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Herbal Remedy Guide
> Chamomile
Wild Chamomile is an annual herb from Europe which
has escaped to the wild and is now naturalized on
almost every continent. It can be found growing
along fences, roads and in sunny open fields from
Southern Canada to the Northern United States.
The Chamomile flowers are daisy-like about 1 inch
across and bloom from May to October. The entire
plant has a pineapple scent (apple to some) and
planted in the garden is said to help sickly plants
to grow. Gather the above ground parts as soon as
flowers bloom, dry for later herb use.
Chamomile is edible and contains many medicinal
properties. The flowers of Chamomile are edible and
quite tasty in salads or made into a refreshing cold
or warm beverage. Chamomile flowers are used in
alternative medicine as an anodyne,
anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic, nervine,
stomachic, tonic and vasodilatory. The flowers
contain various volatile oils including proazulenes
and upon stem distillation these proazulenes produce
chamazulene which is a remarkable anti-allergenic
agent that is useful in the treatment of asthma and
hay fever.
Chamomile flowers are often made into tea and are
used as a sedative for insomnia and many other
nervous conditions. Chamomile tea has
anti-inflammatory properties which make it great for
arthritis, rheumatism and other painful swellings.
Chamomile tea also works well as an antispasmodic
for intestinal and menstrual cramps, relieving gas
pains and acts as a very mild but effective
laxative.
It is said that the Egyptians dedicated Chamomile to
their sun god and valued it over all other herbs for
its healing qualities. Due to its sedative and
relaxing properties Chamomile was an ingredient in
some love potions in the middle ages.
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