Anise tea offers several genuine health benefits, particularly for digestion, respiratory comfort, and menopausal symptoms. Made by steeping crushed anise seeds in hot water, it delivers a concentrated dose of anethole, the compound responsible for both its distinctive licorice flavor and most of its therapeutic effects. For most adults, a cup or two a day is a safe and pleasant addition to your routine, though there are some important exceptions.
How It Helps Digestion
Anise has been used as a digestive aid for centuries, and there’s real science behind the tradition. The European Medicines Agency has formally approved anise for use in treating mild indigestion. Anise acts as a carminative, meaning it helps your body expel trapped gas and ease the cramping that comes with it. In a randomized controlled trial, participants taking anise powder saw significant improvement in abdominal pain compared to a placebo group. A separate trial found anise was more effective than placebo at relieving the heavy, uncomfortable fullness that comes after eating.
One nuance worth noting: in the randomized trial, bloating specifically did not improve significantly compared to placebo. So if bloating is your main complaint, anise tea may help indirectly by reducing gas, but the evidence for a direct effect is limited.
Respiratory and Cough Relief
If you’ve ever reached for anise tea during a cold, your instincts were sound. Anise essential oil stimulates the cells lining your airways to produce more mucus, which sounds counterintuitive but is actually how your body clears congestion. Thinner, more hydrated mucus is easier to cough up than the thick, sticky kind that builds up during inflammation. At the same time, anise reduces the production of inflammatory signaling molecules in those airway cells, calming irritation while helping your body move things along.
This dual action is why the European Medicines Agency also approved anise as an expectorant for coughs associated with colds. It’s not going to replace medication for a serious respiratory infection, but for the lingering cough of a common cold, a warm cup of anise tea works on two fronts at once.
Menopausal Hot Flashes
One of the more compelling clinical findings involves menopause. In a study of postmenopausal women, those who took anise experienced a dramatic drop in both the frequency and severity of hot flashes over four weeks. Hot flash frequency fell from about 4.2 episodes to just over 1 per day. Severity scores dropped from 56 to around 14. Before treatment, 25% of women in the anise group reported severe hot flashes. After four weeks, that number was zero, while the placebo group barely changed.
Anise contains compounds that mimic estrogen activity in the body, which likely explains this effect. That estrogenic activity is also why anise tea requires caution if you have a hormone-sensitive condition (more on that below).
Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Effects
Anethole, the primary active compound in anise, works as an antioxidant through three distinct mechanisms: it boosts your body’s own antioxidant enzymes, directly neutralizes free radicals, and binds to metal ions that would otherwise trigger oxidative damage. On the inflammation side, anethole reduces the production of several key inflammatory molecules, including TNF-alpha, IL-1 beta, and IL-6. It also suppresses the activity of an enzyme your body uses to produce prostaglandins, the same enzyme targeted by over-the-counter anti-inflammatory drugs.
Animal studies have shown these properties translate into measurable neuroprotective effects, including protection against damage from interrupted blood flow to the brain and reduced markers of stress-related hormonal changes. While most of this research comes from animal or cell models rather than human trials, the consistency across dozens of studies suggests the effects are real, if more modest, in the amounts you’d get from tea.
How to Make It
Use about one tablespoon of whole anise seeds per two cups of water. Lightly crush the seeds with the back of a spoon or a mortar and pestle before steeping to release more of the essential oils. Pour boiling water over the seeds, cover, and steep for 5 to 10 minutes. A shorter steep gives a milder, lighter flavor. Strain and add honey if you like. One to two cups per day is a reasonable amount for most adults.
Drug Interactions to Watch For
Because anise has mild estrogen-like activity, it can interfere with hormonal medications. If you’re taking birth control pills, anise may reduce their effectiveness. If you’re on estrogen replacement therapy, it could amplify or alter the effects. For anyone taking tamoxifen for breast cancer treatment or prevention, anise could work against the medication’s purpose by adding estrogenic activity.
Anise also interacts with several other common medications. It can slow the breakdown of sedatives like diazepam, potentially intensifying their effects. It may amplify the effects of codeine-based pain medications. It can reduce the effectiveness of certain antidepressants. And because anise may lower blood sugar, combining it with diabetes medications could cause levels to drop too low.
If you take any of these medications, talk to your pharmacist before making anise tea a regular habit.
Star Anise vs. Regular Anise
Regular anise (the small, ribbed seeds) and Chinese star anise (the star-shaped pods) are different plants that share a similar flavor compound. Both are generally safe for adults. The danger comes from Japanese star anise, a toxic lookalike that contains potent neurotoxins called anisatins. These compounds block a key calming neurotransmitter in the brain and can cause seizures, vomiting, and jitteriness.
Contamination is the real risk. Multiple cases of star anise poisoning have been traced to batches of Chinese star anise adulterated with the Japanese variety. The FDA has tracked roughly 40 illnesses linked to star anise teas, including about 15 infants. Parents sometimes give star anise tea to babies for colic, but the FDA has found no scientific evidence it helps, and the risk of contamination makes it genuinely dangerous for infants. If you buy star anise, source it from a reputable spice seller rather than unregulated bulk imports. For anise tea, plain anise seeds are the safest choice.