Today we are going to talk about a plant with numerous beneficial effects for health. It's about the Matricaria chamomilla, more commonly known as chamomile. It is a plant used since ancient times by the Egyptians, Greeks and Romans that is used to treat liver diseases and other intestinal pain.
We are going to tell you all the characteristics and properties that the Matricaria chamomilla.
Key features
This plant is a highly prized herb that they grow dry ground and with enough sun. We tend to see it grow on the side of the roads and in the fields in the wild. It is also sown in most of Europe. Its harvest time is in spring and what takes advantage of it are the flower heads to keep them dry and in closed containers.
It is used to reduce the effects of excess foods that have strong seasonings or that have been rich in fats and sauces. These large meals can make digestion difficult and lead to stomach aches or gas. The use of this plant as an infusion can help prevent stomach pain or stomach spasms.
Among the main medicinal properties that it has, we find the active principles that are: essential oil, flavonoids (luteolol, apigenol, quercetol), coumarins, mucilages, bitter principles (matricin, matricarin ...) and mineral salts (8-11%). The essential oil of which the Matricaria chamomilla has an anti-inflammatory, lyrical spasm, antiseptic, carminative and slightly sedative effect.
Its external use is anti-inflammatory, healing, analgesic and antiseptic. They are also used for the manufacture of numerous hair lotions that help lighten the hair.
Uses of Matricaria chamomilla
As we have seen due to its characteristics and properties, it is a plant with many health benefits. Among its uses we can find that it is an excellent stimulant of digestion. That is, to promote the proper functioning of the intestines and facilitate the expulsion of gases. When we eat copious meals, digestion can be difficult due to the composition of the food. Thus, The use of an infusion of chamomile can help reduce the symptoms of this binge.
Thanks to the entispasmodic effect that this part has, it reduces muscle tension and combats the pain that comes after having done intense exercise or having bad posture. The consumption of chamomile infusions is especially indicated for people who suffer from: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, gastritis, poor digestion, flatulent colic, irritable bowel syndrome, muscle aches, skin irritations, bites, nervous disorders, swelling, eye discomfort , among other. As you can see, there are many positive health effects. For this reason, it is a well-known medicinal plant throughout the world.
It also has various contraindications. It is not advisable to prescribe essential oils internally during pregnancy, to children under six years of age, infants or patients with gastritis. Obviously, we cannot apply it to people with respiratory allergies or who have hypersensitivity to this essential oil.
Side effects and tips for use
Although chamomile has very positive effects on health, it also has side effects. The fresh plant can cause dermatitis through its contact, especially in people who are allergic to it. The essential oil is also irritating to the skin and mucous membranes. We can find it in supermarkets in a common way for the realization of infusions. It is good to combine them with other plants that have similar effects in terms of digestion and carminative properties such as mint, fennel, green anise or red elm.
We can find some quite interesting combinations with this plant such as linden, verbena, valerian, marshmallow and elderberry. These plants have relaxing and antiseptic properties. The Matricaria chamomilla We see it in supermarkets and other specialized stores such as herbalists and herbal diets in the form of infusions, essential oils, creams, paints and dry extracts.
In order to use it correctly we must follow some tips that we are going to give you. If we want to eliminate copious or difficult to digest food and either we also have nausea or we want to avoid vomiting, it is best to use it in the form of an infusion. For it, we must boil the water for a couple of minutes and use between 6 and 8 chamomile heads for each cup of water. Once the water has boiled it needs to be drained and rested for about 10 minutes. It is recommended to take as soon as you finish eating to help facilitate digestion.
For some mothers who are pregnant during the first months who usually face frequent nausea and vomiting and, to alleviate these situations of early pregnancy, it is recommended to drink chamomile infusion about two or three cups a day. If we are people who often have gas, it is best to combine a carminative infusion in equal parts with chamomile and green anise. We use a dessert spoon of each substance and let it boil in water for two minutes. We let it rest for ten minutes and we must warm it after each meal. Thus, we managed to reduce the probability of having an excess of gases.
Although it is not the main use of chamomile, it is also a fairly effective remedy to combat eye inflammations. If we want to use this effect, we must mix in equal parts a tablespoon of chamomile with rose flowers and elderberry for each glass of water that we are using. As before, we let the water boil for a few minutes, we swore it and let it rest for a few minutes. We pour the liquid into small cotton compresses and apply it with several touches on the eyelids.
Cultivation of Matricaria chamomilla
This plant needs temperate but relatively humid climates. As for the soil, it is not very demanding since it is capable of adapting to different types of soil. The most recommended They are those that have a sandy loam texture and medium fertility. The most necessary thing is the fact that the soil has a good drainage so that the irrigation water is not hit. If the soil has too many nutrients, it will add to the rest of the vegetation and the growth of the flowers will have a lower yield.
I hope that with this information you can learn more about the Feverfew chamomilla.