What happens if you drink a decoction of chamomile. Composition and useful properties

The beneficial properties of chamomile were first described in the 17th century, but the use of the plant in medicinal purposes became long before that time. Previously, chamomile was used mainly for the treatment of female diseases (fibroids, mastopathy), so another name for the flower is “uterine grass”. Chamomile can be used in the form of infusions, decoctions, external compresses, but the most accessible and convenient method of therapy is the use of chamomile tea.

Benefit

Dried flowers of the plant are used to make chamomile tea. You can assemble them yourself or buy ready collection in a pharmacy. Experts advise giving preference chamomile, since all raw materials sold in pharmacy chains undergo several degrees of purification and are carefully checked for the presence of nitrates and other hazardous substances.

Chamomile is an excellent anti-inflammatory agent, so most often the drink is used as an aid in the treatment of colds. A decoction of chamomile helps to reduce the severity of the inflammatory process, soothe irritated mucous membranes of the larynx and relieve pain.

The remedy can be taken orally, replacing morning and evening tea with a drink, or used for topical treatment as a solution for gargling. Chamomile flowers have a pronounced antiseptic and bactericidal effect, so the use of warm tea from this plant is indicated for the following infections:

angina;
influenza and respiratory diseases (ARVI and acute respiratory infections), accompanied by cough and sore throat;
tonsillitis;
laryngitis;
pharyngitis;
tracheitis.

The use of a drink in inflammatory processes of the lower respiratory tract(bronchitis, pneumonia) helps to relieve painful coughs, moisten the mucous membranes of the larynx and esophagus and facilitate sputum discharge. To achieve a pronounced therapeutic effect, it is recommended to drink chamomile tea 3-4 times a day. You need to gargle more often - 5-6 times.

A large amount of vitamins in chamomile flowers has a positive effect on the condition immune system during illness, relieves symptoms and speeds up recovery.

Chamomile tea has a moderate diaphoretic effect and allows you to quickly remove toxins and waste products of bacteria through the skin. Due to this, the patient has a headache, the temperature drops and other signs of intoxication disappear.

For stress and insomnia

For people suffering from neuroses, depression or constantly in a state of emotional excitement, doctors recommend taking a decoction or infusion of chamomile inside. This is an excellent stress reliever, as the active ingredients of chamomile are gentle on nervous system and have a mild sedative effect.

Drinking chamomile tea before bed can help manage insomnia, improve sleep quality, and avoid anxiety-related wake-up calls at night. If you add a little honey, milk or a few sprigs of lemon balm to chamomile tea, you get an excellent natural medicine to restore the psycho-emotional state.

For pain

Chamomile is considered one of the most effective herbs to help combat various types pain. An extract from chamomile flowers eliminates spasm and helps muscles relax, so drinks based on this plant are recommended for colitis, muscle pain and other painful conditions caused by muscle spasms.

Of particular note is the benefit of the remedy for women with painful menstruation. Chamomile will help not only relieve pain, but also cope with emotional outbursts characteristic of this period, so the infusion or decoction of the plant must be included in the menu before the end of menstruation.

For diseases of the gastrointestinal tract

elimination of bloating and flatulence;
neutralization of excess hydrochloric acid;
normalization of bowel function.

After entering the intestine, chamomile disinfects its walls and the cavity of the organ, destroys the pathogenic flora, reduces slagging, removes toxins and prevents the processes of decay. Prophylactic intake of drinks based on chamomile helps to improve the functioning of the large and small intestines, strengthen the immune system and improve the body.

The use of chamomile tea is also indicated for liver diseases, as the agent gently cleanses the organ and has a slight hepatoprotective effect, protecting liver cells from adverse factors.

Harm and contraindications

Despite the large number of useful properties, chamomile tea can bring not only benefits to the body, but also harm. Most often, negative reactions when using the product are caused by improper use or non-compliance with the recommendations for preparation and intake.

When brewing tea, it is necessary to strictly observe the proportions, since too strong drink can produce the opposite of the desired effect and cause headache, apathy, muscle weakness. Do not forget about the pronounced sedative effect of chamomile, so the plant is not advised to be used by patients with mental disorders and severe forms of depressive disorders.

A concentrated infusion of chamomile can significantly lower blood pressure, so it is important to make sure that the patient does not suffer from hypotension before taking it.

If earlier a person (or his blood relatives) had reactions of intolerance to chamomile, drinks from this plant should be consumed very carefully, starting with 1-2 teaspoons. In the absence of complications, you can continue taking it, gradually increasing the amount of drink you drink.

Can pregnant and lactating women

In some cases, chamomile can cause allergic reactions - for this reason, doctors used to recommend pregnant women to stop drinking chamomile drinks. Now experts do not object to the inclusion of chamomile decoctions in the diet. future mother especially since they can help manage some pregnancy problems.

