Chamomile

Chamomile (Matricaria recutita; Chamomilla recutita) is a herb that has been used since ancient times. Traditionally it was considered to have two specific fields of action: the nervous system and the digestive system. It works particularly well therefore on nervous conditions that affect the digestive system. Chamomile has always been used with children, indicating that it is considered a very safe and gentle herb.

 
Actions:
Chamomile has the following actions:
anti-inflammatory
antispsamodic
carminative (soothing to the gut wall, and reduction of gas),
mild sedative,
antimicrobial,
vulnerary (wound healing) and
diaphoretic (promoting or inducing a sweat).

You can see that is a lot of actions for a little common herb! Do not under-estimate the humble chamomile.

Conditions treated:

A herbalist might use chamomile to treat the following conditions:
Irritable bowel syndrome
Food sensitivities
Flatulence and colic
Diarrhoea
Gastrointestinal inflammation
Infantile colic
Gastritis, peptic ulcers, reflux
Restlessness and anxiety
Topically for eczema (dermatitis)

Quality
You can use chamomile yourself at home to also treat the above conditions. A cup of chamomile tea may not seem like strong medicine, but if it is made correctly with quality dried herb, it can have the same actions as outlined above. Beware though, a cup of chamomile tea made with a teabag from the supermarket is not the same thing! We are very lucky here in Victoria to have Southern Light Herbs, a family run business that grows and sources the very best quality herbs for their teas. Visiting their farm made me aware of the vast difference in quality between their organic loose leaf herbal tea, and what is packaged and sold as tea in teabags. Their tea is available from organic whole food shops, health food shops, and many naturopaths.

Making a cuppa:

Get yourself some real dried chamomile flowers. Add 1 - 2 tsp per person to a teapot or a cup with a lid. It is very important when making a cup of chamomile tea that the tea is enclosed either by a lid or in a teapot, or else many of the active constituents may escape. Leave to steep for at least 5 minutes. Make it as strong as you enjoy, but I think the stronger the better!

Although night time is the classic time to drink a cup of chamomile tea to help with sleep, it can be enjoyed at almost any other time of day. Make a cup to soothe an upset stomach, to decrease period pain, or to relieve a tension headache.

Chamomile - small herb - big actions!

If you have never been to a naturopath, or are new to the naturopathic world, you may be unfamiliar with how we treat. The main modalities I practice are Herbal medicine, and Nutrition. Both are wonderful and effective entities in themselves, but when used therapeutically together, they can be outstanding in their effect on people, helping them to become well.

Herbal medicine is under utilised by our largely Western society in Australia. However, from a world-wide point of view, the majority of medicine taken around the world are herbal remedies. Herbal medicine is not a primitive form of treating that has been superseded by modern medicine. It still has relevance and so much to offer to people in the 21st century. It is my wish that more people are going to learn about and turn to herb medicine. The 'world of the weed' has so much to offer!

 
Some of the herbs I use in my dispensary would have been familiar to, and used by the Greeks and Chinese 3000 years ago. This is exciting. Remedies would not be handed down over thousands of years if they weren't effective. Our ancestors had a different concept of illness than today's modern medicine. Back then they viewed diseases as imbalances to be corrected, rather than invasions to be attacked. Herbal remedies were used to adjust patterns of disorder, and gently nudge a body back to health.

 
One of the most wonderful things about the herbal world is that herbs behave as more than just an assembly of chemicals. Whereas many drugs are used for only one action on a specific disease state, most herbs can be used across different body systems, and have multiple actions. I may be a bit biased, but I think that's tremendously exciting.