It seems every time you’re experiencing some uncomfortable symptoms, the first thing a friend or family member will ask you is if you’ve tried chamomile. Everywhere you look, companies are adding chamomile into their products, so you finally sit down and ask yourself, “what is chamomile, and what are its benefits?”
What Is Chamomile?
If you've ever walked by the roadside or through a sunny field, you've most likely seen chamomile growing freely. The center of the flower is yellow, with bright white leaves growing around it. As a child, you may have even picked up one or two to pick off the leaves, not knowing at the time that you were playing with a chamomile flower. Fortunately, these little daisy-like plants aren't just beautiful to look at, but they pack plenty of benefits too.
Chamomile Is Naturally Calming
We live very hectic lives. Sometimes it seems we never have time to sit down and relax. We wake up every morning to our alarms and hit the bed at night, completely exhausted. Unfortunately, a lifestyle with little relaxation can lead to high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, etc. Stress can also affect our mood and our ability to sleep. Unfortunately, when we have trouble sleeping (otherwise known as insomnia), it can make stress a lot worse. It can seem like a never-ending cycle. However, you don't have to be doomed to a life of chronic stress. Chamomile is naturally calming and can relieve stress and anxiety. When you consume chamomile, you will start to feel the stress and anxiety melt away. Your muscles will become less tense, any tension headache will start to subside, and you can feel your blood pressure drop to normal levels.
Chamomile Can Soothe A Sore Throat
Flu season is around the corner, and one of the more uncomfortable symptoms is a sore throat. A sore throat is caused by your body's inflammatory response to fighting off infection. Unfortunately, even after fighting off infection, the sore throat can linger. That's when you take chamomile to help soothe a sore throat because of its anti-inflammatory properties.
Chamomile Helps Boost The Immune System
Speaking of the immune system, chamomile has plenty of the phenolic properties needed to give our immune system a good boost. The anti-inflammatory properties mentioned before helps keep the immune system from causing unnecessary inflammation. Inflammation has a negative stigma because of the health issues it can cause, but it's a sign your immune system is working as intended. However, with everything that's going on in the world, you could benefit from giving your immune system a little boost.
Chamomile Relieves Stomach Pain
Finally, if you’re feeling the effects of abdominal pain caused by indigestion or stomach cramps, then chamomile may be the treatment you need. The medicinal properties found in chamomile due to the various chemicals found in the plant can help soothe an upset stomach. The flavonoids in these flowers provide the medicinal properties to help relieve symptoms such as nausea, cramps, and other stomach pain.
Chamomile is versatile enough to be added to different products for a range of health benefits. They can be dipped into water, added into tea, or used in herbal supplements. Chamomile really shines when paired with other natural ingredients such as honey, peppermint, lemon, etc. However, on its own, it’s very beneficial and can help you go about your day with a better quality of life.
Citations:
Mao JJ, Xie SX, Keefe JR, Soeller I, Li QS, Amsterdam JD. Long-term chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla L.) treatment for generalized anxiety disorder: A randomized clinical trial. Phytomedicine. 2016;23(14):1735-1742. doi:10.1016/j.phymed.2016.10.012
Srivastava JK, Shankar E, Gupta S. Chamomile: A herbal medicine of the past with bright future. Mol Med Rep. 2010;3(6):895-901. doi:10.3892/mmr.2010.377
Singh O, Khanam Z, Misra N, Srivastava MK. Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla L.): An overview. Pharmacogn Rev. 2011;5(9):82-95. doi:10.4103/0973-7847.79103