CHAMOMILE

ALTERNATIVE DOCTOR, LLC

CHAMOMILE, ROMAN

Most likely it was Roman chamomile, which is also called English chamomile, that Peter Rabbit was sent to bed with in order to calm him down in Beatrix Potter's The Tale of Peter Rabbit. The story was written at the start of the 20th century, but chamomile is still used in Europe today as a calming medicine. It is also used for heartburn and excess gas that may be due to nervousness. You might also find it in face creams, drinks, hair dyes, shampoos, and perfume.

Roman chamomile may reduce nausea, vomiting, and the formation of gas in your intestines. It may also help to calm you down, lessen the swelling from cuts, or hemorrhoids, and make conditions such as eczema and gingivitis (swollen gums) less uncomfortable. Its uses are practically identical to the uses for German chamomile, and for good reason: they share the same active ingredients.

Roman chamomile has not been used in human studies as much as German chamomile, so claims on its use for specific health conditions will have to be verified through future research. Unfortunately, this means that many people assume Roman chamomile is not worth taking, without realizing that Roman chamomile is already added to many teas, ointments, and other types of medicinal preparations.

Plant Description

Roman chamomile originates from northwestern Europe and Northern Ireland, where it creeps close to the ground but can also reach up to one foot in height. Gray-green leaves grow from the stems, and the flowers have yellow centers surrounded by white petals, like miniature daisies. The flowers smell like apples.

What's It Made Of?

Chamomile teas, ointments, and extracts all start with the white and yellow flower head. If these heads are not made into tea, they are crushed and steamed to produce a blue oil, which has medicinal benefits. Ingredients in the oil stop swelling and help reduce the growth of bacteria, viruses, and fungi that can contribute to pain.

Available Forms

Roman chamomile is available as dried flowers in bulk, tea, tinctures, and in creams and ointments.

How to Take It

Roman chamomile can be taken a number of ways. One easy way is to drink a cup of hot chamomile tea if your stomach is bothering you or if you are having trouble sleeping. In general, the dosages listed below will probably help relieve your stomachaches and may improve your appetite. Chamomile is also good for reducing pain during your menstrual period, and the swelling of your gums if you have gingivitis.

	Dried flowers, as tea, 1 to 4 g three times daily, or 70 percent alcohol extract, 1 to 4 ml three times daily.
	For hemorrhoids or skin problems, add a couple of tea bags to your bathwater or a few drops of Roman chamomile tincture. If you want to use an ointment, choose products that contain 3 percent to 10 percent dried chamomile flower heads.

Precautions

Roman chamomile is generally safe to use, but you shouldn't take it as medicine during pregnancy or while breastfeeding. It is considered safe in tea, however.

Roman chamomile contains an ingredient, called anthemic acid, which could cause vomiting if taken in high doses.

There is a report that an individual had a severe allergic reaction after drinking Roman chamomile tea. That person was allergic to ragweed, which is in the same plant family as Roman chamomile. If you are allergic to ragweed, you should not use Roman chamomile. If you don't know whether you are allergic to ragweed, ask your health care provider about your risk for this allergy. Most likely, you can take any form of chamomile safely.

Possible Interactions

Because the active substances in this herb may have blood-thinning properties, you should not use chamomile while taking anticoagulant (blood-thinning) medications.

Supporting Research

Achterrath-Tuckermann U, et al. Pharmacologisch untersuchungen von kamillen-inhaltestoffen. Planta Med. 1980;39:38-50.

Berry M. The chamomiles. Pharm J. 1995;254:191–193.

Blumenthal M, ed. The Complete German Commission E Monographs. Boston, Mass: Integrative Medicine Communications; 1998.

Bradley PR. British Herbal Compendium. Dorset, England: British Herbal Medicine Association; 1992:1.

DeSmet PAGM, Keller K, Hansel R, Chandler RF. Adverse Effects of Herbal Drugs. New York, NY: Springer-Verlag; 1992:2.

Evans WC. Trease and Evans' Pharmacognosy. 13th ed. London, England: Bailliere Tindall; 1989.

Foster S. Herbal Renaissance: Growing, Using and Understanding Herbs in the Modern World. Salt Lake City, Utah: Gibbs-Smith; 1993.

Harborne J, Baxter H. Phytochemical Dictionary: A Handbook of Bioactive Compounds from Plants. Washington, DC: Taylor and Francis; 1993.

Harris B, Lewis R. Chamomilepart 1. Int J Alt Comp Med. September 1994;12.

Hausen BM, et al. The sensitizing capacity of Compositae plants. Planta Med. 1984;50.

Leung A, Foster S. Encyclopedia of Common Natural Ingredients Used in Food, Drugs, and Cosmetics. 2nd ed. New York, NY: Wiley & Sons; 1996.

McGuffin M, Hobbs C, Upton R, Goldberg A. American Herbal Products Associations's Botanical Safety Handbook. Boca Raton, Fla: CRC Press; 1996.

Newall CA, Anderson LA, Phillipson JD. Herbal Medicines: A Guide for Health Care Professionals. London, England: The Pharmaceutical Press; 1996:72–73.

Opdyke DLJ. Chamomile oil roman. Food Cosmet Toxicol. 1974;12:853.

Rossi T, Melegari M, Bianchi A, et al. Sedative, anti-inflammatory, and antidiuretic effects induced in rats by essential oils of varieties of Anthemis nobilis: a comparative study. Pharmacol Res Commun Suppl. 1988;5:71–74.

Weiss RF. Herbal Medicines. Beaconsfield, England: Beaconsfield Publishers, Ltd; 1988.

The publisher does not accept any responsibility for the accuracy of the information or the consequences arising from the application, use, or misuse of any of the information contained herein, including any injury and/or damage to any person or property as a matter of product liability, negligence, or otherwise. No warranty, expressed or implied, is made in regard to the contents of this material. No claims or endorsements are made for any drugs or compounds currently marketed or in investigative use. This material is not intended as a guide to self-medication. The reader is advised to discuss the information provided here with a doctor, pharmacist, nurse, or other authorized healthcare practitioner and to check product information (including package inserts) regarding dosage, precautions, warnings, interactions, and contraindications before administering any drug, herb, or supplement discussed herein.