Chamomile(Matricaria chamomilla)

July 28th, 2007

Family: Asteraceae
Genus: Matricaria
Species: chamomilla
Synonyms: Matricaria recutita, Chamomilla recutita
Common Names: Chamomile, German chamomile, Amerale, Babunnej, Bayboon, Camomile, Chamomile, Kami-Ture, Manzanilla Dulce, Manzanilla, Papatya
Part Used: Whole herb, flowers

General Description:
In Hungary and eastern Europe German Chamomile is bred on a large scale. It grows over whole Europe in the wild. The plant is found in meadow and wheat fields, at roadsides, on sunny hills and on rubble place.
The plant blossoms from May until August with at the tops flowers with yellow hearts and white petals that on the end of the flowering time bow down. The flowers have a honey like smell.
German Chamomile has smooth, green and thin stems and becomes 25 until 40 cm high. The leaves are gradually divided over the length of the stems. German Chamomile is a one years plants and has nerved seeds.

Cultivate German Chamomile yourself:
The best place for German Chamomile is sunny.
Sow the seeds in the ground from March. Only push the seed in the soil, donâ€™t cover them.
The seeds germinate after 2 or 3 weeks. After germinating plant the plants 30 cm from each other.

As medicines, the flower heads and the ethereal oil become uses.
During the flowering time, the flowers are picked and carefully dried.

Working and character. : Bactericide, inflammations brake, wound whole, anti-allergic, cramp defence, calming, comforting, softening, stomach means, decongestivum, digestief tonicum.

Documented Properties & Actions:Tonic, Stomachic, Anodyne, Antispasmodic, Laxative, Diaphoretic, Analgesic, Carminative, Anti-inflammatory, Sedative.

Plant Chemicals Include:
Alpha-bisabolol, Choline, Eo, Galacturonic-acid, Glucose, 2,4-dihydroxybenzoic -acid, 2,5-dihydroxybenzoic-acid, 3,4-dihydroxycinnamic-acid, 3-carene, 3- hydroxy -2-methylidene-butyric-acid-angelate, 4-hydroxy-3-methoxy-be nzoic-acid, 4-methoxybenzoic-acid, 6-3-dimethoxyquercetin, 6,7-dimethoxyquercetin, 6-hydroxy-luteolin-7-glucoside, 6-methoxykaempferol, Alpha-bisabololoxide-a, Alpha-bisabololoxide-b, Alpha-bisabololoxide-c, Alpha-bisaboloneoxide-a, Alpha- muurolene, Ap igenin Glucosides, Ascorbic-acid, Axillarin, Azulene, Betacaryo-phyllene, Beta-damascenone, Bisabolene, Borneol, Bornyl-acetate, Caffeic-acid, Calamene, Capric-acid, Caprylic-acid, Caryophyllenepoxide, Catechin-tannins, Chamazulene, Chamomilla-esters, Chamomillol, Chlorogenic-acid, Chrysoeriol, Chrysoeriol-7-glucoside, Chrysosplenol, Chrysosplentin, Cis-caryophyllene, Cis-en-yn-dicycloether, Epsilon-1-(2,6-dimethylphenyl) -2-buten-1-one, Ethyl- benzoate, Ethyl-decanoate, Ethyl-palmitate, Ethyl-phenyl acetate, Eupaletin, Farnesene, Farnesol, Furfural, Galactose, Gallic-acid-tannin, Gentisic-acid, Geraniol, Herniarin, Hyperoside, Isoferulic-acid, Isorhamnetin, Isorhamnetin -7-glucoside, Jaceidin, Kaempferol, Linoleic-acid, Luteolin, Luteolin glucosides , Matricarin, Matricin, Niacin, O-coumaric-acid, P-coumaric-acid, Palmitic-acid, Patuletin, Pectic-acid, Perillyl-alcohol, Polyacetylene, Quercetagetin-3,5, 6,7, 3′,4′-hexamethylether, Quercetagetin-3,6,7,3′,4′-pentamethylether, Querce-tagetin, tetrameth ylether, Quercetin, Quercetin-3-galactoside, Quercetin -7-glucoside, Quercetrin, Quercimeritrin, Rhamnose, Rutin, Salicylic-acid, Sinapic-acid, Spathulenol, Spinacetin, Tannin, Thiamin, Thujone, Trans-alpha- farnesene, Trans-en-yn-dicycloether, Triaconta ne, Umbelliferone, Xanthoxylin, Xylo

