"..... Peter was not very well during the evening. His mother put him to bed,
and made some chamomile tea and she gave a dose of it to Peter."
- from The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter
Virtually any flower, fruit or herb that can be ingested can become an herbal
tea. Just take a trip to your local health food store and you'll find dozens of
"medicinal infusions" boasting a variety of benefits from relaxation to
rejuvenation. But let's be honest: when most folks reach for an herbal tea,
they're probably going for Chamomile.
Chamomile Tea
Chamomile is one of the most popular herbs in the world, available in a variety
of forms. The most prominent (and, of course, my personal favorite) way this
herb is enjoyed is as a tisane, or herbal tea. In this month's edition of
Teamuse, we'll explore the many facets of this versatile herb, disinter some old
stories and release some recent studies.
There are two main a types of Chamomile: Roman and German. Roman chamomile is
native to Western Europe and North Africa, flowering in late spring or early
July. German chamomile, which (not surprising to anyone who has ever been to
Germany's Hofbrauhaus) was used to make beer, and is indigenous to western Asia.
For our purposes, though, we'll say that this famous plant finds its roots in
Egypt. This is because the first recorded mention of Chamomile being chugged was
in a document known as the Ebers Papyrus, dating back to 1550 BC. In Ancient
Egypt, Chamomile was used to honor the gods, embalm the dead and cure the sick.
The Early Romans also enjoyed Chamomile as a beverage as well as an incense.
Ironically, the name "Roman Chamomile" does not stem from this time. It rather
comes from an arbitrary naming of the herb in the 19th Century by a botanist who
happened to find some growing in the Roman Coliseum.
Chamomile
Chamomile has a distinctly applelike taste and aroma. In fact, the word
"Chamomile" as we now know it comes from the ancient Greek kamai-melon, or
"ground apple." The Spanish call Chamomile "Manzanilla"-- or "little apple." A
leisurely stroll through the famous Chamomile Lawn of Buckingham Palace is sure
to provide this sensation.
There are many traditional remedies which employ Chamomile. These include
everything from a cure for a cough or bronchitis, a fever, inflammation of the
skin, liver and gallbladder complaints to appetite stimulator. One herbal
medicine guide even claims that if you drink chamomile tea before bed, you won't
have nightmares.
In the olden days, people called chamomile the "Plant's Physician," because they
claimed that it was such a good companion plant. It's been said that if you
plant chamomile near a drooping or sickly plant, in nine cases out of ten, the
plant will recover.
However, current studies are reinforcing some of these dated claims. A recent
report in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry confirms that chamomile
is an effective anti-inflammatory, sedative and ulcer-fighter. Research also
suggests that chamomile may act as an antioxidant and antimicrobial.
During the study, researchers tested 14 healthy volunteers who drank five cups
of chamomile tea every day for two weeks. They found that drinking tea produced
an increase in a substance that helps the body fight off colds.
Chamomile tea is not only a delicious, uncannily calming beverage (that is
naturally caffeine-free), but it is also showing to have a comparable amount of
health benefits to its cousin, green tea.
So it seems that practically whatever type of tea you drink, you'll benefit!
The news just keeps getting better and better... Tea drinkers, rejoice!
