Irritable Bowel Syndrome Message Boards | Have never heard this...

and would really like the reference WebMD gives for this. In all of the medical and herbal information on fennel I have never seen any reference to an interference with any method of birth control.

Fennel is considered GRAS by the FDA, which means it's under no restrictions for use in the general population.

I've seen information that fennel can have phytoestrogens (plant estrogens), and foods that have this (like soy) can help reduce the risk of reproductive cancers that are associated with high estrogen levels. This is because the phytoestrogens lock onto estrogen receptors in the body and human estrogen can't then lock onto the same receptors, so the human estrogen is then flushed from the body. There is still a LOT of research to be done in this area.

The estrogenic effect is why there is a caution on the Fennel Tummy Tea to "tell your doctor if you're pregnant or nursing". It isn't that there is evidence that fennel isn't safe when you're pregnant or nursing, it's that there is a gray area about this because it is unstudied and I don't want to be the person to make that decision for someone else's health concerns

But, none of this means that fennel would interfere with birth control pills, any more than soy foods would.

I would ask your ob/gyn and your pharmacist, and also call the toll free number listed on the drug insert that comes with the pills. That will take you right to the drug manufacturer and if anyone should know about interactions, they should.

Please let me know what you find out.

Best,
Heather

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Heather is the Administrator of the IBS Message Boards. She is the author of Eating for IBS and The First Year: IBS, and the CEO of Heather's Tummy Care. Join her IBS Newsletter. Meet Heather on Facebook!

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