herbs - Chamomile (Matricaria recutita)

What is it?

Chamomile grows throughout Europe and Asia, but is cultivated on a large scale for medicinal use. This attractive and aromatic member of the daisy family has been used since Roman times. The dried and fresh flowers of German Chamomile are most commonly used in herbal medicine. Both German and Roman Chamomile are used in Aromatherapy.

Action

Chamomile flowers contain volatile oils, the most important of which are proazulenes, alpha-bisabolol and spiroether, together with ioflavanoids and Quercetin. This complex mix is anti-inflammatory and antispasmodic, and accounts for its 2,000 year history in the treatment of digestive problems.

Chamomile used topically demonstrates anti-inflammatory, healing and soothing properties to the skin.

Uses

Chamomile has been used for the following disorders:


Children with headaches, temperatures, restlessness, nervous Indigestion and the jitters all respond to this magically calming herb, which makes one of the most pleasant of all teas when mixed with a little honey.

Chamomile is widely available in teabags or as loose dried flowers. Tablets, capsules and tinctures are sometimes also available and can be used in tincture form for children aged above 1 year of age. Herb tincture dosage is lower than adult levels - a simple guide for children is one drop per stone of weight. Chamomile is also found as creams or ointments for external use.

Cautions

  • Generally there are no side effects from Chamomile and allergic reactions are rare, although those who are allergic to plants of Asteraceae family (aster, ragweed and chrysanthemums) need to be cautious.


  • Chamomile is safe during pregnancy and lactation and is a safe remedy 09:47 22/12/2003for young children.


  • When this article was written there were no well-known negative drug interactions with Chamomile.
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