Chamomile is a very popular tea, with over a million cups being consumed each day. Early Egyptian doctors have known about the medicinal properties of chamomile tea and used this flower to treat fevers. Ancient Greeks and others also used chamomile to treat headaches and kidney, liver and bladder diseases. There are two distinct chamomile plants: German chamomile and Roman chamomile. German chamomile is the more popular, and it is used to lessen intestinal spasms.
How Chamomile Works
Chamomile relaxes smooth muscles throughout the body but works especially well in relaxing the smooth muscles that line the intestinal tissue. These smooth muscles normally contract and relax in a rhythmic manner to help move digested food through the intestinal tract. However, certain diseases of the gastrointestinal tract cause these muscles to spasm excessively. Chamomile helps to improve diseases of the gastrointestinal system by relaxing intestinal spasms. It works by acting as a depressant for the central nervous system.
Diseases
Chamomile is used to treat various diseases affecting the gastrointestinal tract. These conditions include irritable bowel syndrome, indigestion, stomach cramps, gas, colic and diarrhea. All these intestinal disorders can cause the smooth muscles around the intestines to spasm, and thus chamomile can help lessen the symptoms of any of these disorders.
Dose
Chamomile tea is made from the dried flowers of the Matricaria recutita plant. To make the tea, combine 1 cup boiling water with 2 or 3 tsp. of dried chamomile flowers, and let the mixture steep for 10 to 15 minutes before drinking. To ease the intestinal spasms associated with various digestion disorders, the University of Maryland Medical Center recommends drinking 3 to 4 cups each day.
Possible Side Effects
Chamomile, and the tea made from this flower, is generally considered safe. However, drinking amounts in excess of 3 to 4 cups per day of very strong tea may cause nausea and even vomiting. Additionally, there is a risk that chamomile may make asthma worse, so people with this chronic respiratory condition should avoid chamomile tea, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. Chamomile tea may trigger an allergic reaction in people who are sensitive to ragweed and other plants that trigger outdoor allergies. Therefore, people with allergies should consult a doctor before trying chamomile tea to ease intestinal spasms.
Member Comments