Chamomile has a moderate diuretic effect, so it can be used to prevent edema and preeclampsia.
To eliminate heaviness and fatigue in the legs, which appears already in the second trimester due to a shift in the center of gravity and an increase in the load on the joints, a woman can use foot baths with chamomile infusion.
In the third trimester, chamomile tea with linden and honey will help to cope with the growing anxiety before the upcoming birth without the use of sedatives.

Nursing women can also include chamomile decoction in their diet, especially since it helps to increase lactation, but provided that the woman and baby are not allergic. If the crumbs have allergy symptoms (rash, lacrimation, redness of the eyes and skin), the use of tea will have to be abandoned.

Compound

Chamomile tea has almost zero calorie– only 1 kcal per 100 ml finished product. At the same time, the drink is rich in vitamins and minerals.

Vitamins (per 100 ml):

Minerals:

Chamomile tea also contains essential oils, tannins, amino acids, polysaccharides, mucus and gum.

How to cook?

Tea. To make tea, you can use loose raw materials or buy ready-made filter bags for one-time brewing. The second method of preparation is preferable, since the dosed sachets eliminate the possibility of preparing a drink that is too strong and concentrated. In this case, you need to pour one sachet with a glass of boiling water, leave for 3-4 minutes.

If tea is prepared from loose raw materials, the steps will be similar, only you need to take into account that only chamomile inflorescences (dried or fresh) are suitable for a medicinal drink. To make tea, you need 1 teaspoon of chamomile.

You can drink tea cold or hot. If desired, you can add lemon, honey, lemon balm, linden and other ingredients that will help diversify the taste sensations. You can drink tea an hour after eating.

Decoction. To prepare a decoction, you need to take 4 tablespoons of chamomile and pour 400 ml of boiling water. Place on stove and cook, stirring, for 10 minutes. Let the composition brew for 3-4 hours, then strain through cheesecloth or a sieve.

Infusion. The proportions are the same as for the preparation of a decoction. The difference is that the mixture does not need to be boiled. It is enough to mix chamomile with water in a thermos and insist for 4 hours. It is best to drink the infusion strained.

Storage

You can store dry chamomile for 2 years, subject to storage conditions. It is best to place dried raw materials in a bag made of natural dense fabric and put them in a dark place (exclude high humidity).

Ready tea can be stored in the refrigerator for no more than 20 hours. After this period, the drink loses half of its medicinal properties. Out of the refrigerator tea can be 2 hours.

How to choose?

If chamomile is purchased at a pharmacy, you just need to check the expiration date and the integrity of the original packaging. When buying fresh flowers, you should carefully inspect the petals and stem - they should not show signs of damage by pests, dust or chemicals. If there are black dots and specks on the stem, it is better to refuse the purchase.

What is combined with?

Chamomile tea can be drunk instead usual tea. An excellent addition to such a drink would be jam, jam or natural honey. fresh leaves chamomile can be added when brewing in black tea or other varieties. The combination with other medicinal herbs (calendula, thyme, St. John's wort) will help enhance the taste of the drink, but before drinking such tea, you will need to consult a specialist.

Chamomile infusion can be beneficial or harmful - it all depends on the correct use of it and compliance with the recommendations of specialists. In most cases, chamomile drinks are well tolerated, but cases of individual intolerance can rarely occur, so they should be used carefully, observing the measure (4 cups per day).

Chamomile is one of the most popular medicinal plants actively used in traditional medicine. Also in ancient Russia this odorous herb served as an indispensable ingredient in decoctions, infusions, and creams. The rich composition of the inflorescences has a therapeutic effect in many diseases, however, there are contraindications to the use of a drink from the plant. Consider the benefits and harms of chamomile tea for beauty and human health.

Composition and useful properties

Medicinal raw materials are chamomile inflorescences, which are collected at the beginning of the flowering of the plant. Dried "baskets" used for brewing tea collections, in in large numbers contain:

amino acids;
tannins and mucous substances;
free organic acids (salicylic, caprylic and others);
polysaccharides;
multivitamin complex (ascorbic, nicotinic and other acids);
carotene;
gum;
mineral complex (iron, magnesium, calcium, potassium, zinc, copper, and so on).

important role for human body plays high content in chamomile flavonoids, which strengthen the walls of blood vessels and have a pronounced antioxidant effect. Glycosides also have a diaphoretic effect, and also act as an antispasmodic.

The active components of the plant make the drink useful for the whole body.

