Almost everyone has heard of chamomile tea, but did you know that chamomile is a medicinal herb? In fact, chamomile is one of the safest medicinal herbs which is why it’s so effective for various complaints such as stress and menstrual pain to name a few.
Chamomile is essentially an herb that has an apple-like aroma and taste. Its name is derived from the Greek word kamai, which means ground apple. This herb is most often taken as a mild therapeutic tea. Today, the concentrated extracts of this herb are added to herbal healing lotions and creams or packaged as tinctures and herbal remedies.
There are two important species of chamomile that are often used for their healing powers. Those two species are German chamomile and Roman chamomile. In central Europe and North America, the German chamomile products are widely used and are sometimes called “Hungarian.” In Great Britain, the Roman chamomile is the one that is most commonly sold.
While chamomile is widely known as an antispasmodic and muscle relaxant, it is also interesting to know that this herb has antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties. The herb’s healing powers are distilled from its daisy-like flowers that contain volatile organic compounds.
The flowers also contain flavonoids — compounds known as apinegin and some other therapeutic substances. As the safest medicinal herb, chamomile may be applied either internally or externally.
Chamomile, with its anti-anxiety properties, helps to promote general relaxation and stress relief. It is also useful for controlling insomnia because it has a mildly sedating and muscle-relaxing effect.
Chamomile is also beneficial for those who have diverticular disease, irritable bowels, and general gastrointestinal problems thanks to its anti-inflammatory and antispasmodic qualities. When it is used in a lotions or creams, chamomile can soothe skin rashes — even eczema, minor burns, and sunburn. A knowledgeable herbalist can also use it to treat eye inflammation and infections.
Other uses of chamomile include healing mouth sores, preventing gum disease, and easing menstrual cramps. With so many multiple uses of chamomile, it is no doubt that most pharmaceutical and health food companies make use of this herb in their formulas. The herb’s products in the form of tinctures, oils, lotions, teas, creams, and capsules are widely manufactured and easily available.
Since chamomile is widely made available in so many forms, perhaps the most important thing to consider before taking it is to read the labels for the exact dosage. Many experts recommend looking for pills and tinctures that are formulated with concentrated extracts of the herb that contain for at least 1 percent of apigenin, which is one of the herb’s most potent ingredients.
While anyone can describe the benefits of chamomile, but learning about herbs and herbal remedies involves experiencing their properties with your own senses. There is one school of thought that does not depend solely on books to gain knowledge of herbs, but relies more on experiencing them through your own sense of taste and smell. Bitter, sweet, or aromatic herbs can tell us about their best use when we learn to understand their ‘language’.
You can learn more about the language of herbs by visiting Herb Energetics.
