Herb of Month:
Chamomile
Chamomile, Matricaria recutita is one of the strongest herbs there is. The thing is, we tend to take it for granted. You can get it at the grocery store, you can order it at pretty near any restaurant – how could something so COMMON have any kind of potency as medicine? But it’s that commonness that clues us into what an important medicine it is! Back in the 1930s, much of the country gave up herbal medicines in favor of chemical medicines, and the only herbs that survived in our modern culture were culinary ones – because those are “just flavors”. Of course, they’re not! They’re important medicines in their own right – so important that we put them in our foods to make sure we got them every day. But Chamomile was one of the very few herbs that is not culinary, but which we held on to as a culture. Why? Because it was too important to put aside.
Chamomile is a huge part of a good night’s sleep! Chamomile has strong anti-spasmodic action, both on the muscles and on the nervous system, so it’s the perfect choice when you feel like your nerves are buzzing and “spasmy”. I like to blend it with Ginger – another strong anti-spasmodic, but much more warming. The two together really help relax the body.
If you’ve ever eaten dinner a bit too late, that contributes to a difficulty sleeping, and both Ginger and Chamomile have strong benefits to the digestive system as well – so with one tea, your pretty much ready for anything!
But wait, there’s more – you can drink this as a tea or take it as a tincture – or EAT IT AS A COOKIE! My herbal instructor came up with a recipe that uses powdered Chamomile flowers and candied Ginger to make the most delicious paleo cookies you’ve seriously ever had – and they’re so relaxing! Great for tea time, bed time, or any time. You’ll find the recipe here.
You can even give Chamomile to your pets. My herbal instructor’s dog was spayed and they were worried since she’s very high energy, how they would we keep her calm for the week of recovery and It was Chamomile to the rescue! They sprinkled about a quarter cup of Chamomile flowers right on top of her dinner, and she gobbled them up. Better yet, it really did keep her calm! They have needed to use that trick for various injuries, and it works every time. If you have a very large dog, you might need a larger dose, and if your dog is a picky eater, you might need to stir it in and make sure there’s plenty of gravy. They gave it to her twice a day.
Although it’s a less-commonly emphasized aspect these days, Chamomile is also a superb wound healer. A well-strained strong tea can be used as a wound wash or a compress. This effect has been studied – here are two studies of interest.
A study after dermabrasion of tattoos – small but statistically significant.
A meta-study on a wide range of effects, including wound healing.
What are YOUR favorite ways to work with Chamomile?