Such a rich composition allows you to use chamomile tea for medicinal purposes in the following cases:

State	Action
Diseases of the digestive tract (gastritis, ulcers, stool disorders, flatulence, irritable bowel syndrome)	Removal of toxins, detoxification, removal of inflammation of the mucous membrane, normalization of peristalsis, gas exchange and intestinal microflora
Cholelithiasis	Elimination of stagnation of bile, prevention of the formation of stones in the gallbladder
convulsions	Pronounced anticonvulsant and antispasmodic action
Chronic liver disease	Body cleansing and detoxification
Diabetes	Normalization of blood glucose levels
Hemorrhoids (internal and external)	Anti-inflammatory effect, relief of the condition during exacerbation of the disease
Stressful conditions, nervous tension, insomnia, anxiety	Sedative action
Diseases genitourinary system women (inflammation of the appendages, thrush and others)	Beneficial effect on the endocrine system, antimicrobial action helps to normalize the microflora
Headaches, toothaches, periodic pain and spasms (including during menstruation)	Analgesic effect due to glycine
reduced immunity	Immunostimulating action
Pain in the back and lower back	Pain-relieving and relaxing effect
Conjunctivitis and allergic rhinoconjunctivitis	Antimicrobial action and anti-edematous effect
Skin diseases (dermatitis, diathesis, eczema, diaper rash)	Removal of inflammation, normalization of skin conditions, elimination of pathogens, antibacterial effect
Childhood ailments: colds, abdominal pain, anxiety, teething, diarrhea, fever	Sedative, antipyretic, analgesic, antimicrobial

The presence of any disease is not the only reason to start drinking chamomile tea. This healing drink It also improves the condition of the skin and hair and loses extra pounds.

Video: How does chamomile tea help?

Ways to brew and use chamomile tea for health and beauty

The use of chamomile tea is so wide that the list of ways is endless. But let's focus on the most effective and interesting methods.

Medicinal use

Chamomile tea can be used both dry and fresh flowers if they are available. Drinking a healthy drink is recommended at least 30-60 minutes after eating and 2 hours before it. Since tea helps to cope with flatulence and improves intestinal motility, it is better to wait a bit after eating before drinking the cherished mug.

If for some reason the taste of a chamomile drink is embarrassing with its astringency and bitterness, you can brighten up tea drinking by adding your favorite ingredients - milk, cream, honey, lemon, sugar. The beneficial properties of the remedy from the flowers of the plant will not be lost from this.

By adding warm milk to chamomile tea, you can enhance the sedative effect of the drink, which will be especially useful for those suffering from insomnia.

Classic drink (with a calming effect)

Pour 1 teaspoon of raw materials into a container and pour a glass of boiling water, cover with a lid and a towel on top. A rich infusion will be ready in 15 minutes, after which it can be filtered and drunk like regular tea, adding honey and lemon.

Such classic way brewing is suitable for:

general improvement of well-being - tea should be drunk 2-3 times a day in a glass;
elimination of anxiety, insomnia - before going to bed you need to use 1 cup of decoction, adding 1 tablespoon of honey;
rinsing the mouth with stomatitis - 15 minutes after eating, actively rinse your mouth with warm infusion for 2-3 weeks.

Strong tea (for colds, diarrhea and other ailments)

2 teaspoons of inflorescences are poured into a saucepan, 200 ml of boiling water is poured, the container is placed on water bath and held for 20 minutes. Then the pan is removed and left for 40 minutes. After straining the liquid, the tea can be consumed as usual.

Such a drink is stronger than the one prepared according to the first recipe, and it is better to take it for colds, diarrhea, joint pain, and also use it for applying lotions for conjunctivitis and washing the sinuses for rhinitis. Reception of strong chamomile tea has a dosage limit - no more than 4 cups (400–600 ml) per day.

For lovers of a classic drink, a combination of black and green teas with chamomile is suitable. You can mix your favorite variety or several of them with dried inflorescences in a 1: 1 ratio and brew in the usual way(1 teaspoon per 1 cup boiling water) for 3-4 minutes. So the drink will become even more useful and invigorating: the caffeine contained in classic tea will increase the tone of the body.

Chamomile and lemon balm for gastritis, heartburn and other diseases of the stomach and gastrointestinal tract

The combination of chamomile and lemon balm will help with gastritis, and will also have an additional anti-cold effect.

For stomach pains and unpleasant symptoms of gastrointestinal diseases, it is useful to take 1 teaspoon of chamomile and lemon balm, pour 1 glass of boiling water and leave for 20 minutes. Accept ready tea need in a warm form 2-3 cups a day. Such a drink will also help with colds, especially if they drink 1 tablespoon of honey. Daily dose means - 3-4 cups a day.

Drink for gallstones

To prevent the development of stones in the gallbladder and ducts, chamomile and mint tea, made from herbs, taken 1 teaspoon per glass of boiling water, will help. Infusion time - 15-20 minutes, daily dose - 3 cups. An additional soothing effect of chamomile drink will give a pinch of cumin seeds.

