A common cooking spice with one small, unrepeated human trial: a star anise mouthwash reduced gum inflammation, bleeding and mouth bacteria. All other claims rest on laboratory and animal work. A near-identical toxic relative has repeatedly reached the market, causing seizures in infants. Cooking use is unremarkable; concentrated extracts carry more described harm than shown benefit. (Full Review)
| Marker | Target | Why |
|---|---|---|
| ALT | 10–26 U/L (women), 10–30 U/L (men) | Detects liver stress from reactive anethole metabolites |
| AST | 10–26 U/L | Cross-checks the liver signal and separates it from muscle |
| GGT | Under 20 U/L (women), under 25 U/L (men) | Most sensitive marker of detoxification load on the liver |
| hs-CRP | Under 1.0 mg/L | Tests whether the anti-inflammatory claim registers systemically |
| Platelet count and INR | Platelets 175–250 ×109/L; INR 0.9–1.1 when not anticoagulated | Screens for an additive antiplatelet effect from shikimic acid |
| Estradiol | Follicular phase 30–100 pg/mL; postmenopausal under 20 pg/mL | Checks whether heavy anethole intake shifts estrogen status |
Cadence: Baseline before starting a concentrated extract or essential-oil product; liver panel repeated at 6 weeks, then every 6–12 months; inflammation marker at 12 weeks; clotting at 4 weeks and after any dose change where anticoagulant or antiplatelet therapy is in place. Unnecessary for culinary use.