Healthy Living: The Many Uses of Chamomile
If you’re a foodie like me, you will love learning about a tiny flower that has some extraordinary health benefits. Not only that, but you can use it in desserts and culinary dishes. What is this small flower, you may ask? Well, it has delicate white petals with a golden center, and chamomile is its name. With no surprise, this beautiful flower is related to the daisy family (Asteraceae or Compositae), and from what we know, there are two different types.
German chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla) is one type “and is a sweet-scented, smooth plant and self-seeding annual herb. It is native to Europe and Western Asia and has become widely distributed over Europe, North Africa, and the temperate region of Asia.”
The other type is Roman chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile). “Roman chamomile is an aromatic, creeping perennial, found in dry fields and around gardens and cultivated grounds. It originated in the United Kingdom and is widely grown in American herb gardens.” -Integrative Medicine (Fourth Edition), 2018.
Now that you’ve been properly introduced, let’s learn how to use chamomile for everyday health and living.
According to Donna Eszlinger, chamomile was used mainly for medicinal purposes. “My grandmother, parents, and husband’s parents used it as a supplement for inflammation, to relax a person, to treat colds, for colicky babies, to calm the stomach, or relieve menstrual pain. Kind of like aspirin.” She also explains, “If you had a cold in your eye, they would make a compress by soaking a cloth in chamomile tea and then placing it on your eyes to take down the inflammation.” When asked about the form in which she takes chamomile, Eszlinger said, “I prefer fresh over the tea bags because the tea bags are not as potent. It doesn’t have the full strength of the chamomile, at least not to my liking. I mean, people that haven’t had the actual flower maybe don’t know the difference, but if you’ve had the flower or raw form versus a teabag, you know it’s not as strong.”
Other medicinal uses are:
A more restful sleep
According to Healthline, chamomile “contains apigenin, an antioxidant that binds to certain receptors in your brain that may promote sleepiness and reduce insomnia, or the chronic inability to sleep.
In one study, postpartum women who drank chamomile tea for two weeks reported better sleep quality compared to a group that did not drink chamomile tea. They also had fewer symptoms of depression, which is often linked with sleeping problems.”
Like many herbal teas, chamomile is easy on the stomach and is very relaxing and soothing. Drink one cup 30 minutes before bed to gain the best results for a peaceful night’s rest.
To help soothe the stomach
We know that Chamomile tea is easy to digest, and findings suggest it “may protect against diarrhea, stomach ulcers, nausea and gas, likely due to its anti-inflammatory effects.” -healthline
As a mouth rinse
“In dentistry, chamomile has been studied due to its anti-inflammatory properties. This plant has been tested by several researchers, with promising results. Chamomile is proved to reduce gingival inflammation and plaque accumulation without staining teeth nor having adverse effects. Therefore, this mouthwash has shown good results, statistically similar to chlorhexidine 0.12% after two weeks of regular mouth rinse.” -Dunker Dental Care.
1. To make an herbal mouth wash, place 6 tablespoons of green tea and 3 tablespoons of chamomile in a French press or jar.
2. Cover with cool distilled water or reverse osmosis water.
3. Seal the container and then allow it to sit for at least 7 hours.
4. You can lightly swirl the jar every couple of hours, but the mixture of mouth wash will not be ruined if you forget.
5. At this point, press or strain out any particles remaining.
6. In between uses, store it sealed in your refrigerator.
7. Use morning and night.
To relieve a headache
Although it’s not proven that chamomile will take a headache away completely, it does relieve tension when drinking it in tea form. This is due to the antiinflammatory properties and the soothing effect of releasing tension.
As an aid in the healing of wounds
According to the National Library of Medicine, “Recent studies suggest that chamomile caused complete wound healing faster than corticosteroids. However, further studies are needed before it can be considered for clinical use.”
To boost the immune system and relieve cold type symptoms
It is always best to prevent instead of finding a cure, but if the sniffles or common cold come knocking, “Studies indicate that inhaling steam with chamomile extract has been helpful in common cold symptoms.” Dr. Isern, a Cass County local, agrees that “Chamomile is a favorite herb of German peoples worldwide, including, of course, among our Germans from Russia. Their attachment to the plant probably increased during their sojourn in the Russian Empire - chamomile is the national flower of Russia.” Dr. Isern is one of many who raises chamomile in his garden. “I dry the flowers for tea; usually, I blend chamomile with mint or hyssop. I find it a little astringent by itself for my taste, but I suspect that very quality is why people believe the tea is a good remedy for colds.”
Heather Earles is married to a retired Special Forces Officer, and they live on a farm with their four children. She is an established author, a stay-at-home mother, and an advocate for healthy living. She publishes a weekly blog and podcast (Herb ‘N Wisdom™) and writes for her local newspaper to aid and inspire others.