“Chamomile has calming and soothing properties. It is used for nervousness, headaches, anxiety, and hysteria. It is also beneficial for colds and flu. Its antispasmodic properties (See herbal fact at the bottom of this page.) benefit cramps and spasms , probably due to the easily assimilable form of calcium found in it. One tablespoon steeped in a covered cup of boiling water with two slices of fresh ginger is reported to be a very effective treatment for menstrual cramps and other pains and spasms. Chamomile is frequently used for digestive complaints and taken regularly will gently regulate the bowels. The same tea may be used for minor digestive problems such as acid indigestion and gas, weak stomach, stomach pains, lack of appetite, and colic p ain. It is also effective against intestinal parasites, like worms. Chamomile has tonic, diaphoretic (causes sweating), and analgesic (pain-relieving) properties.”
“Chamomile is a slightly bitter herb that helps soothe nerves, increase mental awareness, settle the stomach and promote digestion. It is used as a tea to calm hyperactive children, menstrual cramps, and asthma. It is a diuretic and has been used for b ladder problems. It helps with fevers, colds, headaches, insomnia, rheumatism, relieving gas and expelling worms. Chamomile is good for the liver and lungs and helps reduce jaundice, swelling, and ease withdrawal from drugs. It acts as a mild laxative and can bring on menses. It is good for crying, whining babies and helps soothe the pain of teething. Chamomile can be used as a mouthwash for gingivitis and externally for inflammation.”

“Medicinal Action: and Uses: Tonic, stomachic, anodyne, and antispasmodic. It has a wonderfully soothing, sedative and absolutely harmless effect.”

“A good nerve tonic, sleep aid, appetite stimulant, and digestive aid. Relieves the bladder, colds, asthma, colitis, diverticulosis, fever, headaches, hemorrhoids, muscle cramps, and pain. Effective in the treatment of rheumatism, arthritis, worms, and jaundice. Warning: Do not use for long periods of time. Do not use if allergic to ragweed.”

“Chamomile is renowned for its medical and household uses. The apparently endless list of conditions it can help all fall into areas that the relaxing, carminative and anti-inflammatory actions can aid. It is an excellent, gentle sedative, useful and saf e for use with children.”

“Chamomile contains a wide variety of active constituents, each of which comes to the fore under certain conditions and plays an important supportive role in other situations. Thus bisabolol is thought to be the major anti-inf lammatory constituent, but the total anti-inflammatory effect of whole chamomile depends upon the presence of the flavonoids, such as apiginine and luteoline. Likewise, for years researchers attributed the antispasmodic effect to the flavonoids, but it h as recently been demonstrated through numerous trials that other constituents also contribute substantially to the total sedative action. Furthermore, the importance of chamazulene and its precursor, matricine, has been demonstrated in virtually all of the actions of chamomile. Chamomile is as much used as a carminative as a mild sedative. One of the most amazing things about chamomile is that, in spite of the fact that the herb was being used throughout Europe and North America for the treatment of a cute and chronic gastrointestinal inflammatory conditions, for heartburn, for constipation, for stomachache, and so forth - in spite of all that, it wasn’t until 1979 that experimental verification of its protective and healing effect on the mucosa of th e GI tract was reported.”

“German Chamomile is classed as sedative, anodyne carminative, and tonic. It has a well-established reputation as a remedy for soothing the nerves, strengthening digestion, and relieving certain forms of colic.”

