Chamaemelum nobile, customarily known as Chamomile, is an evergreen perennial that possesses white-colored flowers that remind us of daisies. Chamomile belongs to the family Asteraceae and can attain of 1 foot. Also, it has distinctively alternate, bipinnate, and highly glabrous leaves.
Chamomile is a Greek word that means ‘Earth’s apple’, due to its pleasant apple-like smell. Historically, chamomile was employed to protect the meat from spoiling, as incense, and in bears. But contemporarily, chamomile is used in cooking, perfumes, medicine, and cosmetics.
Chamomile is used as a sleeping agent to treat stress-related insomnia. Also, chamomile is good at soothing the menstrual cramps, treating asthma, digestive system, headache, and compromised urinary tract and liver. Moreover, chamomile flower is a reputable part of many types of mouthwashes, sunscreen, cleansers, and insect repellents.
The chief active constituents that aid in achieving a good night’s sleep are chamazulene, apigenin, and bisabolol. Other than that, chamomile contains n-butyl angelate, isoamyl angelate, and bitter sesquiterpene lactones (germacranolides) to encounter other nuisances.
A diverse variety of myths are associated with chamomile that adds spice to its saga. Some folks advise to keep dried chamomile flowers in the pocket to seek fortune. Others suggest sprinkling the chamomile flowers around the house to seek protection from the lightning. Furthermore, burned smoke of chamomile flowers is said to keep the nightmares at bay.