And still the infusion of dried and boiled chamomile flowers today, despite the development of pharmacology, is an integral part of the recipes of folk medicine, for the treatment of sleep disorders, digestive disorders, eczema, immunodeficiency, hemorrhoids, and a myriad of diseases, in different cases and ages, Therefore, Al-Araby Al-Jadeed will tell you below, some of the benefits of these small flowers, and the false beliefs about them.
1- Chamomile reduces inflammation
Chamomile contains active compounds called flavonoids. "Chamomile flavonoids inhibit the activity of the COX2 enzyme, which is responsible for the synthesis of prostaglandins that stimulate inflammatory reactions, giving it anti-inflammatory properties and reducing skin irritation."
2- Chamomile improves skin and hair health
Pharmacist Al-Salloum asserts that chamomile deserves to be the face of advertising for cosmetics, and says: "The flavonoids and essential oils in chamomile have the ability to penetrate the skin into its deep layers, making it show moisturizing properties for the skin and hair follicles."
3- Chamomile is a friend of those unable to sleep
Chamomile is also a friend of those who suffer from insomnia and anxiety, and the pharmacist Al-Salloum says: “The sedative effect of chamomile is due to the fact that it contains a compound called apigenin, which binds to GABA receptors in the brain, similar to the effect of benzodiazepines neurotransmitters, which leads to inhibition of the activity of neurons responsible for anxiety and stress. ".
4- Chamomile treats some digestive problems
Pharmacist Al-Salloum points out the benefit of chamomile in treating some digestive disorders, and says: “Chamomile soaked, according to recent studies, helps relieve flatulence due to its gas repellent effect, reduces spasm of smooth muscles in the intestines, and reduces stomach acidity, even better than commercial antacids. ".
5- Chamomile relieves infant colic and boosts immunity
Clinical trials have shown that giving infants at 2-8 weeks of age 150 milliliters of chamomile infusion 3 times a day contributes to relieving colic pain within 3 to 7 days, while one of the experiments that was applied to a group of volunteers drank 5 cups of chamomile daily for two weeks, to higher levels of hippurite and glycine in their urine, which are associated with increased antibacterial activity, confirming chamomile's immune-boosting benefits.
But why is chamomile not suitable as a cure for all that is rumored about it?
Chamomile flowers contain 0.24 to 1.9% of volatile oils, consisting of many effective compounds such as flavonoids and terpenoids, with multiple therapeutic properties, which made them extract and use in a huge number of medicines around the world, but their low and variable concentration in chamomile, is what makes Some of the benefits of the flower itself are questionable.
Agricultural engineer Mahmoud Mahmoud, a food specialist, says: "The concentration of active substances in plants in general, and chamomile in particular, is affected by many factors, the most important of which are the composition of the soil in which it is grown, climate, the age and type of the plant, in addition to the manufacturing processes that it is exposed to after harvesting. , such as drying and boiling, which makes their use in their raw form for medicine often random or useless, even if their therapeutic properties are proven.”
While the pharmacist Al-Salloum explains that medicines are made from well-known and studied quantities of active substances, after trying them on animals in what is known as preclinical experiments, then they are tried on humans and depended, and he adds: “Chamomile contains many effective substances from a therapeutic point of view, and science has proven benefits It is soaked and oiled in some cases, while some benefits are still being tested, such as relieving eczema and inhibiting the growth of cancer cells, and its compounds lose some of their medicinal properties due to their low concentration in the plant.
Common chamomile bath for hemorrhoids treatment, and others
Boiled chamomile baths are widely used among hemorrhoids patients, although clinical trials have proven the effectiveness of flavonoids extracted from chamomile, and not chamomile itself, in stopping bleeding from internal hemorrhoids.
Al-Salloum explains that this will not be harmful, but it is useless on the other hand, and says: "Flavonoids are part of the composition of many hemorrhoids medications, but you will need huge amounts of chamomile to simulate the amount of the active substance in the medicine, which is able to stop the bleeding."
It is also rumored in folk medicine to use hot or soaked chamomile steam, to calm throat and mouth pain, but clinical trials that compared two groups of people, one of whom rinsed with chamomile soak, and the second with a fake mouthwash, 3 times a day for two weeks, denied that this plant has Any negative or positive effect on the treatment of oral infections and mucosal ulcers, and other similar experiments denied the benefits of its steam in reducing sore throat.
When chamomile becomes harmful to health
It is common for pregnant women to drink chamomile when they suffer from colic attacks, or colds, without specifying the catastrophic risks that may afflict them as a result, which may end in miscarriage.
Al-Salloum advises pregnant women to stay away from drinking chamomile infusion, and says: “Chamomile stimulates the production of types of prostaglandins responsible for uterine contraction, which stimulates the start of early labor that leads to miscarriage.”
Al-Salloum also warns patients with high blood pressure not to drink chamomile as well, because it increases blood perfusion, and recommends avoiding it for those who use anticoagulant drugs, such as warfarin, aspirin and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.
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