Chamomile

German chamomile flower (Matricaria chamomilla) is grown in South and Eastern Europe, Northern and Western Asia, and North America. The flowers contain flavonoids, including apigenin and luteolin, and at least 0.4% essential oils. The two major constituents of chamomile essential oil are α-bisabolol and chamazulene.1

Health Benefits

Chamomile flower has been a valuable ingredient in herbal formulas and teas for thousands of years to help with sleep, anxiety, and gastrointestinal problems (e.g., upset stomach).2-5 The bisabolol in Chamomile may have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects and may be helpful for individuals with stomach and upper intestinal disorders because bisabolol may aid in lowering the amount of pepsin secreted in the stomach.1,5 Chamomile may decrease platelet aggregation, thus reducing the risk of disorders caused by excessive blood clotting.6 It has been suggested that chamomile might help reduce characteristics of ADHD such as: hyperactivity and inattention.7

References

  1. Agatonovic-Kustrin S, Babazadeh Ortakand D, Morton DW, Yusof AP. Rapid evaluation and comparison of natural products and antioxidant activity in calendula, feverfew, and German chamomile extracts. J Chromatogr A. 2015 Mar 13;1385:103-10. doi: 10.1016/ j.chroma. 2015.01.067. Epub 2015 Jan 29. PubMed PMID:25666499.2.
  2. Chamomile, National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, NIH. accessed in Sep 2018. https://nccih.nih.gov/health/chamomile/ataglance.htm
  3. Zick SM, Wright BD, Sen A, Arnedt JT. Preliminary examination of the efficacy and safety of a standardized chamomile extract for chronic primary insomnia: a randomized placebo-controlled pilot study. BMC Complement Altern Med. 2011 Sep 22;11:78. doi: 10.1186/1472-6882-11-78. PubMed PMID: 21939549; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC3198755.
  4. Shinomiya K, Inoue T, Utsu Y, Tokunaga S, Masuoka T, Ohmori A, Kamei C.Hypnotic activities of chamomile and passiflora extracts in sleep-disturbed rats. Biol Pharm Bull. 2005 May;28(5):808-10. PubMed PMID: 15863883.
  5. Singh O, Khanam Z, Misra N, Srivastava MK. Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla L.): An overview. Pharmacogn Rev. 2011 Jan;5(9):82-95. PubMed PMID: 22096322
  6. Bijak M, Saluk J, Tsirigotis-Maniecka M, Komorowska H, Wachowicz B, Zaczyńska E, Czarny A, Czechowski F, Nowak P, Pawlaczyk I. The influence of conjugates isolated from Matricaria chamomilla L. on platelets activity and cytotoxicity. Int J Biol Macromol. 2013 Oct;61:218-29. PubMed PMID: 23831537.
  7. Niederhofer H. Observational study: Matricaria chamomilla may improve some symptoms of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. Phytomedicine. 2009 Apr;16(4):284-6. PubMed PMID: 19097772.