CHAMOMILE

Constituents

• German chamomile flowers contain 0.24- to 2.0-percent volatile oil that is blue.

• The two key constituents ― (-)-alpha-bisabolol and chamazulene ― account for 50% to 65% of total volatile oil content.  The essential oil and flower extracts contain more than 120 secondary metabolites also including apigenin, and luteolin

• Other components include

• (-)-alpha-bisabolol oxide A and B

• (-)-alpha-bisabolone oxide A

• spiroethers

• sesquiterpenes

• cadinene

• farnesene

• furfural

• spathulenol

• proazulene

• Chamomile also contains up to 8% flavone glycosides and flavonols; up to 10% mucilage polysaccharides; up to 0.3% choline; and about 0.1% coumarins.

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Energetics/ Organoleptics

• SMELL: bright, crispy, sweet, syrupy, cognac, sweet apple aroma, grassy, tea leaf-like odor with a lightly fruity aroma and several notes of floral, conifer, woody, oily-fatty, spicy 

• TASTE: bitter and musky

• COLOR: when fresh it is pale blue and then fades to a pale yellow to colorless, clear liquid

• FEEL: non-viscous (water-like)

• NOTE: middle note

• ENERGETICALLY: Chamomile soothes the spirit and can be a magnet for gentle nature spirits. It attracts prosperity and love, and the tiny flowers are enjoyed by flower fairies.

• MERIDIANS: Lungs, Heart, Stomach

  • Moves Qi/Releases Qi Stagnation: emotional upsets, anxiety, headache, nightmares, depression, irregular menses with clotting, PMS, stomach ulcers.

  • Tonifies the Liver: poor appetite, hypochondriac pain, swollen abdomen.

  • Stops Inflammation/Soothes Pain: sore throat, cramps, stomach spasms, wounds, bruises, skin rashes. 

  • Strengthens the Stomach: nausea, aids digestion, promotes smooth bowels. 

  • Releases to the Exterior/Clears Heat/Stops Cough: colds, flus, fevers, asthma, bronchitis, chills and fevers at the Shao Yang and Shao Yin stages. 

  • Moves Blood/Calms Shen: menstrual cramps, difficult menses, insomnia, anxiety, lowers blood pressure, palpations.

Contradictions

• Persons allergic to the Asteraceae/Compositae family (which includes ragweed, chrysanthemum, marigold, and daisy) have been reported to experience crossover hypersensitivity reactions to chamomile and should avoid using products containing the herb [Blumenthal 1998; Brinker 2001, 2008].  

• Nobilin and its derivatives are reported as the probable contact allergens of Roman chamomile [Benner 1973; McGeorge 1991; Bossuyt 1994].

• As a precaution, Roman chamomile should not be used concomitantly with aspirin, warfarin or other substances possessing anticoagulant activitiy [Bratman 2003; Heck 2000].

• Since apigenin is a ligand for the central benzodiazepine receptor, Roman chamomile should not be used concurrently with diazepam or other benzodiazepines, as this may potentiate their action [Paladini 1999; Viola 1995].

• Some constituents may inhibit cytochrome P450 3A4 enzymes [Budzinski 2000]. Roman chamomile essential oil exhibited ≤ 40% inhibition of CYP3A4 activity [Cochrane 2015].

• In accordance with general medical practice it should not be taken orally during pregnancy and lactation without medical advice [Farnsworth 1975; Mills 2005].

• a 70-year-old woman on warfarin was admitted to the hospital with multiple internal hemorrhages after using chamomile products to alleviate upper respiratory tract symptoms.1 That chamomile contributed to the hemorrhaging is doubtful, as the coumarin compounds in German chamomile lack the chemical configuration needed for human anticoagulant activity (Majerus, 2001).

History

• The name Chamomile is derived from two Greek words: Khamai meaning “on the ground” and melon meaning “apple.” Pliny the Elder mentioned that the plant has an apple-like smell (Franke, 2005)

• The Roman chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile [L.], earlier known as Anthemis nobilis [L.]), also belongs to the family Asteraceae and looks similar to the German chamomile. However, there are morphological differences between the flowers of the Roman and German chamomile. Further, the essential oil and chemical constituents of German chamomile and Roman chamomile are markedly different (Mann and Staba 1986). Consequently, their properties and uses are quite different.

• Carl Linnaeus made the earliest attempt to sys- tematically classify chamomile and give it the botanical name—Matricaria. The name Matricaria was chosen by Linnaeus perhaps due to its wide use in treating gynecological diseases, or “diseases of the womb (matrix)” (Franke, 2005)

• The Spanish name Manzanilla, means little apple. (Grieve, Maud) 

• Norsemen saw the countenance of the sun god in this yellow Asteraceae with it's white radiant crown, and called it "Balder's Brow".

• Chamomile is one of the important herbs of midsummer and is often included in the nine herbs of the summer solstice.  (Muller-Ebeling, Wolf-Deieter "Witchcraft Medicine") 

• Colonists brought the tiny precious seeds to America with them, and chamomile continued as one of the most frequently used home remedies to quiet babies, and as a tea for nightcaps.

• Chamomile originated in Europe and West Asia (Bisset 1994) and since ancient times, it has been highly valued by the Egyptians, Romans, and Greeks for its medicinal properties.

• The Egyptians considered the plant sacred and believed it was a gift from Ra the God of the Sun and used it to mummify bodies (Salamon 1993).

• The Saxons considered chamomile as one of the nine sacred herbs. 

• It is revered so highly in Slovakia that there is a saying that one must bow to the chamomile plant if one comes across it in a field.

• For hundreds of years, farmers have planted chamomile as a cover crop to attract beneficial insects and repel the pesky ones.

• The chamomile flowers are taken as tea, tisane, and herb beer. In fact, chamomile tea is one of the most popular herbal teas of the world and almost a million cups are consumed every day.

• In addition to tea, the fresh flowers of chamomile can be taken as salads and drinks such as chamomile lemonade. The dried flowers can be used as an ingredient in soups and salads to improve the flavor and enhance the nutritional value.