By Alissa B Daschbach MA BS BA MH

Chamomile Flower promotes relaxation, and sleep. Chamomile alleviates symptoms of anxiety, improves irritability, and lightens mood while reversing symptoms of depression. Elevate uses the power of Chamomile in its formulation to support enhanced mood and relaxation. 

Chamomile flower tea has been given to colicky babies and insomniacs for thousands of years to help relieve stomach pain, promote relaxation, and sleep. Regular supplementation of chamomile flower extract can alleviate symptoms of anxiety, improve irritability, and lighten mood while reversing symptoms of depression. If you are dealing with excessive stress in your life or are struggling with anxiety and depression, chamomile tea or supplements can help relieve your symptoms by controlling your stress response and easing tension. In this article, you will learn about chamomile’s gentle ability to improve your moods, control anxiety, and lift bouts of depression.

Chamomile Flower: Background and Benefits

Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla L.)  is known as one of the most important medicinal plants globally. This bright little white flower is native to southern and eastern Europe but this valuable medicinal plant now grows in most parts of the world. Chamomile grows in France, Germany, Hungary, Yugoslavia, Russia, and Brazil. In the 16th century, it was introduced to India and can now be found in North Africa, Asia, North and South America, and New Zealand. Chamomile has been used for thousands of years, throughout ancient Rome, Greece, and Egypt. Currently, more than 26 countries include chamomile in their pharmacopeia to treat a number of mild to moderate conditions (including stomach disturbances, painful menstruation, insomnia, and externally on slow healing wounds). Traditionally, the flowering tops of chamomile were gathered, dried, and then made into a tea as herbal medicine.

Chamomile is a highly versatile plant with a great number of medicinal applications. Biological activities attributed to chamomile in research studies include:

• Anti-Inflammatory
• Antistress
• Treats gastrointestinal disorders
• Sedative
• Antimicrobial
• Wound healing properties
• Treats symptoms of depression
• Antioxidant
• Antiviral

Chamomile has been the subject of numerous research studies to evaluate its activity against anxiety disorders and depression. These studies reveal that the extract contains chemical constituents that actively work to improve symptoms of anxiety disorders, insomnia, promote calm, and lift mood. Because of these qualities, chamomile can be used to help improve your sleep, fight inflammation, and reverse the effects of stress and anxiety throughout your body.

Sleep Aid, Anxiety Relief, and Mood Lifter

Chamomile has been used for centuries as a sleep aid, helping to relax and calm the mind and body before bedtime. Scientific research supports the use of chamomile to relieve anxiety and depression symptoms and improve sleeping patterns. For example, a recent study showed that in sleep-disturbed women who had just given birth slept better and felt less depressed after drinking chamomile tea for a period of two weeks. The sleep-inducing and sedative qualities of chamomile have been studied in rats and mice where chamomile supplementation reduced the amount of time it took for the animals to fall asleep and prolonged the amount of time the animals stayed asleep. This research supports the use of chamomile to calm nerves and induce drowsiness and the sleep-disturbed and overly anxious. 

 People who have mild-to-moderate general anxiety disorder may also benefit from taking a therapeutic amount of chamomile in their daily lives. Research supports those with this anxiety disorder as regular supplementation of chamomile reduces the symptoms related to anxiety while acting as a mild antidepressant. Anxiety and depression can be debilitating, greatly affecting your quality of life and may cause problems in your relationship with loved ones and at work. If you suffer from anxiety, depression, or insomnia, you may benefit from taking chamomile regularly. Elevate has included this bright little flower into its formula because of the many benefits that chamomile contains. People who take chamomile have reported the relief of symptoms associated with depression, stress, and anxiety. Perhaps, you too can enjoy an improvement in your daily life by choosing to add Elevate into your daily self-care routine.

Cautions and Interactions

Be sure to check with your physician before taking supplemental chamomile as it may interact with current treatment or medications.

Chamomile is a mild plant with relatively few side effects reported. However, being a member of the ragweed and chrysanthemum family, chamomile may cause allergies or an allergic reaction in people who are allergic to these plants. Side effects and allergic reaction symptoms include vomiting, nausea, and skin irritations. Signs of an allergic reaction include hives, rash, itching, trouble breathing, chest tightness, and wheezing.

Chamomile contains a chemical called coumarin which has blood-thinning or anticoagulant properties. If you are taking a blood-thinner (such as warfarin), consult with your physician before taking chamomile. German chamomile may contain estrogen-like properties, if you are being treated for hormone-sensitive disorders or conditions (for example, breast cancer or endometriosis) check with your physician to make sure it is safe to take.

References

Chang, S. M., & Chen, C. H. (2016). Effects of an intervention with drinking chamomile tea on sleep quality and depression in sleep disturbed postnatal women: a randomized controlled trial. Journal of advanced nursing, 72(2), 306-315. Retrieved from PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26483209/

Hieu, T. H., Dibas, M., Surya Dila, K. A., Sherif, N. A., Hashmi, M. U., Mahmoud, M., ... & Huy, N. T. (2019). Therapeutic efficacy and safety of chamomile for state anxiety, generalized anxiety disorder, insomnia, and sleep quality: A systematic review and meta‐analysis of randomized trials and quasi‐randomized trials. Phytotherapy Research, 33(6), 1604-1615. Retrieved from PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31006899/

Mao, J. J., Xie, S. X., Keefe, J. R., Soeller, I., Li, Q. S., & Amsterdam, J. D. (2016). Long-term chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla L.) treatment for generalized anxiety disorder: A randomized clinical trial. Phytomedicine, 23(14), 1735-1742. Retrieved from PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27912875/

National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. (2020, May). Chamomile. Retrieved from NIH: https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/chamomile

Singh, O., Khanam, Z., Misra, N., & Srivastava, M. K. (2011). Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla L.): an overview. Pharmacognosy Reviews, 5(9), 82. Retrieved from Pharmacognosy Reviews: http://www.phcogrev.com/article/2011/5/9/1041030973-784779103

Wong, C. (2021, September 07). What is chamomile? Retrieved from Verywellhealth: https://www.verywellhealth.com/the-benefits-of-chamomile-89436