Chamomile Uses and Plant Monograph

Not only was I completely wrong about chamomile – it has become one of my favorite and most used herbs – but I’ve since realized that I needed to learn the best ways to use chamomile and to take the advice of my friend and herbalist jim mcdonald, who points out, “gentle does not mean weak.”

Chamomile is not only gentle and powerful, it seemingly does a thousand and one different things, from soothing the nervous system, relieving muscle tension, and addressing cold and flu symptoms, to promoting digestion and modulating inflammation.

Chamomile has been loved and revered by people for thousands of years…actually make that hundreds of thousands of years. Excavations at Jacob’s Bridge, an archeological site in Israel, reveal that Paleolithic humans were using chamomile as early as 800,000 years ago!¹

 

Chamomile Energetics

Chamomile is high in aromatic essential oils while also having strong bitter principles (especially with longer steeping times). Many herbalists consider it warming to the digestion, yet it is also used as a relaxing diaphoretic (cooling) in support of the fever process. Like many plants chamomile defies classification, but with nuanced understanding we can effectively match this herb to the person and the situation.

 

Chamomile for Stress, Anxiety, Insomnia and Crankiness

Drinking a strong cup of chamomile tea is like getting a warm and reassuring embrace from a loved one. About halfway through a cup of chamomile tea, I notice my shoulders relaxing, my breath deepening, and my entire body unwinding. Move over apples; in today’s stress-filled world, a cup of chamomile tea a day could be what keeps the doctor away.

For centuries herbalists have used chamomile to soothe the nervous system of both children and adults. A common saying is that chamomile is indicated for whining children or adults acting like whining children. It can also be taken at night to promote sleep. I’ve found that dosage is key here: the more you use, the more profound the results.

Researchers have taken an interest in chamomile and have conducted several human clinical trials to evaluate its ability to address both depression and anxiety. In an exploratory study, researchers found that chamomile, even at a relatively small dose (220 mg), was more effective than placebo in relieving both depression and anxiety.² Another clinical study found that chamomile relieved mild to moderate anxiety in people diagnosed with general anxiety disorder.³

I prefer chamomile for anxiety and pent-up nervous system energy (rather than low or depressive energy). It’s a relaxing nervine, meaning it decreases nervous system tension and helps the body switch to a more parasympathetic nervous system function.

 

“Chamomile is probably the most widely used relaxing nervine herb in the western world, and is safe for use in all types of anxiety and stress-related disorders.”
- David Hoffman, Medical Herbalism

 

For Muscle Tension, Cramps and Pain

Chamomile is also relaxing to the musculature. I reach for it whenever there is muscle tension related to stress or simply muscle tension leading to pain. I’ve seen it relieve severe menstrual cramps, as well as headaches that are accompanied by excess tension in the upper back and neck. Since pain can often be accompanied by emotional distress, chamomile brings welcome relief on many levels.

In one clinical study, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) were compared with chamomile in women with PMS. After two months, those using chamomile had a reduction in pain similar to that of the women using the NSAIDs, and those using the chamomile also had significantly fewer emotional symptoms.⁴ Another study looked at topical chamomile for carpal tunnel syndrome pain. In this pilot study the researchers concluded that “Chamomile oil improved symptomatic and functional status of patients with severe carpal tunnel syndrome.”⁵

For relieving muscle tension and pain chamomile can be taken internally as a tea, tincture, or glycerite. It can also be used externally on the affected area as an infused oil, diluted essential oil, or liniment.

Chamomile for Cold and Flu Symptoms

Chamomile has recently been my favorite herb for fevers accompanied by aches and pains. Yes, I know boneset (Eupatorium perfoliatum) is amazing too, but chamomile is often easier for people to find when I get the inevitable call from someone asking what they should do for their fever right now.

Chamomile does not artificially lower a person’s body temperature, but instead relaxes tension and has a relaxing diaphoretic effect, allowing excess heat in the body to escape through the skin. Taken as a really strong warm tea it can also be sedating, helping the patient to rest.

I’ve also seen chamomile tincture work well as an antispasmodic for those dry, hacking coughs that can often show up at the end of an illness. I like to accompany chamomile with moistening teas such as marshmallow or violet for these sorts of dry coughs.

Chamomile for Digestion

Long used as a delicious after dinner drink, chamomile is a wonderful herb for digestion. It has both bitter and aromatic principles that encourage digestive function, such as the breakdown of fats.

If there is anxiety or tension interfering with digestion, chamomile again offers relief on many levels. Chamomile modulates inflammation and can be used for a myriad of inflammatory digestive complaints.

A 2016 study found that 1 gram of encapsulated chamomile per day significantly decreased the frequency of vomiting in women undergoing chemotherapy for breast cancer as compared to placebo.⁶ (It was shown to be as effective as ginger in reducing vomiting, although ginger decreased the frequency of nausea better than chamomile.)

Chamomile for Modulating Inflammation

Chamomile can be used externally as a poultice, fomentation, bath, or liniment to help calm inflammatory responses. Think of it for rashes, burns, or even bleeding gums and oral mucositis.^7 8

One interesting study compared the topical use of chamomile compresses with hydrocortisone cream for relieving itching and discomfort associated with skin lesions in people who have stomas (a surgically created opening in the abdomen that allows stool or urine to exit the body). Participants were either given a 1 percent hydrocortisone cream or chamomile compresses twice a day. Those using the compresses had a significantly faster healing time as well as a considerable decrease in pain and itching compared with those using the steroid cream. The researchers also pointed out that using chamomile instead of the steroid cream prevents serious side effects associated with topical steroid use, such as thinning of the skin.⁹

Chamomile has also been demonstrated to relieve inflammation systemically in patients aged 30-64 with type 2 diabetes. In this study, 32 men and women, who had type 2 diabetes drank chamomile tea 3 grams, 3 times per day immediately after meals (for a total of 9 grams). Concurrently, 32 other men and women with type 2 diabetes drank the equivalent amount of water. After 8 weeks, those drinking chamomile had better glycemic control and increased antioxidant capacity.¹⁰

Chamomile for Children

If I had to choose only one herb for children, it would probably be chamomile. It soothes the nervous system, supports the body during a cold or flu (common in children), and it tastes pretty darn good. It is commonly used, along with fennel, for infant colic, as well as to relieve pain and discomfort during teething.

Chamomile has also been shown, in partnership with apple pectin, to relieve acute diarrhea in children aged six months to six years.¹¹ Chamomile can be used externally to clear up conjunctivitis (“pink eye”).

German Chamomile vs. Roman Chamomile vs. Pineapple Weed

This article is about German chamomile or Matricaria chamomilla (syn. Matricaria recutita).

Roman chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile) is another plant in the Asteraceae that is commonly confused with Matricaria chamomilla due to their similar common names. These are two very distinct plants with a different biochemical profiles. While they may have some similarities, I would not consider them interchangeable.

Pineapple weed (Matricaria discoidea) is a plant that loves to grow in hard-packed, disturbed soils, such as dirt driveways or roadsides. If you crush the flower heads and smell them, you’ll notice they smell very similar to Matricaria chamomilla. I use these plants interchangeably, although it’s hard to find pineapple weed in non-toxic areas safe for harvesting.

Written by Rosalee de la Forêt

Rosalee de la Forêt is an herbalist and author of the bestselling book Alchemy of Herbs: Transform Everyday Ingredients Into Foods & Remedies That Heal and co-author of Wild Remedies: How to Forage Healing Foods and Craft Your Own Herbal Medicine. She’s a registered herbalist with the American Herbalists Guild. Explore Rosalee's website and podcast. All content and photos in this article are © Rosalee de la Forêt.