Microclysters from inflammation of the bladder and appendages with yarrow and hops

With cystitis, you should take 1 tablespoon of chamomile flowers and yarrow inflorescences, as well as 1 teaspoon of hop cones, pour all 300 ml of boiling water and leave for 30 minutes. Then strain the broth and cool to a comfortable temperature. A small syringe (50 ml) is filled with the finished product, with the help of which the procedure is carried out 2 times a day for several days (until you feel better).

Douching is also carried out with this infusion, they need to be alternated with microclysters - the therapeutic effect will become more noticeable.

Chamomile and thistle root tea for splenomegaly

With inflammation of the spleen, this remedy will help: mix 1 tablespoon of dried chamomile flowers and chopped thistle root, pour 200 ml of boiling water and insist in a thermos for 1 hour. A decoction is taken 1 glass 2-3 times a day after meals (2 hours before the next meal).

Baths with iodine for hands and feet

Warm strong infusion of chamomile with the addition of a few drops of iodine (2-3 per 100 ml) can be used to fill baths for hands and feet. They will help in the treatment and prevention of fungal diseases of the nail plates (including onychomycosis), as well as strengthen the structure of the nails, heal microcracks and calluses on the soles of the feet and steam out the skin.

Baths with chamomile tea for feet relieve fungus and improve the condition of nails and skin

Lotions for conjunctivitis and swelling under the eyes

To achieve an antibacterial and antimicrobial effect in conjunctivitis, the application of cotton pads soaked in strong chamomile tea, to the eyelids for 15-20 minutes. Such procedures also help with swelling and tired eyes. When used regularly, compresses with chamomile tea even lighten dark circles under the eyes.

Washing the sinuses with hay fever (allergy) and rhinitis

An exacerbation of a seasonal allergy to flowering or a cold can be cured by washing the nose with strong chamomile tea. To do this, draw 5 ml of the product into an empty syringe without a needle, tilt your head slightly to one side over the sink and inject a slightly warm liquid into the upper nostril. It should pour out from the bottom, without getting into the throat. The procedure should be carried out 3-4 times a day until the symptoms are relieved.

Steam bath for cystitis

Having brewed strong tea, pour hot (but not boiling) liquid into large saucepan or a tall plastic basin. Then you need to carefully sit naked on top of the dishes so that the water does not touch the skin, but only the sore spot is above the steam. If it weakens, you will need to add boiling water (for this you can immediately take a kettle with you). It is necessary to continue the procedure for 20 minutes, it can be carried out daily for a week until the pain is completely eliminated.

Inhalations for coughs, tracheitis and colds

A saucepan with a volume of 3–5 liters is taken, raw materials are poured into it at the rate of 10 teaspoons of dry or fresh chamomile inflorescences per 1 liter of water, and the corresponding volume of boiling water is poured. Next, you need to gently breathe hot steam over the container, covering yourself with a towel on top.

You need to inhale steam slowly through your mouth (so as not to burn yourself), hold your breath for 5-6 seconds and exhale through your nose.

Pain-relieving salt baths for the body with chamomile

Chamomile tea can be added to bath salt and essential oils

Such bathing is suitable for intensive physical activity- to relieve pain, inflammation and muscle tension. You should take a hot bath, add 1 kg to it sea salt(with additives or natural), as well as 2 liters of chamomile tea, prepared according to classic recipe. It is recommended to carry out the procedure for 20-30 minutes. In combination with comprehensive programs to eliminate " orange peel» such baths also have an anti-cellulite effect.

To enhance the relaxing effect, you can add a few drops of your favorite essential oils to the water.

Use during pregnancy and during breastfeeding

For pregnant and lactating women, there are certain restrictions regarding the intake of the drink. This is due to the action of active components that can contribute to the release of estrogen, which is undesirable for the fetus. It is also possible that the child may have an allergy, so it is better to consult a doctor first.

During pregnancy, you should limit yourself to 1 cup of chamomile tea per day, brewed in the proportion of 1 teaspoon to 1 cup of boiling water. During lactation, it is necessary to drink a drink, carefully observing the condition of the baby.

Chamomile tea for children

Newborn babies are not recommended to take chamomile teas inside, it is better to add the product to bathing water or apply lotions for eczema and dermatitis. It is better to start giving a drink to children after 1 year (in agreement with the pediatrician). If the newborn is restless and cannot fall asleep, it is allowed to drink 50-100 ml of chamomile tea heavily diluted with water (so that only a slight taste of the usual infusion is preserved).

Children over 1 year old can be given tea prepared according to the classic recipe, especially during teething (to reduce soreness) and colds (to speed up recovery). The daily dose should be no more than 100 ml. Starting from the age of 5, if there are no contraindications, it can be increased to 200. A drink will be especially useful for a child with indigestion, as well as for normalizing sleep. In the absence of an allergy to honey, you can add 1 teaspoon of a sweet product and warm milk to tea.

Video: How to brew and insist chamomile?

