I drink Fennel Tea from time to time and Fennel as a vegetable is recommended in a few forum topics, books.
However I just googled some info on fennel and it seems that fennel contains Phytoestrogens, and is progesteronic. It is even used to aid breastfeeding in pregnant woman.
Some sources:
Wikipedia:
“Fennel contains anethole, which can explain some of its effects: it, or its polymers, act as phytoestrogens. [SNIP]”
It is listed as progesteronic on http://www.T-Nation.com/readArticle.do?id=462198
The same is true for some other herbs like Anice
Is this something to worry about and would it be better to avoid fennel?