“Another extremely popular herb for the treatment of indigestion, as well as various other conditions, is chamomile. . . Its popularity as a traditional medicine is so great that in Germany it was declared the medicinal plan t of the year for 1987.50 The literature on the chamomiles is extensive. Die Kamille, a 152-page book by H. Schilcher, provides comprehensive coverage. 51 Mann and Staba’s 1986 review is the most recent one in the English language. 52 It provides 220 references to various agro nomic, botanical, chemical, and pharmacological aspects of the herbs. The chamomiles are used internally for digestive disturbances. Like peppermint, they possess carminative (antispasmodic) effects, but unlike peppermint, they exert, in addition, a pronounced anti-inflammatory activity on the gastrointestinal tract. In this country, chamomile tea is most widely used for this purpose. The German Commission E considers German chamomile effective internally for gastrointestinal (GI) spasm and inflammatory conditions of the GI tract. It was also found to be effective when used as a mouthwash for irritations and minor infections of the mouth and gums.”

Specific therapeutic working.
Skin problems, lit wounds, swear, eczema, dyspepsie (disturbed digestion), stomach and intestine sore, bladder inflammation, menstruation disturbances (irregular, staying away).

Use Chamomile also in or externally by: fire wound, vrieswonden, blisters, eczema, rheumatism, oorpijn, acne / youth pustules, inflammations, wounds, insectensteken, sores, little appetite, headache, skin problems, menstruation complaints, artritis, verstuikingen, muscle pain, gout, nerve pain, boils, allergies, migraine, nervousness, stress, transitions complaints, excitability, insomnia, fear, stress, tooth pain and digestions disturbances.

The Chamomilebloem is therapeutic, healing, heating, calming and soothing, but never cheerful. Also is the good for children that pains have, anxious or irritable be.
Chamomile can uses become about that as a tea against stomachache, in gorgeldrank and as a mondspoeling.
The flowers have a pleasant smell and exercise a cleaning and calming influence from on the stomach intestine system, in fact on all organs that with mucous membranes covered are.
Chamomile is one of the safest herbs and is good for restless children.
The flowers can uses become against emotional tensions and by meditation.
Chamomile becomes uses in inhalaties for asthma.

Cosmetisch.
Chamomile is a weak on that means. Externally Chamomile makes uses light brown hairs lighter and gives at blond hairs a golden reflection, the tea can become uses as a haarspoeling.
- In the cosmetica becomes the Chamomile uses round its inflammation brake, calming and soothing working. Azuleen is applied about that in creams for a (over) sensitive skin.

ETHNOBOTANY: WORLDWIDE USES
Dominican Republic : Carminative, Cicatrizant, Diarrhea, Spasm, Tea

Elsewhere:Ache(Ear), Ache(Stomach), Anodyne, Antiphlogistic, Antiseptic, Bruise, Carminative, Colic, Convulsion, Debility, Dentition, Depurative, Diaphoretic, Diuretic, Eczema, Expectorant, Fever, Hair-Wash, Hysteria , Inflammation, Intestinal-Tonic, Liqueur , Malaria, Nervine, Neuralgia, Pile, Poultice, Sedative, Sclerosis, Shampoo, Sore, Spasm, Stomach, Tumor(Intestine), Vermifuge Wound

Europe: Cancer, Carminative, Diaphoretic, Liqueur, Nervine, Perfume, Sedative, Spasm, Stimulant, Tea, Vermifuge.

Mexico: Colic, Gastritis, Nerve, Spasm, Stomachic, Tonic, Sudorific

South America: Cancer(Liver), Stomachic, Tonic, Sclerosis

Turkey: Antiphlogistic, Antiseptic, Carminative, Digestive, Discutient, Diuretic, Emollient, Expectorant, Fever, Sedative, Tonic

Disclaimer:
The information presented herein is intended for educational purposes only. Individual results may vary, and before using any supplements, it is always advisable to consult with your own health care provider

Resources:
http://www.natuurlijkerwijs.com/english/kamille.htm#algemene_beschrijving_1
http://www.rain-tree.com/chamomile.htm