Use as a means of home cosmetology

Ice for the face

To achieve a pronounced tonic effect, you can freeze the infusion prepared according to the classic recipe into cubes and wipe your face and neck with them in the morning and evening. This will improve the complexion, have an antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effect, and also prevent the appearance of acne, blackheads and blackheads. For one procedure, 1 ice cube is enough.

Having brewed a strong infusion, you can moisten a cotton pad in it and wipe the skin of the face and neck like a regular lotion.

Rinsing hair for shine and strengthening

After washing your hair with shampoo and without drying it, apply a strong flower decoction at a comfortable temperature along the entire length. This is easy to do with a spray bottle, or simply by lowering the strands into a container of tea. Rinse off is not required.

Blond hair can become a little more saturated in color after such a procedure. The decoction will also help get rid of the increased oiliness of the scalp.

Chamomile tea with stevia for weight loss

Take 0.5 tablespoon of each plant in dry form, pour 1 cup of boiling water and insist for 20 minutes. Drinking such a drink 1 hour before meals 2-3 times a day, 1 cup, you can fight increased appetite, especially during the diet.

To prepare a drink for weight loss, it is useful to combine chamomile with stevia.

Contraindications and possible harm

The main warnings include the following:

allergy or individual intolerance;
low blood pressure (hypotension);
mental illness;
concurrent use of sedatives;
combination with anticoagulants (chamomile thins the blood).

An overdose of the drink can lead to nausea, vomiting, and kidney problems. Too strong tea can cause headache, nausea, weakening of muscle tone and decreased blood pressure. The active choleretic effect of the drug in excess of dosages can increase the severity of the course of kidney and liver diseases.

If when using chamomile infusion as cosmetic product a small rash and itching will appear on the skin, it is better to stop the procedure.

When self-collecting chamomile inflorescences, you should choose plants that grow away from highways and industrial enterprises. Harvesting takes place in the summer, during the flowering phase of the bush, when the petals of the buds are not yet down. The stem and leaves do not need to be collected. Several days are enough to dry the raw materials - it is enough to evenly spread the flowers on a newspaper, cover with a paper towel on top and leave in a well-ventilated area, placing it on a table, balcony or closet. It is better to store harvested chamomile in a paper bag in a dry place for no more than 1 year.

A decoction of chamomile is one of the forms of preparation of chamomile raw materials, in which dried flowers are poured with water, and then the solution is brought to a boil and boiled for a while (usually very short, just a few minutes).

A decoction of chamomile, when infused, acquires a characteristic yellow color.

The decoction differs from tea in that the finished solution is boiled for some time, and to make tea, the flowers are simply poured with boiling water. The decoction differs from the infusion in the same way: it is made simply by infusion cold water on chamomile flowers, without boiling or even scalding.

On a note

The allergenic properties of the decoction are less pronounced than those of tea or infusion, due to the fact that various contaminants and third-party allergens are neutralized in it - insects that appeared on the flowers during collection, dust, and other plants. For this reason, a decoction is more preferred for children.

Further, chamomile decoction can cause excessive contraction of the muscles of the uterus. This ability is used to increase menstruation or stimulate them during a delay, but it can also cause miscarriage or premature birth.

Finally, chamomile weakens. Due to this, it is often used for constipation, but with a general tendency to diarrhea, and even more so at its acute stage, it can be dangerous to use chamomile decoction: the manifestations of the disorder will intensify.

It is also known that a concentrated decoction of chamomile stimulates vomiting. This is useful in various poisonings for gastric emptying, but in other diseases it is a typical side effect.

All these effects are manifested precisely when taking chamomile decoction inside. When applied externally, only an allergy can develop, usually milder than when the drug is taken orally.

The purity of the drug and the absence of large particles in it does not affect the likelihood and strength of allergies.

Exactly these side effects cause a set of contraindications to the use of chamomile decoction.

Contraindications for internal and external use

There are four official contraindications to taking chamomile decoction:

Known allergy to chamomile, or allergic manifestations when taking it;
Pregnancy, in which the decoction is able to provoke a miscarriage and premature onset of labor;
Children under 3 years of age - for taking the decoction inside, since its safety for children of the first three years of life has not been proven;
Tendency to diarrhea, or diarrhea in the acute stage.

It is not known whether the components of chamomile penetrate into breast milk, and therefore, for safety, taking chamomile during lactation is not recommended.

Definitely, you can not give a decoction of chamomile prepared from natural raw materials to a newborn or to an infant at the age of 2-4 months. In him, this remedy can cause diarrhea, allergies, or other undesirable effects. An exception is the treatment of a child under the supervision of a doctor, when it is the doctor who prescribes a decoction for the child and indicates the rules for its preparation and dilution.

