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I'm assuming the pills are actually capsules made from ground fennel seed? They may help, but they likely won't be nearly as effective as the tea brewed from fresh whole seeds. When you grind a spice (any herb or spice, actually) you release the volatile oils in it. Those oils are what give the herb any medicinal qualities it may have. Once you release those oils, they start degrading very quickly. The more finely ground an herb or spice, the more degradation that happens. So, the ideal quality is the whole seed itself. Next would be a coarsely (and freshly) ground seed. As you grind more finely, and the longer the powder sits after being ground, the lower in quality and less effective it will be. So the stuff that's ground into powder for the capsules is the least effective version you could use.

The tincture I'm really not sure about. Is it an oil? That would be very potent indeed. Is it an alcohol based extract (like vanilla extract)? That would be strong too. Some tincture in a glass of water might be quite effective - but it will taste much like the tea.

I'm looking into having enteric coated fennel oil capsules made. I can't find them anywhere on the market right now, and if it seems like they'd be as effective for gas and bloating as the fennel tea I'll try to get some manufactured.

- 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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