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Healing Herb – Chamomile
This month I am speaking about children's health. A wonderful herb often used for children's aliments is chamomile, a flowering herb from the daisy family.
Chamomile has been used for centuries to help many different health problems. Greek physicians used it to treat headaches and kidney, liver, and bladder problems. Germans have used it for digestive upsets and as a menstrual cramps. English herbalist Culpeper recommended chamomile for fevers, digestive problems, aches, pains, jaundice, kidney stones, dropsy and more.
Both British and German immigrants introduced chamomiles to North America. Chamomile has been one of the best-selling herbs in America. Because of its pleasant taste, it is used mainly as a tea.
Benefits of Chamomile
Stomach Cramps: Chamomile is an excellent digestive aid and contains strong anti-spasmodic and anti-inflammatory properties. This is probably why chamomile tea has been effective for colic in babies. It also has been used for menstrual cramps, stomach flu, and ulucers. Drink 2-3 cups of chamomile tea daily.
Insomnia: In mainy herbal sleep aids you will find chamomile. Research has shown that the herb depresses the central nervous system, which relaxes the body and induces sleep.
Headaches: Chamomile is from the same family as feverfew (the Asteraceae family), and is said to help with pain and headaches, even migraines.
Irritable Bowel: Chamomile reports anti-inflammatory and antispasmodic actions that relax the smooth muscle lining in the stomach and intestine. This can account for how it can relieve irritable bowel conditions, nausea, heartburn, and such.
Skin Disorders: Chamomile has been used effectively for rashes, burns, psoriasis, eczema, chickenpox, and diaper rash.
For Children: Chamomile helps to relieve restlessness, teething problems, and colic in babies, and is also great for treating stomach aches in children.
Other benefits: Chamomile can be used to bring out the highlights in blonde hair and lighten age spots.
A word of warning:
Using chamomile during pregnancy is not recommended, since it is considered to be an abortifacient (a substance that induces abortion). Chamomile is also not recommended if you are currently taking blood thinners, since chamomile contains a substance called coumarin (which is also a blood thinner).
I trust this has been interesting to you and that you will try drinking some chamomile tea. At Herbs4You, we have Chamomile in bulk for, so come get some and enjoy its many benefits.
For Your Health!
Amy Willis, Your Local Herbalist
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