In all cases when chamomile decoction is planned to be given to a child, this remedy can be replaced with other, more effective, safe and pharmaceutical preparations intended specifically for children.

On a note

In particular, giving a baby water in the first one or two months of life with chamomile decoction to combat colic is a typical parental mistake. Not only is colic not always caused by stomach pain, there is also no evidence that such treatment can help the child at all. At the same time, side effects from the use of chamomile may well develop.

At the same time, a child of any age can be bathed in water with the addition of chamomile decoction, as well as it is allowed to apply the decoction externally to treat the skin or eyes (for example, with conjunctivitis). Of course, all this is allowed if the child is not allergic to chamomile - in this case, its external use will not lead to any undesirable consequences.

For these reasons, it is not recommended to constantly drink chamomile tea instead of tea. It can be viewed as narrow remedy, the use of which is justified only in the presence of certain diseases or syndromes. The need to receive it from healthy person no, but in the absence of diseases, even a minimal risk of side effects makes its use undesirable.

Preparing a decoction of chamomile

The traditional recipe for making a decoction of chamomile looks like this:

Dried chamomile flowers are poured into a saucepan or cauldron, and their portion must be measured with teaspoons;
The flowers are filled with water, based on the proportion of 1 cup to 2 teaspoons of flowers;
The pot is placed on slow fire, bring the solution to a boil and boil for 3-4 minutes;
Remove from fire, cool;
After cooling, the broth is filtered through gauze, the flowers are squeezed in gauze.

If necessary, other herbs are added to the feedstock - calendula, onion juice, sage, oak bark, centaury, if such additives are prescribed by a prescription for the treatment of a particular disease. For example, with stress and neurological disorders, a decoction is made with the addition of mint and St. John's wort, celandine is added to cleanse the skin. It is only important to remember that such supplements have both their own medicinal properties, and contraindications, can cause side effects - all this must be taken into account.

It is advisable to additionally squeeze the flowers remaining after filtering.

If the decoction is planned to be given to a child, it is advisable to add honey or sugar to it to soften the bitter taste. It will also keep the child from vomiting.

A recipe for preparing a decoction in a water bath is also known. We spoke in detail about him, and about other methods of preparing a decoction (for example, not from loose raw materials, but from bags with chopped chamomile) in a separate ...

In cosmetology, chamomile decoction is used to make homemade cosmetics. In particular, it is added to soap as an antibacterial agent, masks based on petroleum jelly and egg yolk, hair shampoos and face lotions are made with it.

Chamomile cream to reduce skin irritations.

Small children (usually the first months of life, sometimes up to a year old) are bathed in baths with the addition of chamomile decoction. The broth itself is prepared in this case according to standard recipe, and then simply added to the baby bath in arbitrary proportions (there is no urgent need for it, it is mainly used for the calm of the mother herself).

How to use the decoction correctly, how long and how often can you drink it?

It is recommended to take a decoction of chamomile inside for digestive disorders and diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, 1 cup 3 times a day half an hour before meals. After a meal, it is less effective because less of it is absorbed when the stomach is full.

In the treatment of diseases of others internal organs, including when using a decoction not only from chamomile, but also from complex fees with it, the frequency and order of administration depend on the specific disease. Here the doctor should give instructions.

In a separate article, we discussed in detail how long, how often and in what quantities you need to take a decoction of chamomile for certain ...

As a rule, you need to drink a decoction for as many days as the patient shows symptoms of the disease itself. At chronic diseases(for example, with chronic gastritis), the remedy is taken in courses with interruptions of a certain duration.

With external use, the duration of treatment and the frequency of treatment of the skin or mucous membranes are practically unlimited. However, fanaticism should be avoided. For example, gargling with angina with a decoction of chamomile should be no more than 5 times a day, since with more frequent procedures, constant vibrations slow down the process of tissue repair at the site of abscesses. And, for example, you can wash your face with chamomile as often as you like - there will be no harm from this.

A simple and unpretentious flower is suitable not only for girlish fortune-telling. This herb has long been famous for its beneficial effect. The decoction has a soothing and antibacterial agent. Chamomile tea has benefits and harms, like everything else in this world. positive qualities this herb has more than negative ones.

Chamomile tea benefits

Or a solar flower has long been known both in folk and traditional medicine. The infusion effectively helps with diseases of the stomach. Doctors recommend taking a drink from this plant for a month and positive results will not keep you waiting.

Chamomile tea has the following effects on the human body:

Calming effect and lowering pressure.
Reducing gas and bloating in the intestines, reducing colic.
Prevents the appearance of stones in the kidneys, gallbladder.
Increases immunity, prevents colds.
It has an anti-inflammatory effect in diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.

The decoction is used for and. The infusion relieves inflammation and prevents the development of purulent processes in the teeth.

