Star Anise
The spice is the industrial source of shikimic acid, the starting material for oseltamivir, but taking star anise does not produce an antiviral drug in your body. There are no clinical trials of it for influenza.
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What the science says
- Influenza prevention or treatment Limited evidence
A pharmacology review confirms Illicium verum is rich in shikimic acid but notes that shikimic acid must be chemically converted through several steps to become oseltamivir. No clinical trial has tested star anise for flu.
- Serious toxicity in infants Limited evidence
A case series in Pediatrics and subsequent emergency-medicine case reports describe seizures and neurological events in infants given star anise tea, usually traced to contamination with the toxic Japanese star anise.
Dosage & safety
How to take it
Frequently asked questions
Does star anise work against the flu like Tamiflu?
No. Star anise is the industrial source of shikimic acid, which must be chemically converted in several steps to make oseltamivir; eating star anise does not produce the drug in your body, and no clinical trial has tested it for flu.
Is star anise tea safe for babies?
No. Never give star anise tea to infants: adulteration with toxic Japanese star anise has caused seizures and serious neurological events in babies.
Is star anise safe for adults?
Adults tolerate culinary amounts of Chinese star anise, a pod or two in cooking, which is the only use with a track record. Concentrated star anise teas and extracts are unpredictable because species adulteration is common.
Scientific references
Related in Immunity
- Vitamin C Limited evidence
- Zinc Moderate evidence
- Elderberry Limited evidence
- L-Lysine Limited evidence
- Echinacea Limited evidence
- Andrographis Moderate evidence