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| CHAMOMILE (Matricaria chamomilla). Also spelled camomile, chamomile is one of the most widely used herbs in the world. Even those who know little about its medicinal properties enjoy its fresh apple fragrance and relaxing influence. Chamomile is a carminative, tonic, sedative, antispasmodic, aromatic, stimulant and anthelmintic. According to Rudolf Weiss, M.D.: |
| The medicinal value of chamomile is largely due to three actions: it reduces inflammation, relieves spasm and counteracts flatulence and the pain resulting from it. . . . The three actions make it clear why chamomile can have such a beneficial effect on acute stomach complaints. Relief is quite rapid, with pain reduced and the stomach and intestines settling down. Chamomile has also been found to encourage the healing of wounds. This effect is again closely linked with its anti-inflammatory action. Taking the two together, it is easy to see why chamomile is one of the best remedies for acute and chronic gastritis. The effect is not short-lived and purely symptomatic, but a genuine cure is achieved. |
| To brew chamomile tea for the treatment of indigestion or gas, be generous with your measurements. Use at least 2 to 3 teaspoons dried chamomile blossoms per cup of water. Do not boil the herb. Let stand, covered, 5 to 10 minutes before straining and serving. Drink 3 to 4 cups daily, preferably on an empty stomach before or between meals and again before retiring. For acute digestive discomfort or colic, sip hot chamomile tea slowly, drinking one cup every 20 to 30 minutes until symptoms subside. |
| A note on safety: According to Mark Blumenthal, executive director of the American Botanical Council, chamomile is frequently blamed for allergic reactions, especially in those who have severe ragweed allergies. But in the past 95 years, only five cases of chamomile allergy have been reported in the medical literature, and some research suggests that chamomile actually helps alleviate allergic reactions such as hay fever. |
| CHAPARRAL LEAF (Larrea tridentata). This bitter herb from the Pacific Southwest is a diuretic, tonic, astringent, anti- |
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