January 18, 2005 – Preliminary research would have found that German chamomile (Matricaria recutita) could potentially be used to make therapeutics for colds and menstrual cramps.
Funded by Oxford Natural Products, an English pharmaceutical and nutraceutical company, the study1 was carried out with the assistance of 14 subjects (seven men and seven women). For two weeks, they drank chamomile tea at the rate of five cups a day. At the same time, urine samples were taken before and after each drink, as well as during the two weeks following the clinical trial.
Analysis of the samples revealed the presence of hippurate and glycocoll. Hippurate is a residue that, in the case of this research, results from the breakdown of flavonoids found in chamomile tea. These are associated with greater antibacterial activity in the body, indicating to researchers that chamomile may strengthen the immune system and help fight symptoms associated with the common cold. Glycocoll, on the other hand, is an amino acid that plays a role in soothing muscle spasms, including those that the uterus causes during menstruation.
Researchers observed significantly elevated levels of hippurate and glycolla in samples for up to two weeks after the period of consuming chamomile tea.
They point out that further research is needed to determine the effectiveness of chamomile on these two conditions and, subsequently, to determine how therapeutic products for this purpose can be developed.
Martin LaSalle – PasseportSanté.net
From WebMD Medical News and Science Blog.
1. Wang Y, Tang H, Nicholson JK, Hylands PJ, Sampson J, Holmes E, A Metabonomic Strategy for the Detection of the Metabolic Effects of Chamomile (Matricaria recutita L.) Ingestion, Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, American Chemical Society , January 26, 2005 (electronic edition). To access the study summary: http://pubs.acs.org/cgi-bin/abstract.cgi/jafcau/asap/abs/jf0403282.html [Site consulté le 18 janvier 2005].
