Little Known Facts About Chamomile Tea

Almost any fruit, flower or herb, which can be ingested, can be made into an herbal tea. If you were to take a trip down to your local herb store you would find dozens of medicinal infusions claiming a multitude of benefits from rejuvenation to relaxation. But most of the time when folks reach for an herbal tea, they most likely are going to reach for Chamomile.

Chamomile Tea is one of the most popular herbs in the world and is available in many different forms. The most prominent way in which this herb is relished is as a tisane, or herbal tea.

The two main types of Chamomile are Roman and German. Roman chamomile is native to Northern Africa and Western Europe and normally flowers in late spring to early July. German chamomile at one point was used to make beer and is indigenous to western Asia. But if one actually wanted to trace the roots of this herb they would find that this famous plant finds its roots in Egypt where the first recorded mention of Chamomile being drunk was in a document known as the Ebers Papyrus, which dates as far back as 1550 BC. In Ancient Egypt, Chamomile was used to embalm the dead, honor the gods and cure the sick.

Chamomile was also enjoyed by the early Romans as a beverage as well as an incense. The name Roman Chamomile ironically does not stem from this time but rather comes from a whimsical name given to the herb in the 19th Century by a botanist who found some of the herb growing in a Roman Coliseum

Many have noted that Chamomile has a distinctly apple like taste and aroma and in fact the word Chamomile as we have come to know it comes from the ancient Greek word Kamai-melon or ground apple. In Spanish the name for Chamomile is pronounced Manzanilla or "little apple."

Chamomile is used in many traditional remedies today included but not limited to a cure for the common cold, inflammation of the skin, bronchitis, fever and the liver. It is also an appetite stimulator and is also good for gallbladder complaints. One herbal medicine guide has even claimed that you won't have nightmares if you drink chamomile tea before bed.

Chamomile was called the "Plant's Physician in the past because they claimed that it was such a good companion plant. It's been said that if you plant chamomile near a sickly or drooping plant that 9 out of ten times the plant will recover.

Many current studies are reinforcing these dated claims. Recently a report in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry confirmed that chamomile was an effective ulcer-fighter, anti-inflammatory and sedative. Research has also suggested that chamomile may act as an antioxidant and disinfectant.

Researchers tested 14 healthy volunteers who drank five cups of chamomile tea every day for two weeks during one study and they found that drinking tea produced an increase in a substance that helps the body fight off colds.

Chamomile tea is not only an uncannily calming and delicious beverage, which is naturally caffeine-free, but it is also shown to have a corresponding amount of health benefits to its cousin, green tea.

The news just keeps getting better and better because it seems that no matter what type of tea you drink you will benefit!