CHAMOMILE FLOWERS, WHOLE - 1 lb.

Biological Name: Matricaria recutita, Matricaria chamomilla, Chamomile, a member of the daisy family, is native to Europe and western Asia. German chamomile is the most commonly used. It grows freely everywhere. Roman chamomile is a low European perennial found in dry fields and around gardens and cultivated grounds. The stem is procumbent, the leaves alternate, bipinnate, finely dissected, and downy to glabrous. The solitary, terminal flower heads, rising 8 to 12 inches above the ground, consist of prominent yellow disk flowers and silver-white ray flowers. It flowers in June and July. German Chamomile is a Southern European annual plant found wild along roadsides, in fields, and cultivated in gardens. The round, downy, hollow, furrowed stem may be procumbent or rise upright to a height of 16 inches. The leaves are pale green, bipinnate, sharply incised, and sessile. The flower heads are like those of Roman Chamomile, and the white ray flowers are often bent down to make the disk-flowers even more prominent. Chamomile has been used for centuries as a medicinal plant, mostly for gastrointestinal complaints. This practice continues today. Chamomile was supposedly dedicated to the sun by the Egyptians because of its curative value in the treatment of ague. It is used in various parts of the world as a table tea. It was used to regulate monthly periods. It is splendid for kidneys, spleen, colds, bronchitis, bladder troubles, to expel worms, for argue, dropsy, and jaundice. The tea was believed to make an excellent wash for sore and weak eyes and also for other open sores and wounds. Chamomile was used as a poultice for pains and swellings. Used for hysteria and nervous diseases, prevention of gangrene, for breaking up typhoid and in combination with bittersweet for bruises, sprains, calluses and corns. Remedies For: Chamomile has potential for the treatment of:, Blocked tear duct Canker sores (mouth ulcers) , Colic, Diarrhea, Eczema , Gingivitis (periodontal disease), Indigestion and heartburn, Insomnia, Irritable bowel syndrome Clinical studies have shown that chamomile has mild sedative effects when administered as a tea. Animal studies have shown that Chamomile volatile oil when administered orally to rabbits with impaired kidney function, normalized the uremic condition. This shows that chamomile may be useful in the treatment of impaired kidney functions. The flavonoid apigenin had shown antihistaminic effects in animal studies. Chamomile was also shown useful for reducing inflammation in arthritis. It also relaxed smooth muscle of the intestine. Chamomile was a popular eye wash for treating conjunctivitis and other reactions. It had also been found to promote wound healing. Safety: Though rare, allergic reactions to chamomile have been reported. There are no contraindications to the use of chamomile during pregnancy or lactation.Consuming large amount of highly concentrated preparations have shown to cause nausea and vomiting.FDA li