How to Get More Benefits from Chamomile

Chamomile might be the most famous calming herb, most often drank in sleep time tea.

It’s a comforting, hot drink at bedtime, and some use it during the day to fight stress too.

Chamomile is actually more than a calming herb. It’s many uses include supporting normal digestion, reducing stress, and promoting sleep.

It’s been used since the beginning of time, and for some surprising reasons.

The Romans, Greeks, and Egyptians used it to treat wounds and promote healing. Chamomile tea is derived from Matricaria chamomilla L, which has anti inflammatory and antimicrobial properties, providing many health benefits.

The plant’s delicate flower has a mild scent and pleasant taste, and can be used to calm an upset stomach. So chamomile tea will calm you down, settle your stomach, and help you sleep.

Chamomile even helps with period-related symptoms. A study published in the Journal of Agriculture and Chemistry said that Chamomile tea has pain-relieving and antispasmodic properties. It relaxes the uterus and decreases the production of prostaglandins, which cause inflammation and pain.

You can get even more from Chamomile when you take it with other herbs or natural ingredients to magnify it’s health benefits.

More Beneficial and Calming Herbs

We should start our list with St. John’s Wort, which is also known as the bright yellow antidepressant because some people prefer it over prescription drugs. It’s all natural and doesn’t have the side effects of prescription meds.

St. John’s Wort is a known mood lifter and mild sedative. It relaxes the body and mind and yet it actually fights fatigue.

It also helps with sleeping problems, OCD, ADHD, ADD, and Chronic Fatigue Disorder.

St. John’s Wort is a great addition to chamomile for inner calmness.

Passion flower is a powerful calming herb that helps with insomnia.

A 2010 study in Phytomedicine: International Journal of Phytotherapy and Phytopharmacology found that passion flower affects gamma-aminobutyric acid receptors and other neurotransmitters in the central nervous system to calm us.

Hawthorn is hugely beneficial for our heart and overall health.

An article in the Pharmacognosy Review shared that the leaves, flowers, and fruit can strengthen the cardiovascular system and relax blood vessels, lowering blood pressure.

Ashwagandha has regulates cortisol levels, reduces inflammation, repairs oxidative damage to cells, and promotes restful sleep.

It’s beneficial for anyone overwhelmed by stress who feels exhausted or agitated.

It also boosts the immune system, and its antioxidant properties destroy free radicals, making it a great anti-aging formula and disease preventative.

Lemon balm is a digestive aid, anti-depressant, and anti-anxiety, so it’s a powerful addition to other calming herbs.

It’s a nervine herb, meaning it supports the nervous system

That means it’s highly beneficial for sufferers of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease by reducing agitation in patients.

Along with these herbs, GABA and 5-hydroxytryptophan are two natural ingredients that support calmness, relaxation, and better sleep.

GABA stands for Gamma-Amino Butyric Acid, and it’s an amino acid which acts as a neurotransmitter in the central nervous system.

Web MD says, “GABA is taken by mouth for relieving anxiety, improving mood, reducing symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (PMS), and treating attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). It is also used for promoting lean muscle growth, burning fat, stabilizing blood pressure, and relieving pain.”

5-hydroxytryptophan is an amino acid that is the active intermediate between L-Tryptophan and serotonin. Serotonin supports sleep, mood, appetite, temperature balance, and pain sensations.

It’s a chemical by-product of the protein building block L-tryptophan, but it can also be produced commercially from the seeds of an African plant known as Griffonia simplicifolia.

Web MD says 5-HTP is used for sleep disorders such as insomnia, depression, anxiety, migraine and tension-type headaches, fibromyalgia, obesity, premenstrual syndrome (PMS), premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), seizure disorder, and Parkinson's disease.

Another natural and helpful amino acid is L-theanine, also known as a building block for proteins. It’s found in green tea, but you’d have to drink a lot of tea to get the benefits. So it’s easier to take in a supplement, without the caffeine.

Theanine has a chemical structure similar to glutamate, an amino acid that occurs naturally in the body and helps transmit nerve impulses in the brain.

L-theanine helps with sleep because it calms you down, but it can also calm you during the day without causing drowsiness.

So most users say that L-theanine will help you sleep better at night, yet feel relaxed, more focused, and alert during the day.

Taking L-theanine can provide a sense of calm during your work day to help you manage stress and think clearly under pressure.

A study published in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry found that L-theanine decreased anxiety and improved symptoms in people with schizophrenia.

It can still help others with anxiety of all kinds, and it offers other health benefits as well.

Combining Herbs for Better Health

When you combine all of these powerful herbal remedies into a capsule, you get the benefits of all the ingredients without drinking five or ten cups of tea.

It makes it easy to feel calm and rejuvenated at the same time, while avoiding caffeine.

You can find many of these herbs in blends such as Nutrition Blend’s Inner Peace formula. It combines the power of 18 natural ingredients to help you feel relaxed and rejuvenated.

The Inner Peace Formula contains the natural herbs and ingredients listed in this article plus:

  • Ashwagandha, an adaptogen that helps us cope with stress, and improve our thinking ability.
  • Valerian, a root extract that has been used for centuries to enhance sleep and encourage calmness.
  • Hops to promote sleep and calms you without any side-effects.
  • Bacopa, a herb that has been utilized traditionally to enhance memory, learning power, and concentration.
  • Mucuna Pruriens, to support healthy nervous system by handling your body’s stress, improving energy and endurance.

Learn more at www.nutritionblends.com.

References:

Massage Magazine

“Eight Herbs for Calm” The Alchemists Kitchen.

Nobre AC, Rao A, Owen GN.L-theanine, a natural constituent in tea, and its effect on mental state. Asia Pac J Clin Nutr. (2008)

Juneja et al. Trends in Food Science & Tech 1999;10;199-204.

Kimura K, et al.L-Theanine reduces psychological and physiological stress responses. Biol Psychol. (2007)

l-Theanine as a Functional Food Additive: Its Role in Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. https://www.mdpi.com/2306-5710/2/2/13/htm

Healthline.com

https://nccih.nih.gov/health/stjohnswort/sjw-and-depression.htm

Neuropharmacological Review of the Nootropic Herb Bacopa monnieri. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3746283/

“Mucuna Pruriens: The Mood-Boosting Productivity Pill You’ve Been Looking For.” https://blog.bulletproof.com/mucuna-pruriens-dopa-bean/

The Magic Velvet Bean of Mucuna pruriens. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3942911/