"Chamomile - A Fragrant Herb With Anti-inflammatory, Sedative, and Numerous Other Medicinal Qualities" Chamomile has long been considered a favorite garden herb whose reputation as a medicinal plant shows hardly any evidence of subsiding. Most people only think of it as an aromatic herb, something that is added to the bath, thereby enhancing the bathing experience. However, it exhibits many other herbal actions including functioning as a topical anti-inflammatory, and a sedative that can help you fall asleep at night. Traditionally, Chamomile has seen use as a topical application for skin inflammation. It contains several constituents, each of which is thought to play a part in controlling inflammation. Indeed, one of its ingredients, bisabolol, is thought to be the major anti-inflammatory component, but Flavonoids are thought to play a vital role as well.
Furthermore, two other ingredients, chamazulene and its precursor, matricine, also play a role. In any event, in one study, laboratory mice with second-degree burns were given this herb as part of a olive oil mixture. Animals in the control group received no treatment. At the study's end, significant improvement in wound healing was seen in the group of mice receiving treatment, compared to the control group. Recent research has discovered that drinking Chamomile tea with meals can help to prevent complications from Diabetes. What is more, these discoveries could lead to the development of a new Chamomile-based drug to help Diabetics. In any event, in one Japanese study, extract of Chamomile was fed to a group of Diabetic rats for 21 days. The results were then compared to a control group that didn't receive this herb. To summarize, the group of rats receiving the herb saw a reduction in their blood sugar levels, plus the reduction of two key enzymes, ALR2 and sorbitol, that are associated with complications from diabetes. Chamomile has seen a long history in traditional folk medicine as a sedative that helps induce sleep. When taken as a tea, just before bedtime, it can make falling asleep easier. In one study of individuals awaiting cardiac catheterization, 80% of those participating fell asleep easier, demonstrating this herb's ability to calm the mind. It has a depressing effect on the central nervous system. Functioning as an anti-spasmodic herb, it works most effectively on peripheral muscles and nerves. It can prevent or relieve muscle cramps in various locations, such as the stomach or leg. The research on this herb reveals that one of its components, a-bisabolol, is to be credited with much of its anti-spasmodic activity.
In conclusion, we hope you now look at Chamomile in a totally new light. Besides its obvious aromatic nature, it demonstrates other herbal actions that can be medicinally beneficial. In fact, the German commission E has authorized the use of this herb for diseases of the skin. The German commission E is similar in function to the American Food and Drug Administration.
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Additionally, the two flavonoids that are present in the flowers, apigenin and luteolin, are considered to be major contributors to the anti-inflammatory effects of this plant.
