Chamomile

chamomile is used for common cold, indigestion, anxiety, insomnia, excessive crying in infants (colic), respiratory disorders such as cough and bronchitis, and many other conditions.
used to treat hay fever, inflammation, muscle spasms, menstrual disorders, insomnia, ulcers, wounds, gastrointestinal disorders, rheumatic pain, and hemorrhoids.

apigenin enhances GABA's calming effect on your neurons, helps you fall asleep faster, and reduces cortisol (stress hormone that wrecks sleep).
has sedative properties and acts as a mild tranquilizer.
drink 1-2 cups of chamomile tea 30-60 minutes before bed.
good for insomnia, difficulty falling asleep, sleep disturbed by anxiety, postpartum sleep issues, elderly sleep support, and shift worker sleep issues.
same receptor target as Xanax btw.

relaxes intestinal cramping through alpha-bisabolol and chamazulene, which work directly on the smooth muscle in your gut. apigenin and luteolin reduces inflammation.
drink chamomile tea before or after meals so your stomach doesn't hurt.
good for IBS (especially the cramping and bloating type), indigestion, mild gastritis, peptic ulcers, GERD, food intolerance reactions, and post-meal bloating.

helps babies stop crying - natural treatment for colicky babies. the alpha-bisabolol and chamazulene relax the intestinal muscle spasms that cause colic, while the apigenin provides mild calming effects.
if you're breastfeeding, drink a lot of chamomile so your milk is infused with it. alternatively, you can heat whatever milk you're giving to your baby, with chamomile, like a milky tea.
or you can use it as a topical massage, with diluted chamomile oil on the baby's belly.
good for infant colic, infant fussiness, teething irritability, and gas pains in babies.

relaxes the uterine muscle spasms that cause menstrual cramps, reduces the prostaglandins that drive cramping pain, and calms the emotional symptoms of PMS through the GABA mechanism.
so if your wife/gf is going through her period and her mood is off, make her a manzanilla tea, get her fave snack, maybe a gift and make sure she's doing everything that makes her happy normally.
good for menstrual cramps, PMS mood symptoms, breast pain before periods (cyclic mastalgia), endometriosis pain, heavy menstrual bleeding, and postmenopausal vaginal dryness/painful intercourse (topical vaginal gel application).

chamomile cream or salve applied topically heals wounds faster, reduces inflammation, and kills skin bacteria.
alpha-bisabolol promotes new tissue growth, chamazulene reduces redness and swelling, and the apigenin/luteolin penetrate deep into skin layers.
apply 2-3 times daily on wounds, eczema, diaper rash, or post-surgical incisions.
good for slow-healing wounds, eczema, atopic dermatitis, shingles, diaper rash, mouth ulcers, post-surgical wounds, mild burns, and chemotherapy/radiation oral mucositis.

used as mouthwash (chamomile tea or commercial gel) for gum disease, mouth ulcers, oral mucositis from chemo, and post-dental procedure healing. good for gingivitis, mouth ulcers, oral mucositis, sore throat, and general inflammatory conditions.

reduces headache pain on inflamed blood vessels in your head.
topical chamomile oleogel applied to the temples has been clinically validated for migraine without aura.
also reduces post-spinal-puncture headaches in women after C-sections.

apigenin (chamomile's main flavonoid) kills breast, prostate, colorectal, leukemia, lung, and ovarian cancer cells in lab studies.
triggers cancer cell apoptosis, arrests cancer cell division, and blocks tumor blood supply.
also being studied as a senolytic (kills "zombie" cells that accumulate with aging) and a SIRT1 activator (longevity gene).

you can use chamomile as a rinse for hair brightening.
the flowers mildly chelate the metals that contribute to hair color, and the warm yellow pigments deposit on the hair shaft to add golden tones.
works best on already-light hair (blonde, light brown, light red).
produces a subtle 1-2 shade brightening with consistent use over 4-8 weeks.
minimal lightening effect on dark hair.
to use: brew a very strong chamomile tea (3-4 tablespoons dried flowers in 2 cups boiling water, steep 30 minutes covered), let cool, pour over freshly washed hair as a final rinse. for stronger effect, leave on and air-dry in the sun for 30-60 minutes before rinsing out. for chamomile-blonde maintenance: do this 2-3 times per week.

used for eye inflammation, conjunctivitis (cooled chamomile tea as eye wash).

can cause allergic reactions in people allergic to ragweed, marigolds, daisies, chrysanthemums, or other Asteraceae plants.

lowers cholesterol, has lots of antioxidants, is antimicrobial and antibacterial.

The flower heads may be dried and used in teas or capsules, or crushed and steamed to produce a blue oil, which is used as medicine. the blue color only forms when the plant material is heated, making the blue color a signature of properly distilled chamomile essential oil.

brown a few crushed or dried chamomile flowers in hot butter, then stir them into oatmeal or other hot cereal.

chamomile can interact with cyclosporine (a medicine used to prevent the rejection of organ transplants) as well as warfarin (a blood thinner).

chamomile modulates CYP1A2, CYP3A4, and other liver enzymes, potentially altering blood levels of pharmaceutical drugs.

has mild estrogenic activity. potential concern in estrogen-receptor-positive breast cancer, endometriosis, or uterine fibroids.