Benefits for children

Substances contained in the plant have anti-inflammatory and disinfectant effects. That is, chamomile can destroy bacteria that cause various diseases. The properties of the flower include the removal of harmful toxins from the body.

Chamomile helps children with colds, as well as their complications. A decoction is very effective for coughing. It is recommended for diseases of the lungs and respiratory tract. Infusions are used not only internally, but also in inhalations.

Important! Inhalation procedures with chamomile tea or oil are not recommended for children under three years of age.

It is important to note that in case of SARS in children, it is useful to drink chamomile tea, as it is an excellent diaphoretic and lowers the temperature. The plant not only facilitates the general well-being of the child, but also removes toxins from the body well.

During the bearing of a child, any diseases can be very harmful to the development of the fetus. Treatment in such cases is limited to a small amount medicines. Therefore, if painful conditions appear, they try to resort to the help of chamomile.

Tea from this herb helps relieve stress, get rid of an apathetic state, which also provokes nervous breakdowns.
Also, the infusion is recommended for, it acts as an antispasmodic and analgesic.
During pregnancy, chamomile tea is used as a mild laxative and also has a diuretic effect.
A decoction of the plant helps eliminate nausea and toxicosis.
If there are colds, the infusion eliminates well, reduces cough, lowers fever.

Note! Chamomile perfectly fills the body with calcium and magnesium. Its bactericidal and anti-inflammatory action helps to get rid of many diseases, and does not harm the bearing of a child.

It is worth noting that during pregnancy, decoctions should be used within reasonable limits, and not overdo it. Excessive consumption of such a drink can provoke an increase in estrogen levels. Such hormones in large quantities can lead to premature birth or miscarriage.

Interesting! Chamomile has several varieties. Each variety has its own qualities and characteristics. Only chamomile should be used for treatment, since odorous is a flower that is used exclusively in cosmetology, and is contraindicated for medicinal purposes.

Benefits of Chamomile for Men

An infusion of herbs can not only relieve fatigue, but also calm, normalize sleep. For men, tea is especially useful after a hard day's work, when in the evening the forces leave the body. A mug of decoction will help restore strength and calm the nerves. Recommended to drink up to 5 cups per week useful infusion. This will help enhance the positive effect.

It is worth saying that chamomile contains substances that can normalize the functioning of the gallbladder and urinary tract, which is very important in the health of the male body.
Regular use of herbal decoction helps to eliminate toxins.
Its action is aimed at restoring normal stools and solving problems with urination. That is, such a drink helps prevent the appearance of stones in the kidneys and bile ducts.

Note! Decoctions of the plant are widely used in inflammatory processes in the genital organs of men. Lotions effectively anesthetize and relieve irritation.

It is worth noting that foot baths from such a plant will help men get rid of sweating feet and bad smell.

Benefits for colds

Chamomile is a very good remedy for viral diseases. Herbal tea has a positive effect on the body during colds. This is a good diaphoretic, which helps to reduce body temperature, as well as increase weakness. The plant is able to relieve pain, has an antimicrobial effect, which is especially effective when rinsing the affected throat.

How to prepare an herbal drink correctly

Nowadays, in every pharmacy you can find a large selection of chamomile tea. It is sold both in loose form and in disposable sachets. It is good to buy grass in specialized establishments because here it is precisely selected and correctly processed. Also, for the preparation of the drink, you can use the grass collected on your own, but do not confuse it with fragrant chamomile.

The flower decoction has good combination with other plants. And if you add it to black or green tea, it will only improve taste qualities. Honey, lemon and jam are welcome.

You can prepare several varieties of such a drink, which will have different positive properties:

A soothing decoction is prepared from one spoon of dried chamomile per liter of hot boiled water. Such an infusion will not only restore balance, but also lower the pressure that has jumped up.
The following set of components has a tonic effect: chamomile, black tea and hibiscus (1 tablespoon each), tea rose petals (10 pieces), dried peel oranges (3 peels), cinnamon (1 pinch). All you need to mix and insist in 1.5 liters of boiling water for about an hour.
The healing infusion is more useful if you add leaves or raspberries to chamomile, and. Enough two tablespoons of this mixture for 2 liters of boiling water. A similar drink is used for women's diseases, as an analgesic and diuretic, antibacterial and antispasmodic.

There are many recipes for preparing a healing infusion. Even a small amount of chamomile grass in a particular tea will have a beneficial effect on the body.

How to take chamomile tea, harm and contraindications

An important feature of such a plant is that it has practically no negative sides. Its beneficial effect on the body is widely known throughout the world. But still, there are nuances for the use of such a drink that you need to know:

Pregnancy and lactation. During this period, chamomile tea should not be abused, and it is better to coordinate its use with your doctor.
Allergy to flower pollen. In this case, you should refuse healthy drink, as it can cause an unforeseen reaction of the body to the components of tea.
Low blood pressure is also a contraindication. It is known that chamomile is useful for hypertensive patients, that is, people with high blood pressure. It can harm hypotensive patients.
Individual intolerance to plant components.

