by Elaina Marcotte

Created on: February 13, 2009

Chamomile is a plant that is easy to grow, harvest and dry on your own, and doing so would be well worth your time. The reason is that this plant's medicinal value is exceptional. Chamomile is so gentle that it can even be used on infants and is highly effective in treating many common aliments you will likely experience at one point or another. Chamomile should be a staple in every household.

It is more than common to experience high levels of stress in your busy, highly demanding life. This can leave you with your mind racing when it should be resting, getting the important sleep you need. A lack of sleep only leads to more stress therefore creating a vicious cycle. Another common ailment is gastrointestinal discomfort, excess gas, mild cramping and flatulence. Also, things throughout the day or that are being anticipated are often very nerve wracking, such as fear of superb preformance at your job, in your family life, or even money issues which can create anxiety. When life has you being pulled in many different directions, because there is too much on the go, stress becomes very detrimental, leaving you more prone to illness. If illness leaves you with a bacterial infection, a sore inflammed mouth, gums, or throat, an inflammation of the skin or mucous membranes, this wonderful little plant has it covered. These are all things that Chamomile can treat, and it does so in a safe, gentle and effective manner.

To treat anxiety, stress, sleeplessness, and gastrointestinal problems of all sorts, brew a cup of Chamomile tea. Take 200ml of fresh boiled water and pour over 3-4grams of dried chamomile flowers, cover so the steam will not escape and let steep for 10 minutes. The mild sedative in this tea will help ease your discomforts.

If you are suffering from an infection in your mouth or throat, sore gums or even canker sores, use the above instructions to brew some tea and use it as a gargle or rinse. Also take a cup of the tea internally, it will help you feel better.

A bath, in 50grams of the flowers, which you can contain in a folded up in a cheesecloth or two, will ease bacterial infections of the skin and also treat inflammations, and wounds on the skin.

As an inhalant, breathing in the steam off a boiled pot of chamomile flowers, will help with common cold symptoms, and inflammation or irritation of the respiratory system.

Used externally in a poultice, at a 3-10% infusion, is just another way to heal skin problems, inflammation or bacterial infections.

In a world full of excessive chemicals and medical drugs that often have harsh reactions in the human body, why not try a gentler path? When you are suffering from any of the above ailments, why not begin by giving chamomile a chance to show you just how wonderful it is and how great it can make you feel, it is most definitelyworth it, let it show you just how easy it can be.

Learn more about this author, Elaina Marcotte.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.