Finally, Peace: Relax with Chamomile Tea
Calming, aids sleep, and helps digestive issues. Best brewed at home, strained for maximum benefits.
One of the well-known medicinal herbs many grew up with is chamomile, with its numerous benefits.
I will start by sharing that I have repeatedly recommended this herb to patients struggling with sleep. I suggested drinking several cups throughout the day and one before bed, helping them fall asleep more easily than they had in years. This shows one of chamomile's traits - its calming ability. It can relax during emotional stress, anxiety, mild depression, and restlessness.
Another area chamomile benefits is the digestive system. I often recommend it as a brew to those with digestive issues and stomach sensitivities. It helps reduce bloating, relieve cramps and stomach aches, and assist the stomach's function. Chamomile can also soothe and ease various digestive issues like pain, inflammation, and infections, particularly in cases of irritable bowel syndrome. Generally, chamomile can relieve mild pain throughout the body, such as headaches, joint pain, and muscle aches. Pregnant women experiencing nausea can benefit from drinking chamomile as well.
Chamomile can also help with sanitizing, useful for cleaning wounds, various skin inflammations like atopic dermatitis, and even eye inflammations, itching, and redness. You can soak a cotton pad and place it on the affected area. Moreover, it can be used for external skin itching and is available in various ointments and creams.
When I suggested chamomile to patients, they asked if it was the familiar tea bags. I replied that those can be used, but it's recommended to purchase loose dry leaves sold in health stores. To brew, take a spoonful of dry leaves, place them in a jar with water, cover, and let it sit for 15-20 minutes. Then strain the tea through a filter (at least 50 mesh) and drink the liquid, excluding the leaves.
Chamomile can be consumed this way, undiluted, unless it's too strong for the drinker's taste. Several cups a day can be consumed. Some claim the brew's taste isn't very pleasant. However, from experience, most people get used to it, and some begin to enjoy it over time. Beyond that, its benefits outweigh its taste, so it's worth consuming despite the taste.
Eliyahu Shechter is an iridologist and natural therapist.
