Chamomile tea is made from the chamomile plant and is therefore an herbal tea and part of the Asteraceae family. The plant itself looks like a dandelion. The Latin name for the chamomile plant is ‘Matricaria Recutita’, where ‘Matri’ means mother and ‘Caria’ means care. The word chamomile itself comes from the word ‘Cahmomila’, which is a combination of the words ‘Chamos’ and ‘Melos’. In addition, the word chamomile comes from the Greek language and literally means ‘apple growing on the ground’. Together these words mean ground apple. The reason for this name, is that the plant grows low to the ground and smells like apple.
Chamomile was already extremely popular in ancient Egypt. This herb was seen by the Egyptians as the flower of the Sun god Ra. The comparison is partly due to what the chamomile plant looks like, namely like a radiant sun.
Chamomile also has its own stories in Europe. In the north, chamomile was associated with the Germanic god of light and summer, Baldar. In addition, chamomile was also seen as one of the sacred herbs of the supreme god, Wodan. In the Middle Ages, chamomile was mainly used for its fragrance. The herb was placed on the ground during events to spread the floral honey/ apple scent.
Healing effect
The healing effect of chamomile was known centuries ago. Chamomile tea was already made from dried chamomile flowers. They wanted to alleviate annoying health complaints or prevent ailments. Chamomile tea has been seen as a miracle tea for hundreds of years, which is not surprising. Chamomile tea has many different benefits.
-It is good for stomach and intestinal complaints
Chamomile calms our stomach and intestines. It simultaneously makes all kinds of pathogenic bacteria and fungi in the stomach and intestines harmless and also tackles inflammation of our mucous membranes in the digestive system. Drinking chamomile tea also works well with menstrual pain.
-Helps with relaxation
Chamomile has a soothing quality that can help you relax. It can also reduce nervousness and make you feel calmer. It would help to relax the nerves and may even help people with and anxiety disorder. It also contains antioxidants, which protect your cells and DNA harmful substances.
-It can soothe sore throats
Not only does a warm tea in itself reduce a sore throat, chamomile itself also has soothing effect. chamomile tea has been used for many years against sore throats, but also against colds. The chamomile has a quality that prevents infections and reduces muscle pain. You can always add a spoonful of honey to enhance the effect.
-Chamomile is good for your heart
Chamomile is rich in strong antioxidants. These protect us against the free radicals that damage our body cells, make us sick and accelerate our natural aging process. Antioxidants simultaneously ensure a healthy blood pressure and a balanced cholesterol level, which significantly reduces the risk of life-threatening cardiovascular disease.
-Protects our pancreas form inflammation
Chamomile mainly protects our pancreas against inflammation. Our pancreas produces insulin, a hormone that removes sugar from our blood. An unstable and high blood sugar level causes too much insulin to be produced. This is often the cause of type 2 diabetes.
-Chamomile tea reduces fever
Chamomile has a healing effect because it can kill bacteria. It relaxes the muscles and soothes cramps and headaches.
