Chamomile & Creatine Levels

Creatine is a precursor to chemicals that help synthesize adenosine diphosphate or ADP, a main source of muscle energy. Although creatine is an amino acid derivative produced in your liver and kidneys, you can also get it from commercial supplements. Elevated levels of creatine, says the University of Maryland Medical Center, may increase strength and lean muscle mass as well as benefit a number of medical conditions such as muscular dystrophy and Parkinson's disease. If this is your goal, you may want to consider avoiding herbal supplements such as chamomile, which may reduce creatine levels in your body.

Identification

Chamomile can be one of two species of flowering plants whose use, according to the UMMC, dates back to ancient Egypt, Rome and Greece. Although both species act in much the same way, the most popular species in the U.S. is German chamomile, says the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. The top, or flowering part of the plant is the part used to make tea, liquid extracts and dietary supplements.

Properties

Chamomile possesses a number of properties that can benefit your health. Among those the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York attribute to chamomile include antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic, anti-ulcer and antiviral properties. Drowsiness, a side effect of chamomile, makes it also useful as an aid to help you relax.

Scientific Evidence

Chamomile may reduce creatine levels by the effect it has on creatine metabolism. A six-week study completed by researchers at the Imperial College, London, England, published in 2005 in the "Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry," showed increased amounts of glycine, an amino acid necessary for creatine synthesis in the urine of test subjects, along with a corresponding decrease in creatine concentration.

Effect on Creatine Levels

Two benefits of chamomile may also be responsible for its effect on creatine levels. Michael Bernstein of the American Chemical Society says that glycine acts as both a natural muscle and nerve relaxant. Because drinking chamomile tea increases glycine levels, Bernstein states that it appears to help relieve menstrual cramps in women by relaxing the uterine muscle. As a nerve relaxant, increased levels of glycine produce a mild sedative effect.

Considerations

Talk to your doctor if you suffer from any muscle-related condition or disease and regularly drink chamomile tea or take chamomile supplements. If chamomile affects you by reducing creatine levels, it could also affect your condition.