Plants and their European monographs
- Chamomile — Matricaria recutita L., flower
European Medicines Agency monograph (EMA/HMPC/55843/2011): traditional use for minor gastrointestinal complaints, symptoms of the common cold, minor inflammation of the mouth and throat, and irritation and minor inflammation of the skin. - Lavender — Lavandula angustifolia Mill., flower
European Medicines Agency monograph (EMA/HMPC/734125/2010): traditional use for mild mental stress and exhaustion and to aid sleep.
From “Before You Begin”
The book’s safety page, quoted as it stands. Read the whole page — it is free.
- Fifteen of the recipes are drunk whenever you like. Make them at whatever frequency suits you, within the limits each chapter gives.
- Pregnancy. Twenty-six of the twenty-eight recipes here are restricted in pregnancy — most because safety has not been established rather than because harm has been shown, but the answer is the same either way. The two that carry no restriction are the rosehip brew of Chapter 26 and the sea buckthorn of Chapter 28, both of them fruits eaten as food across Europe.
Free The full recipe is in the free sample. Read it below ↓
The recipe
An evening tea, and both herbs in it have European monographs: chamomile for the stomach, lavender for settling down before sleep. There are two main restrictions on this tea: an allergy — and it is the kind people tend to discover by drinking the tea — and age, since the lavender puts it out of reach of children under 12.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp chamomile flowers (Matricaria recutita L.)
- ½ tsp lavender (Lavandula angustifolia Mill.)
- 1 tsp honey, dried stevia leaf, or a pinch of the extract (to taste)
- 300–400 ml water (~90°C / 195°F)
Preparation
- Place chamomile and lavender flowers in a warmed teapot
- Pour in water at 90°C / 195°F
- Steep covered for 5–7 minutes
- Strain through a sieve
- Add honey or stevia extract to the warm beverage; steep dried stevia leaf together with the flowers
Ingredient Properties
1. Chamomile Flowers (Matricaria recutita)
- Digestive — recognized for the symptomatic treatment of minor gastrointestinal complaints such as bloating and minor spasms1
- Antispasmodic — relaxes smooth muscle
- Anti-inflammatory — recognized for minor inflammation of the mouth and throat, and of the skin
2. Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia)
- Calming — recognized for the relief of mild symptoms of mental stress and to aid sleep2
- Aromatic — much of lavender’s effect arrives through the nose before the first sip
3. Honey / Stevia
- Warm and sweet — part of why an evening ritual works at all
When to Drink It
- Evening time, as part of a wind-down before sleep
- Mild symptoms of stress and tension
- Bloating and minor digestive spasms
How Much
- 1 cup 30–40 minutes before sleep
- If sleeplessness or anxiety persists longer than 2 weeks, see a doctor
Contraindications
- Allergy to plants of the Asteraceae (Compositae) family — chamomile belongs to it, along with ragweed, marigold, arnica and daisy. This is the contraindication that matters most here
- Pregnancy and lactation — safety not established
- Children under 12 — because of the lavender: the European monograph does not recommend it at this age, as there are no data on use in children. Chamomile on its own, as a tea, is allowed by the monograph from six months, at a reduced dose3
- Do not give to children under 12 months if sweetened with honey: honey in any form, heated included, is deadly to an infant — the spores of the bacterium Clostridium botulinum survive boiling, germinate in the infant’s gut and there produce botulinum toxin
- Known allergy to any ingredient
Notes
- EMA/HMPC/55843/2011, adopted July 7, 2015. ↩
- EMA/HMPC/734125/2010, adopted March 27, 2012. ↩
- The two ages come from two documents: EMA/HMPC/734125/2010 does not recommend lavender under twelve for want of data, while EMA/HMPC/55843/2011 doses the chamomile infusion from the age of six months. ↩