A May 2017 study, noting that “Fennel, an anise-flavoured herb used for cooking, has long been known for its health benefits for a variety of issues, including digestion and premenstrual symptoms”, goes on to confirm that it is, “effective in the management of post-menopause symptoms such as hot flashes, sleeplessness, vaginal dryness, and anxiety, without serious side effects.”

Fennel is al shamr in Arabic.  Ibn Qayyim lists it as raazyaanaj. In Moroccan Arabic it is bes bes and in Greek it is marathon.  In Chinese medicine it is xiao hui xiang. In Latin it is Fructus Foeniculi Vulgaris.

As-Suyuti in "Medicine of the Prophet" said that fennel may have been what was referred to in the hadith as ‘sanut’ being of the three things that cures everything except cancer. Others said ‘sanut’ meant honey, Makkan fat, a seed similar to cumin or dates. As-Suyuti refers to fennel as one of the ingredients in a sweet ebullient. He notes that some physicians recommend fennel for treating cases of weak eyesight.

Ibn Qayyim in "Medicine of the Prophet" said that ‘sanut’ has eight explanations and includes fennel.  He mentions it in relation to chicory (hindiba). He says (of chicory), “the more bitter sort is more beneficial for the liver. Its pressed out juice is beneficial for obstructive jaundice, especially when mixed with juice of moist fennel.”

Menzies-Trull in "The Herbalist's Prescriber" classifies fennel as bitter sweet and a carminative and suggests it for conjunctivitis and blepharitis.

In Yang, Huang and Zhu’s “Introduction to Chinese Materia Medica” it is said of fennel that it is, “pungent and warm; expel[s] cold, warm[s] the liver and stomach, arrest[s] vomiting, and [is] specialised at curing different types of hernia.”