Matricaria chamomilla, Chamomile

Chamomile is a plant belonging to the Asteraceae family, which also includes daisies and marjoram. It is a perennial plant, meaning that it is born, grows, and reproduces for several years, reaching up to 50 cm in height under ideal conditions. The plant is native to Europe, Asia, and North Africa, but is currently cultivated in various parts of the world. Chamomile is a plant widely used in popular medicine, and is indicated for the treatment of various conditions such as insomnia, anxiety, menstrual cramps, and others. In addition, the plant is also used in the production of teas, cosmetics, and perfumes.

  • Origin: Plant Based
  • Source: Itself
  • Type: Herbs, Roots & Barks
  • Age Range: Adults, Seniors
  • Toxicity: May be toxic in high doses
  • Outcomes: Sleep, Sleep Latency, Sleep Duration, Early Awaking, Stress, Anxiety

What are Chamomile benefits?

Chamomile has been used for centuries to treat health problems such as insomnia, anxiety, depression, and stress. Chamomile’s main active compounds are flavonoids, which are antioxidants and can help reduce inflammation. Chamomile also contains linoleic acid, a fatty acid that helps maintain healthy skin. The flavonoids in chamomile have sedative properties and can help induce sleep. They can also reduce anxiety and help fight depression. Chamomile can also help reduce stress, increase energy, and improve mood, all of which contribute to better quality sleep.

Table of relations

Health goal
Sub-health goal
Consistent effects
Strength of effects
Scientific articles

Chamomile and Sleep

Sleep is a very important physiological process, as it regulates the body's functions. It is responsible for promoting / facilitating energy conservation, synthesis and secretion of hormones and proteins, learning and memory through brain changes. Sleep is mainly driven by the circadian cycle, which involves exposure to light, hormones such as melatonin, and hypothalamic activity. The compounds that help regulate sleep work in different pathways, they can facilitate the process of falling asleep, increase the duration of continuous sleep or improve the quality of sleep.

  • Early Awaking

    Early awakening is a form of recurrent sleep disorder and can cause exhaustion. This problem is commonly associated with anxiety and can impair performance the next day, especially in tasks that require focus and attention such as work and physical activities.

  • Sleep Latency

    Sleep latency is the time it takes between being awake and actually falling asleep. More importantly than many think, sleep latency is linked to and impacted by the stages of sleep. Fortunately there are natural solutions to improve latency and quality of nightly rest.

  • Sleep Duration

    Sleep duration refers to the total amount of sleep obtained, either during the nightly sleep episode or during the 24 hours. Getting a full, uninterrupted sleep can be difficult and is considered a disorder, but there are natural solutions that can help.

Chamomile and Anxiety

Anxiety is the body's natural response to stress. It's a feeling of fear or apprehension about what's to come. It can be triggered by a specific situation and not last long - which is very common and ok - or it can be a generalized disorder (which is considered a illness) that can bring harm to everyday life and also cause other conditions like depression.

Chamomile and Stress

Stress can be understood as a situation in which the individual is physically or mentally overloaded, which can cause pain, tension and physical injury, as well as emotional fatigue, tiredness, reduced productivity and attention. The substances that help control stress act on hormonal regulation (for example, cortisol), on the circadian cycle and promote physical and mental relaxation.

Table of negative interactions

Drugs
Verteporfin
Foods
Cheese, Fish, Chamomile, Passion Flower, Saffron

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References

Chamomile is a plant belonging to the Asteraceae family, which also includes daisies and marjoram. It is a perennial plant, meaning that it is born, grows, and reproduces for several years, reaching up to 50 cm in height under ideal conditions. The plant is native to Europe, Asia, and North Africa, but is currently cultivated in various parts of the world. Chamomile is a plant widely used in popular medicine, and is indicated for the treatment of various conditions such as insomnia, anxiety, menstrual cramps, and others. In addition, the plant is also used in the production of teas, cosmetics, and perfumes.