may be used in bronchitis, in tracheitis where there is persistent irritable coughing, and in whooping cough.