Chamomile for weight loss: decoctions, teas

Common indications for the use of chamomile, known for its anti-inflammatory and antispasmodic properties, include diseases of the stomach, gallbladder and liver. Chamomile helps with flatulence and intestinal colic; a decoction of flowers is used to rinse the mouth with stomatitis and the throat with tonsillitis.

Chamomile tea is also drunk for weight loss.

How does chamomile work for weight loss?

For medicinal purposes, people began to use chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla, Matricaria recutita, Chamaemelum nobile) of the Asteraceae family in ancient times, and today it is a pharmacopoeial plant in almost three dozen countries around the world and is widely used in complementary and alternative medicine. [ 1 ]

The composition of the plant has been studied and includes a number of phenolic compounds, primarily flavonoids and glycosides: apigenin, apigenin-7-O-glucoside, apiin (7,5,4-trioxyflavone), herniarin, quercetin, patuletin, luteolin, myricetin; azulenes (including chamazulene); proazulenes (matricarin and umbericone); terpenoids (α-bisabolol and its oxides); sesquiterpene lactones; coumarins; phytoestrogens (genistein), glycosylated organic acids, etc. [ 2 ]

The pharmacodynamics of biologically active substances, including those that provide a weight loss effect with excess fat deposition, is being studied. Although, like most medicinal plants, the mechanism of action of the active substances that chamomile flowers contain for weight loss can be synergistic, that is, joint or complementary.

Chamomile tea taken orally for weight loss calms the nerves and improves sleep, which is provided by the flavonoids apigenin and chrysin, which are believed to bind to receptors of the inhibitory neurotransmitter of the central nervous system, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). [ 3 ], [ 4 ] A good night's sleep is very important for weight loss, since it is during sleep that the synthesis of appetite-suppressing serotonin, the "good mood hormone" produced by enterochromaffin cells of the intestine and serotonergic neurons of the central nervous system, occurs.

In addition, lack of sleep increases the level of cortisol in the blood and, accordingly, the synthesis of the appetite-regulating hormone ghrelin, while the level of leptin, a hormone that suppresses the feeling of hunger, decreases. Determination of the level of ghrelin in people with excess body weight showed that it is below normal, but the content of leptin is increased in the morning. [ 5 ]

True, information regarding the effect of chamomile on appetite is contradictory. Some researchers note that chamomile contains bitters that stimulate the production of gastric juice, and thus increases the feeling of hunger.

Others are convinced of the opposite: chamomile tea for weight loss not only helps improve digestion, helps with nervous dyspepsia and intestinal irritation, but also reduces appetite - due to an increase in serotonin levels. [ 6 ]

As a result of foreign in vitro studies, it was found that chamomile tea – due to the effect of polyphenols of this plant – reduces metabolic stress, weakening postprandial hyperglycemia and carbohydrate absorption, and prevents the oxidation of low-density lipoproteins (LDL).

Chamomile polyphenols (apigenin and apigenin-7-O-glucoside) inhibit the protein enzyme of saliva and pancreatic juice α-amylase, which hydrolyzes food polysaccharides. It has also been established that the flavone apigenin (a derivative of 2-phenylbenzo-γ-pyrone) can reduce the phosphorylation of the catalytic enzyme acetyl-CoA carboxylase, preventing the accumulation of lipids.

Method of administration and dosage

Basic recipes with chamomile for weight loss: tea and decoction for internal use

Tea is brewed at the rate of one teaspoon of dry flowers (or one filter bag) per 200 ml of water (raw materials are poured with boiling water and infused in a closed container for a quarter of an hour). To prepare a decoction, one tablespoon of raw materials is taken per glass of boiling water, boiled for 5 minutes, the container is covered with a lid and kept until cool.

Hot or cooled tea (150-200 ml) or decoction (100 ml) should be drunk in the morning before breakfast or before the main meal (lunch).

To improve the taste of the drink, take chamomile with lemon for weight loss (a slice of lemon is put into the tea), chamomile with mint or rosemary.

Some herbalists recommend a combination of plants such as chamomile, St. John's wort, immortelle and birch buds for weight loss (in proportions 2:1:1:1).

Flavonoids, terpenoids, glycosides, saponins and tannins of St. John's wort (Hypericum perforatum) help reduce cholesterol and triacylglycerides in the blood by inhibiting their absorption in hyperlipidemia. St. John's wort tea is drunk for neuralgia, increased anxiety and depression. Due to the presence of hypericin and hyperforin, this plant has a pronounced sedative effect.

Flowers of sandy immortelle (Helichrysum arenarium) have a choleretic effect, and due to the flavonoid naringenin, they reduce the cholesterol content in the blood. And phenolic compounds of birch buds increase the secretion of bile and increase diuresis.

Application for children

Chamomile is considered safe for children of any age and is used for functional stomach upset in children, colic, or bladder problems.[ 11 ]

Chamomile flowers are included in natural sedatives for children.

But if your child suffers from asthma or is prone to allergies, it is advisable to avoid chamomile as it may aggravate symptoms.

Use during pregnancy

Given the lack of evidence of absolute safety of chamomile for the fetus, this medicinal plant is not recommended for women who are carrying a child or breastfeeding. [ 7 ] Studies have shown that chamomile stimulates labor in post-term pregnancies [ 8 ]. High rates of threatened miscarriages and premature births have been reported with the use of chamomile and licorice during pregnancy. [ 9 ]

Read more –

• Chamomile during pregnancy
• Teas and herbs during breastfeeding

Contraindications for use

Chamomile decoction or tea for weight loss is contraindicated in case of hypersensitivity to this plant or its intolerance due to allergy to flower pollen of plants of the Asteraceae family; in case of gastritis and gastric ulcer with low acidity; in case of chronic intestinal disorder with diarrhea and painful menstruation with increased amount of discharge. [ 10 ]

Chamomile is not used for mental disorders.

Side effects

Possible side effects include contact dermatitis with redness and itching of the skin, and (very rarely) an allergic reaction with anaphylaxis.

Overdose

With prolonged use of chamomile or consumption of more concentrated decoctions, overdose symptoms may be observed in the form of headaches, dizziness, general weakness and CNS depression.

Interactions with other drugs

Chamomile infusion or chamomile tea should not be used simultaneously with anticoagulants and sedatives, as it may enhance their effect.

Storage conditions

Dry raw materials are stored in a closed container at room temperature, and the finished decoction is stored in the refrigerator.

Best before date

Dried chamomile can be used for 12-24 months, but the prepared decoction is only suitable for use within 48 hours.

Analogues

Plants containing apigenin or apigenin-7-O-glucoside can be considered analogues of chamomile, and these flavonoids are found in passionflower (Passiflora), curly parsley (Petroselinum crispum), rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis), thyme (Thymus vulgaris), oregano (Origanum vulgare), marjoram (Origanum majorana), sage (Salvia officinalis), and lovage (Levisticum officinale).

Reviews

The main feedback from nutritionists is that chamomile certainly cannot be considered a comprehensive solution for weight loss, and that losing weight requires a combination of a healthy diet - with a reduction in the calorie content of the diet - and regular exercise that burns calories.