It was reported recently that drinking chamomile tea daily with meals may help prevent the complications of diabetes (which include loss of vision, nerve damage, and kidney damage), which was found by researchers in Japan and the United Kingdom.
The researchers fed chamomile extract to a group of diabetic rats for 21 days and compared the results to a group of control animals on a normal diet. The chamomile-supplemented animals showed a significant decrease in blood glucose levels compared with the controls, they say.
In the study, Atsushi Kato and colleagues point out that chamomile, also known as manzanilla, has been used for years as a medicinal cure-all to treat a variety of medical problems including stress, colds, and menstrual cramps. This was the first "scientific test" of some of the claims made for chamomile in relation to benefits for diabetics.
The article didn't mention this, but is it thought that chamazulene carboxylic acid may be the main cause of the "anti-inflammatory" activity which is of benefit to diabetics, and to be noted is that this also occurs in Yarrow (Achillea millefolium). Yarrow has a long history as a medicinal herb, famously for soldiers to treat battle wounds and hence an old folk name "soldier's woundwort".
CCA also occurs in other Asteraceae species (besides chamomile) which is said to be "the largest family of flowering plants, with more than 25 000 species world-wide" and includes the daisy family, sunflower family, and thistle family (and dandelions). The most well known food product of the family is certainly sunflower oil and kernels. Other well-known foods are Jerusalem and French artichokes, lettuce, chicory and medicinally wild rosemary and wild camphor bush.
I'm fascinated that it includes thistles because I think that there is another story in thistles and their value for diabetics, as well as the value of dandelion roots.
The main consitutuent of chamomile is apigenin 7-O-glucoside and it is this which is thought to be responsible for its anti-cancer activities, which are believed to be facilitated in the gut (small intestine), and even have benefit for such cancers as prostate cancer.
It may be that chamomile can reduce blood pressure, which would be generally helpful for diabetics since they often have a range of associated conditions such as elevated cholesterol and blood pressure. UK scientists (2005) found very positive effects of drinking chamomile tea for 2 week, including "increased urinary excretion of hippurate". In 2008 Nature published a paper wherein researchers from the UK, USA, Belgium, Japan, and China found an inverse relationship between the concentration of hippurate in the urine and blood pressure.
Is there any downside with chamomile?
Well probably nothing yet as the research reported was the first "scientific test" But we do know that the essential oil of chamomile contains considerable content of couramin which has been linked to cancer and liver damage in animals (download PDF). This is the undesirable product within Chinese cinnamon, whereas cinnamon is often recommended for diabetics but it should be the Ceylonese cinnamon which has one-tenth the couramin. For example in bilberries, black rasperries and Angelica roots couramin is below "detectable levels" - that's important because bilberries are an important diabetic supplement to reduce neuropathy.
There are also various forms of chamomile, and many called "wild chamomile". For example Athemis Cotula is called "wild chamomile" but testing its extracts showed no "antibacterial activity"; German chamomile is also called wild chamomile and it has a long history of medicinal usages - so some care is needed in understanding which extracts and species are being used.
The orginal true medicinal chamomile, at least as know to the West, is the German chamomile "Matricaria recutita".
In terms of anti-oxidant activity, research has shown the following order: thyme > basil > rosemary > chamomile > lavender and cinnamon, with thyme and basil standing out. Does this mean that you should be drinking thyme tea instead? I don't know ! And whether they have the same positive impact on lowering blood sugar I don't know.
So where are we?
There seem to be benefits and no harm in a regular cup of chamomile tea, and potentially specific positive benefits for diabetics. You might like to also consider, for variety, as I do:
- Bilberry tea and extracts - for capilliary improvement and to ameliorate neuropathy;
- Green tea - for well know benefits;
- Dandeline root tea - not really sure here but I suspect benefits for diabetics.
Check your chinese grocery store for a good range at the right price - "yellow spring crysantemum" 黃春菊 although I can't say that this would be German Chamomile although I'm sure that the Chinese know what they're doing.
Sponsored Links & Partner Sites: |
Comments