Chamomile

Chamomile

Latin Name: German Chamomile (Matricaria recutita Flos) Roman Chamomile (Anthemis nobilis)
Family: Asteraceae

Part used: Flower heads.
Energetics: Bitter and sweet. Cooling and warming. Relaxing and stimulating. Restoring. Decongesting. Dissolving.
Iris: Hematogenic/ Mixed
Interactions: Please check with your Healthcare Provider.

Safe alongside Herb
  • Buspirone hydrochloride
  • Diazepam
  • Esomeprazole
  • Fexofenadine
  • Promethazine
Unsure alongside Herb

Metoclopramide

CONTRA-INDICATIONS

  • Roman chamomile can be a uterine stimulant, so avoid in pregnancy.
  • Avoid if known allergy to Asteraceae family (Daisy).

ACTIONS

  • Bitter
  • Carminative
  • Digestive
  • Vulnerary
  • Tonic to alimentary canal
  • Anti-inflammatory
  • Anti-microbial (Candida)
  • Anti-viral
  • Nervine
  • Sedative
  • Antispasmodic
  • Antiseptic
  • Analgesic
  • Anti-ulcer
  • Galactagogue
  • Anti-emetic
  • Anti-depressant
  • Hypoglycaemic
  • Diuretic
  • Emmenagogue
  • Anti-histamine
  • Diaphoretic.

Main Constituents

  • Essential oils (chamazulene, bisabolol, farnesene)
  • Terpenes
  • Flavonoids (quercetin, apigenin, luteolin)
  • Bitter glycosides
  • Mucilage
  • Polysaccharides
  • Tannins
  • Sesquiterpene lactones
  • Coumarins
  • Choline
  • Vits A, B2, C
  • Minerals: calcium, potassium, sulphur, iodine, zinc

Main Uses

Digestion: Gastritis, heartburn, flatulence, indigestion, ulcerative colitis, colic, nausea, irregular bowel movement.
Nervous System: Anxiety, unrest, headaches, tremors/ twitching, pain, emotional trauma, insomnia, neuralgia.
Ears: Earache
Bacterial, Viral and Fungal Infections: Shingles
Endocrine: Cramping periods, PMT dysmenorrhoea.
Skin: Inflamed, irritated, eczema, burns, scalds, dermatitis.

More About Chamomile

Chamomile makes a wonderfully fragrant tea, calming to the stomach. Taken after the evening meal to improve digestion, the herb will also help calm the nervousness left over from a busy and challenging day and promote deep sleep.
Chamomile is antispasmodic to the intestinal tract and helps heal gastric and duodenal ulcers. It combines well with Liquorice for this reason.
There are two Chamomiles that are used medicinally. Both being very similar - Roman chamomile being more sedative, and German chamomile being more restorative and anti-inflammatory.
Roman chamomile is native to the Middle East, southern and western Europe and eastern Africa. It is cultivated in Argentina, England, France, Belgium and the United States.
German chamomile is also known as Hungarian chamomile, and is native to Europe and northern Asia, and cultivated in Hungary, Egypt, France and eastern Europe.
It has a warming effect, yet it can cool inflammation and calm hyperactivity. It helps with any form of irritation and discharge on the skin and mucous membrane level.
Over sensitivity weakness and pain on the nerve and sensory level, and tension restlessness and agitation on the emotional level.
Make a strong infusion of the tea and add to bath water for irritable skin rashes and eczema.
The Tea can also be used as an enema to help to heal ulcers within the colon and to astringe haemorrhoids.

Recipes:


Chamomile Bath Salts:

Ingredients:

  • Approx. 118g of Epsom salt
  • Approx. 59g of fresh chamomile flowers
  • Optional: a few yellow flower petals for added natural colour, for example, Pansies
  • Glass Jar
  • Muslin bag or Sock

Method:

  • Place the Epsom salt and fresh flowers in a mini food processor
  • Blend until the colour is evenly distributed.
  • Spread the mixture out in a layer over wax paper and allow to dry for 1 to 2 days.
  • Crumble up the dried salt and put it in a tightly sealed jar for storage.
  • When ready to use, dump the bath salts into a cotton muslin bag or tie them up in a clean sock.
  • Drop the bag/sock into warm running water and enjoy a relaxing bath.
Chamomile and Rose Face Scrub

Ingredients:

  • 2 tbsp (14 g) rolled oats
  • 1/2 tbsp (4 g) milk powder (cow, goat, coconut)
  • 1/2 tbsp (0.5 g) dried rose petals
  • 1/2 tbsp (0.5 g) dried chamomile flowers
  • 1/2 tsp rose kaolin clay

Method:
Grind all of the ingredients together in a coffee grinder until finely powdered. Store in an airtight container to keep fresh and dry.
To use:
Splash your face with comfortably warm water. Place one or two teaspoons of cleansing grains into your hand and mix with warm water or another liquid (aloe, yoghurt, witch hazel, or milk) to form a paste. Gently rub over your face and throat. Rinse well with comfortably warm water and follow with your favourite light moisturiser, if desired. You could also use it as a mask, by leaving on your skin for 5 to 10 minutes, before rinsing off.

References


Anxiety

Chamomile-Lavender Essential Oil on the Anxiety of Clinical Nurses: A Randomized and Double-Blind Clinical Trial
The results showed that the interventions of music therapy and aromatherapy with chamomile-lavender essential oil could reduce the anxiety of nurses. Therefore, it is recommended to use music therapy and aromatherapy with chamomile-lavender essential oil to reduce the anxiety of nurses in the clinical setting.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32341707/

PMS

Efficacy of Chamomile in the Treatment of Premenstrual Syndrome: A Systematic Review
Chamomile has been used to treat PMS relief because of therapeutic properties such as anti-inflammatory effects (Chamazulene and α-Bisabolol); anti-spasmodic effects (Apigenin, Quercetin, and Luteolin, Metoxicomarin, Matrisin, and Phytoestrogens); anti-anxiety effects (Glycine, Flavonoid). The results of this review show that Chamomile is effective for the treatment of PMS. Based on these results, we believe that Chamomile can be used as good herbal medicine to treat in women with PMS.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31970017/

Obesity/Metabolic Syndrome

Chamomile as a potential remedy for obesity and metabolic syndrome
Several recent studies have shown certain positive effects of chamomile preparations in the prevention of obesity and complications of diabetes.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34602925/

Anxiety

Short-term open-label chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla L.) therapy of moderate to severe generalized anxiety disorder
Chamomile extract produced a clinically meaningful reduction in GAD (generalized anxiety disorder) symptoms over 8 weeks, with a response rate comparable to those observed during conventional anxiolytic drug therapy and a favourable adverse event profile.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27912871/

Anxiety/Sleep Quality

The effect of aromatherapy massage with lavender and chamomile oil on anxiety and sleep quality of patients with burns
Since the aromatherapy massage as a non-pharmacological and simple method can improve the anxiety and quality of sleep in patients with burns, it is suggested that nurses and burn medical care team apply it to reduce burn patients' anxiety and promote their sleep quality.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31859096/

Chemotherapy Side Effects

Effect of Ginger and Chamomile on Nausea and Vomiting Caused by Chemotherapy in Iranian Women with Breast Cancer
Ginger and chamomile were both significantly effective for reducing the frequency of vomiting.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27644672/

MSKCC Cancer Care References

https://www.mskcc.org/cancer-care/integrative-medicine/herbs/chamomile-german

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