What is the first herb you ever learned was actually medicine?
It’s easy to get caught up in all the articles and new studies on promising natural remedies, but what about that first piece of herbal knowledge you came across? Maybe in your grandma’s kitchen… or in a novel you read as a teenager?
For me, it was chamomile. When I was little, this bittersweet herb was given to me as a bedtime tea when I was exhausted or had a stomach ache. I didn’t think about it much as a kid. I just trusted the magic in the cup and accepted its healing with that child-like faith.
But as I began to study this common flower, I learned just how powerful chamomile is.
The first use of chamomile goes all the way back to ancient Egypt. And they used it in the same ways we do today: teas, oils, and baths… Chamomile’s relaxation benefits were also recognized by the wanderers of modern day Germany and all throughout the markets of ancient Rome. And guess what— they used chamomile in the exact same ways.
So how could they all know that chamomile was a calming remedy? Their cultural lifestyles, spiritual practices, culinary processes and languages were all so different—yet this healing plant spoke to them in the same way—crazy right?
Well, the answer seems simple enough to me… if these very different ancient groups came to the same conclusions about this little white flower, it has to be what we call “evidence-based” medicine.
Thousands of years of practice and experience with chamomile back up these ancient claims, but modern science has taken it one step further. Researchers and healers have been studying chamomile and it’s no surprise that this ancient wisdom is being proven out in modern laboratories. Turns out, our ancestors knew a thing or two…
So what have scientists discovered about chamomile so far?
Chamomile is a potent medicine.
When you break chamomile down into its chemical constituents, the two most notable attributes are the volatile oils and flavonoids. The volatile oils are responsible for chamomile’s sleep-time reputation— they relax muscles and calm the mind, while the flavonoids (specifically apigenin) have been proven time and time again to bring down anxious and depressive tendencies.
Discover more Flower Medicines here
In addition to that, studies have shown that chamomile is one heck of a pain killer. Not only does it work topically to relieve aches and pains, bring down inflammation, stop muscle spasms and heal wounds— you can take it internally as a tea, tincture or syrup and get the same results.
And here’s the real kicker— chamomile is incredibly safe. (So safe in fact that it is traditionally used for teething or fussy children.)
It’s no wonder this herb is a total ‘go-to’ remedy for people across the world, young and old alike.
Most people can take chamomile every day for the rest of their life with no side effects — and many of my friends do! You’d just get the added bonus of deeper sleep, a strengthened immune system, and a balanced stress response.
Please note – it is quite rare, but some folks who have an allergy to ragweed, daisies, marigolds, or chrysanthemums might also experience an allergy to chamomile.
A tasty tip: my favorite way to drink chamomile in the summer time is to make a big jar of tea using heated spring water and a big handful of the dried flowers. Once it steeps, I then put it in the fridge overnight to cool off. Chamomile Iced Tea with a little bit of honey is a heavenly beverage on a hot day!
If you haven’t already added this special plant to your herbal repertoire, make sure to give it a try. After thousands of years, this flower continues to be a household name and science can now back it’s safety.
Stay curious,
Nick Polizzi
Host of Proven: Healing Breakthroughs Backed By Science
& Founder of The Sacred Science
Hi Nick:
Chamomile is related to ragweed. I was told that I need to be careful of how much chamomile I use because I am allergic to ragweed.
For infections (or sliver removal) my grandmother would warm milk with dried chamomile and dip a small piece of bread in it to put on the infected area. As it cooled the process was repeated several times. This was done a couple times a day until the infection was gone. It only took a few of days.
Chamomile was also instrumental in the invention of tea itself. In ancient China, the first to not only unify China into an empire but also realize those great benefits of chamomile was Emperor Shen Nung in about 2950 B.C.E. He was on a personal campaign to promote the boiling of all drinking water before using it when one of his aides presented him with a sample which was accidentally “contaminated” with chamomile branches in the heating process. He drank it anyway and found the benefits to be extraordinary, thus endorsing the use of chamomile tea.
Many children first learn about chamomile in The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter. I don’t remember the exact quote but Mother Rabbit gives a dose of chamomile tea to Peter after his overeating adventures in McGregor’s garden.
I understand that drinking weak chamomile infusion, pale coloured, is a relaxant; whereas drinking it strong can be a stimulant .
I have sucesfully used chamomile tea taken first thing in the morning to dispell symptoms of BPH.
Dear Nick Polizzi,
Thank you for the advice about chamomile tea.
I have been drinking it ( the “Bigelow” brand) in the evening while watching TV. (before bed-time)
However, I never knew why I liked it. This information interesting.
Mint was the first medicine plant I learned about as a child with my grandmother
Thank you for this great resource and support you offer
I find the natural remedies is the best way to be well. I’m interested in stomach problems and vein diseases. Also bronchitis and dry eye syndrome.