Chamomile flowers and herbs are widely known in Australia. And here at Acorn and Oak Apothecary, our naturopaths use the medicinal benefits of this lovely herb. Do you know the benefits of chamomile we can get from its flowers? Learn more in this post.
Originally native to parts of Europe and Asia, this herb is now found in several places around the world including Australia. It has a long traditional medicinal use but modern uses for chamomile have also branched out into cosmetics and perfumery.
It only grows up to 0.5m in height. But its flowers, which have a yellow cone and white petals, grow abundantly from all over the plant. It loves growing close to the ground and is highly tolerant of being stepped on. Harvesting the flowers from chamomile only serves to encourage it to bloom more prolifically.
Usage and Benefits of Chamomile Flowers
If you look at the traditional use of Chamomile in Western herbal medicine, you’ll soon see that it has two main uses.
The first is through its action on the nervous system where it has a significant calming effect. It helps to calm anxiety and nervousness. Additionally, it can help people relax, helping them fall asleep easier.
The second main use of chamomile is seen in its action on the digestive tract. Here it plays many different roles helping to soothe irritation, reduce spasms and bloating.
It also helps with digestive upsets that are linked to the nervous system. These include things like when people who are nervous because of something get diarrhoea. Here, chamomile helps to soothe and reduce the symptoms. Chamomile also works on the nervous system and the digestive system simultaneously.
Energetically, this herb has a soothing maternal presence. Historically being seen as a sure-all much like a mother’s hug. It is also soft and soothing, helping to ground your senses and pacify any anxiety that might be present.
Naturopathic Prescribing with Chamomile Flowers
A Bendigo naturopath may prescribe chamomile in either tea or tincture form to assist with the management of the following:
- Spasm, inflammation and/or nervous conditions of the gastrointestinal tract
- Insomnia or sleep disturbances
- To provide calming, mild sedative, and nervous system support
- Anxiety
- PMS and/or dysmenorrhoea
- Children’s health including teething problems, colic, or irritability
- Wound healing and/or skin inflammation
Chamomile’s Safety Profile
Chamomile is a safe herb to take in most situations. It has been considered safe historically and has been proven to be so through research more recently.
It has no known interactions with drugs and is also safe during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
The exception to this is if you have an allergy to any plants in the Asteraceae family. If you have an allergy to members of this family, you should avoid chamomile as it may trigger an anaphylactic reaction.
And aside from chamomile flowers, our dispensary near Bendigo has stocked more amazing medicinal herbs. Give us a visit now.
