Chamomile (

American English American English, sometimes called United States English or U.S. English, is the set of variety (linguistics), varieties of the English language native to the United States. English is the Languages of the United States, most widely spoken lan ...

) or camomile ( British English; see spelling differences) ( or ) is the

common name In biology, a common name of a taxon or organism (also known as a vernacular name, English name, colloquial name, country name, popular name, or farmer's name) is a name that is based on the normal language of everyday life; and is often contrast ...

for several plants of the family Asteraceae. Two of the species, '' Matricaria recutita'' and '' Anthemis nobilis'', are commonly used to make herbal infusions for beverages. There is insufficient

scientific evidence Scientific evidence is evidence that serves to either support or counter a scientific theory or hypothesis, although scientists also use evidence in other ways, such as when applying theories to practical problems. "Discussions about empirical ev ...

that consuming chamomile in foods or beverages has any beneficial effects on health.

Etymology

The word ''chamomile'' is derived via the

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

and Latin, from the Greek grc, χαμαίμηλον, khamaimēlon, earth apple, label=none, from grc, χαμαί, khamai, on the ground, label=none, and grc, μῆλον, mēlon, apple, label=none. First used in the 13th century, the spelling ''chamomile'' corresponds to the Latin and the Greek . The spelling ''camomile'' is a British derivation from the French.

Species

Some commonly used species include: * '' Matricaria chamomilla'' – often called "German chamomile" or "Water of Youth" * '' Chamaemelum nobile'' – Roman, English, or garden chamomile; also frequently used (''C. nobile'' Treneague is normally used to create a chamomile lawn) A number of other species'

s include the word ''chamomile''. This does not mean they are used in the same manner as the species used in the herbal tea known as "chamomile". Plants including the common name ''chamomile'', of the family Asteraceae, are: * '' Anthemis arvensis'' – corn, scentless or field chamomile * '' Anthemis cotula'' – stinking chamomile * ''

Cladanthus mixtus ''Cladanthus mixtus'', commonly known as the Moroccan chamomile, is a mostly Mediterranean species of flowering plant in the aster family, often considered a weed but is also distilled for essential oil, which changes in composition depending on ...

'' – Moroccan chamomile * '' Chamaemelum nobile'' – Roman chamomile * '' Cota tinctoria'' – dyer's, golden, oxeye, or yellow chamomile * ''

Eriocephalus punctulatus ''Eriocephalus'' is a genus of African flowering plants in the daisy family. General description The genus ''Eriocephalus'' appears in the ''Species Plantarum'' of Carl Linnaeus, item 926 (1753), and was dealt with by William Henry Harvey in ...

'' – Cape chamomile * ''

Matricaria discoidea ''Matricaria discoidea'', commonly known as pineappleweed, wild chamomile, disc mayweed, and rayless mayweed, is an annual plant native to northeast Asia where it grows as a common herb of fields, gardens, and roadsides. It is in the family Aster ...

'' – wild chamomile or pineapple weed * '' Tripleurospermum inodorum'' – wild, scentless or false chamomile

Uses

Camomile tea, High Tea at the Savoy Hotel

Chamomile may be used as a flavoring agent in foods and beverages, mouthwash, soaps, or cosmetics. It is used to "upholster" chamomile seats, raised beds which are about half a meter tall, and designed to be sat upon. Chamomile lawns are also used in sunny areas with light traffic.

Tea

Chamomile tea is a

herbal infusion Herbal teas, also known as herbal infusions and less commonly called tisanes (UK and US , US also ), are beverages made from the infusion or decoction of herbs, spices, or other plant material in hot water. Oftentimes herb tea, or the plain term ...

made from dried flowers and hot water, and may improve sleep quality. Two types of chamomile used are

German chamomile ''Matricaria chamomilla'' (synonym: ''Matricaria recutita''), commonly known as chamomile (also spelled camomile), German chamomile, Hungarian chamomile (kamilla), wild chamomile, blue chamomile, or scented mayweed, is an annual plant of the com ...

(''Matricaria recutita'') and

Roman chamomile ''Chamaemelum nobile'', commonly known as chamomile (also spelled camomile), is a low perennial plant found in dry fields and around gardens and cultivated grounds in Europe, North America, and South America. Its synonym is ''Anthemis nobili ...

(''Chamaemelum nobile'').

Use in beer and ale

Chamomile has historically been used in making beer and

ale Ale is a Type of beer, type of beer brewed using a Warm fermentation, warm fermentation method, resulting in a sweet, full-bodied and fruity taste. Historically, the term referred to a drink brewed without hops. As with most beers, ale typicall ...

. Unlike for tea, in which only the flowers are used, the whole plant has been used to make beers and ales, adding a bitter flavor component favored by

craft breweries A craft or trade is a pastime or an occupation that requires particular skills and knowledge of skilled work. In a historical sense, particularly the Middle Ages and earlier, the term is usually applied to people occupied in small scale prod ...

and homebrewers.

Research

The main constituents of chamomile flowers are polyphenol compounds, including apigenin, quercetin, patuletin, and luteolin. Chamomile is under preliminary research for its potential anti-anxiety properties. There is no high-quality clinical evidence that it is useful for treating insomnia or any disease.

