Chamomile - Botanical Medicines

Chamomile

Chamomile, one of the best-selling herbs in the United States, is actually two herbs with the same name: German or Hungarian chamomile ( Matricaria chamomilla ), and Roman or English chamomile ( Anthemis nobilis or Chamaemelum nobile ). Both have flowers with yellow centers and white rays, and both produce a light blue oil that has medicinal properties.

Chamomile has traditionally been used as a digestive aid. According to Murray and Pizzorno, several chemicals in chamomile oil, including bisabolol, relax the smooth muscle tissue that lines the digestive tract. W. Mitchell, in his book Naturopathic Applications of the Botanical Remedies , claims that chamomile oil has been shown to relax the gastrointestinal tract as well as or better than the prescription drug Pavabid.

J. Duke, in the Handbook of Medicinal Herbs , states that German researchers have also discovered that chamomile oil kills several bacteria, including Candida albicans , the fungus responsible for vaginal yeast infections. Chamomile is licensed in Germany as an over-the-counter drug for internal use against gastrointestinal spasms and inflammatory diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. It is also approved as a topical treatment for skin and mucous membrane inflammations, bacterial skin diseases of the mouth and gums, and inflammation of the throat and airways.