It is worth remembering that chamomile is practically harmless. The main thing is to use it in moderation and not make it an everyday drink. Up to five cups of tea from such a plant per week will be enough to get the desired results and improve the overall condition of the body.

Chamomile calms the nerves and has a mild sedative effect. It is used for stress, strong excitement, uncontrolled nervous excitement, as well as involuntary muscle tension to relax them. At the same time, both chamomile tea and water infusion soothe, while alcohol tincture does not always have an unambiguous calming effect, since the alcohol contained in the preparation acts very individually, and some people invigorate more than chamomile soothes them.

Chamomile calms the nerves due to the active chemical components in its composition: chamazulene, matricine, apiin. In addition, apiin and apigenin help to relax smooth muscles, due to which chamomile preparations are used as antispasmodics. The faint aroma of chamomile indoors is also known to be calming and has a mild hypnotic effect, this is used to combat insomnia.

The calming effect of chamomile is average in strength. It will not help with serious disorders of the nervous system, it or chamomile tea should not be used to replace strong sedatives when there are indications for their use. Basically, as a sedative, it is used for occasional temporary anxiety, stress and psychological shocks, obsessive thoughts, in the complex therapy of insomnia, but only in cases where serious pathologies of the nervous system are not found in the patient.

A collection of mint, lemon balm and chamomile is considered a significantly more effective sedative than pure chamomile.

Many herbs used in traditional medicine have a much more pronounced calming effect than chamomile. Among them:

Valerian;
Mint;
St. John's wort;
Thyme;
Blooming Sally.

As a rule, chamomile, as a sedative, is used as part of complex therapy, either with other herbs as part of fees, or with pharmaceutical preparations. Its independent use for the purpose of calming can be shown relatively rarely.

Chamomile is not recommended to drink to calm pregnant women and people prone to diarrhea. When breastfeeding for the mother, it is allowed, although occasionally they talk about its possible side effects for the child, as a rule, very mild.

It is important to remember that the essential little chamomile, on the contrary, has a pronounced stimulating effect, stimulates the nervous system and can even cause a headache.

Which chamomile preparations soothe the most?

As sedative most often use chamomile tea with the addition of St. John's wort, mint and lemon balm. At the same time, pure chamomile tea itself can have a slight sedative effect, it is good to drink it before bedtime.

The most effective is natural tea made from dried chamomile flowers. Various teas with the addition of a plant extract, for example, manufactured by Hipp or Curtis, are less effective, since, in fact, the active components of flowers in them are much less than in natural plant materials.

Chamomile water infusion also calms the nerves. Its disadvantage is long cooking time. During the time that this drug is infused, you can cook and drink tea several times, while the calming effect will be almost identical.

It is not recommended to drink alcohol tincture of chamomile for calming. Alcohol invigorates many people, and given the weak calming effect of chamomile, this tonic effect may be stronger. And in general, preparations for alcohol are not useful.

It is also known to use dried chamomile flowers to relax the muscles. To do this, dry flowers are simply poured into a pillow, and a person sleeps on it.

Can children be given chamomile to calm them down?

Chamomile is equally effective in calming nerves in both adults and children, and therefore it can be used in cases where a child needs to be calmed a little.

Teething is a common cause of anxiety and crying in infants. In this case, they can and should be given chamomile to calm them down.

At the same time, it is important to understand that the child is worried for a reason. His screams, inability to fall asleep, frequent awakenings, rapid arousal are often signs of certain diseases or normal physiological pain. It’s dangerous to give a child chamomile just to calm him down without dealing with the cause of anxiety - there is a risk of missing the onset of the disease.

Therefore, giving a child chamomile as a sedative is possible only in cases where the cause of his anxiety and arousal is known, and appropriate measures have been taken to eliminate this cause. Chamomile in this case is used only as a means of auxiliary, symptomatic therapy.

For example, chamomile tea is given to a 2-3-month-old baby for colic - in this situation, the remedy helps to reduce abdominal pain and soothes the child. Later, chamomile can be given as a sedative when the child is teething, various diseases associated with pain in the throat, head or abdomen.

It is important to remember that chamomile is contraindicated in case of a tendency to diarrhea. If the child often has digestive disorders, it is better to give him other drugs as a sedative.

Does chamomile soothe the skin?

Chamomile is good for soothing irritated skin. In particular, bites of various insects (especially blood-sucking ones - bedbugs, mosquitoes, horseflies), rashes in case of allergic reactions, mechanical abrasions and chemical irritations are often treated with drugs with it. In this case, by the way, chamomile has no contraindications and can be applied topically almost always. Alcohol tincture it is more effective for skin treatment than chamomile tea or water infusion.