Drug interactions

The use of chamomile has the potential to cause adverse interactions with numerous herbal products and

prescription drug A prescription drug (also prescription medication or prescription medicine) is a pharmaceutical drug that legally requires a medical prescription to be dispensed. In contrast, over-the-counter drugs can be obtained without a prescription. The rea ...

s and may worsen pollen allergies. People who are allergic to ragweed (also in the daisy family) may be allergic to chamomile due to cross-reactivity. Apigenin, a

phytochemical Phytochemicals are chemical compounds produced by plants, generally to help them resist fungi, bacteria and plant virus infections, and also consumption by insects and other animals. The name comes . Some phytochemicals have been used as poisons ...

in chamomile, may interact with

anticoagulant Anticoagulants, commonly known as blood thinners, are chemical substances that prevent or reduce coagulation of blood, prolonging the clotting time. Some of them occur naturally in blood-eating animals such as leeches and mosquitoes, where the ...

agents and

nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) are members of a therapeutic drug class which reduces pain, decreases inflammation, decreases fever, and prevents blood clots. Side effects depend on the specific drug, its dose and duration of ...

s, while other phytochemicals may adversely interact with sleep-enhancing herbal products and vitamins. Chamomile is not recommended to be taken with aspirin or NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs), as it may cause drug–herb interaction. Chamomile consists of several ingredients including coumarin, glycoside,

herniarin Herniarin is a natural chemical compound. Chemically, it can be considered a methoxy derivative of coumarin or a methyl In organic chemistry, a methyl group is an alkyl derived from methane, containing one carbon atom bonded to three hydrog ...

flavonoid Flavonoids (or bioflavonoids; from the Latin word ''flavus'', meaning yellow, their color in nature) are a class of polyphenolic secondary metabolites found in plants, and thus commonly consumed in the diets of humans. Chemically, flavonoids ...

farnesol Farnesol is a natural 15-carbon organic compound which is an acyclic sesquiterpene alcohol. Under standard conditions, it is a colorless liquid. It is hydrophobic, and thus insoluble in water, but miscible with oils. Farnesol is produced from 5- ...

, nerolidol and

germacranolide Germacranolides are a group of natural chemical compounds classified as sesquiterpene lactone Sesquiterpene lactones (SLs) are a class of sesquiterpenoids that contain a lactone ring. They are most often found in plants of the family Asteraceae ( ...

. Despite the presence of coumarin, as chamomile's effect on the coagulation system has not yet been studied, it is unknown whether a clinically significant drug–herb interaction exists with antiplatelet/anticoagulant drugs. However, until more information is available, it is not recommended to use these substances concurrently. Chamomile should not be used by people with past or present cancers of the breast,

ovary The ovary is an organ in the female reproductive system that produces an ovum. When released, this travels down the fallopian tube into the uterus, where it may become fertilized by a sperm. There is an ovary () found on each side of the body. ...

, or uterus;

endometriosis Endometriosis is a disease of the female reproductive system in which cells similar to those in the endometrium, the layer of tissue that normally covers the inside of the uterus, grow outside the uterus. Most often this is on the ovaries, f ...

; or uterine fibroids.

Pregnancy and breastfeeding

Because chamomile has been known to cause uterine contractions that can invoke

miscarriage Miscarriage, also known in medical terms as a spontaneous abortion and pregnancy loss, is the death of an embryo or fetus before it is able to survive independently. Miscarriage before 6 weeks of gestation is defined by ESHRE as biochemical lo ...

, pregnant women are advised to not consume

(''Chamaemelum nobile''). Although oral consumption of chamomile is generally recognized as safe in the United States, there is insufficient clinical evidence about its potential for affecting nursing infants.

Agriculture

The chamomile plant is known to be susceptible to many fungi, insects, and viruses. Fungi such as '' Albugo tragopogonis'' (white rust), ''Cylindrosporium matricariae'', '' Erysiphe cichoracearum'' (powdery mildew), and '' Sphaerotheca macularis'' (powdery mildew) are known pathogens of the chamomile plant. Aphids have been observed feeding on chamomile plants and the moth ''

Autographa chryson ''Diachrysia chryson'', the scarce burnished brass, is a moth of the family Noctuidae. The species was first described by Eugen Johann Christoph Esper in 1789. It is found in central and southern Europe (including the southern part of the British ...

'' causes defoliation.

Historical descriptions

The 11th century part of ''Old English Illustrated Herbal'' has an illustrated entry. Nicholas Culpeper's 17th century ''The Complete Herbal'' has an illustration and several entries on ''chamomel''.

In culture

* In '' The Tale of Peter Rabbit'' by Beatrix Potter (1902), Peter is given chamomile tea after being chased by

Mr. McGregor ''The Tale of Peter Rabbit'' is a children's book written and illustrated by Beatrix Potter that follows mischievous and disobedient young Peter Rabbit as he gets into, and is chased around, the garden of Mr. McGregor. He escapes and returns ho ...

.Michael Castleman *

Mary Wesley Mary Wesley was the pen name of Mary Aline Siepmann CBE (24 June 191230 December 2002), an English novelist. During her career, she was one of Britain's most successful novelists, selling three million copies of her books, including ten bestsell ...

's 1984 novel ''The Camomile Lawn'' features a house in Cornwall with a lawn planted with chamomile rather than grass. * In the No Doubt song "Hey Baby", chamomile is featured in the line "I'm just sippin' on chamomile", sung by

Gwen Stefani Gwen Renée Stefani (; born October 3, 1969) is an American singer, songwriter, fashion designer and actress. She is a co-founder, lead vocalist, and the primary songwriter of the band No Doubt, whose singles include "Just a Girl", "Spiderwebs ...

. * Chamomile is the

national flower In a number of countries, plants have been chosen as symbols to represent specific geographic areas. Some countries have a country-wide floral emblem; others in addition have symbols representing subdivisions. Different processes have been used to ...

of Russia.James Minahan. ''The complete guide to national symbols and emblems, Vol. 1''. Greenwood Press. 2009.

References

External links

PLANTS Profile: Anthemis tinctoria L. (golden chamomile)
USDA * {{Medicinal herbs & fungi Plant common names Medicinal plants Flower tea Flora of Mexico