January
19, 2005
Claims
That Chamomile Tea Is Effective Treatment For Common Cold
Not Supported By Research
Many
news articles are reporting a bogus, far reaching conclusion
that chamomile tea can fight the common cold and get rid of
menstrual cramps. Do an Internet search for 'chamomile tea'
and you will find the articles.
However,
the study they quote in fact did not study the effects of
chamomile tea on colds or on menstrual cramps.
The
conclusions of cold fighting and cramp dissolving properties
are loose undisciplined extrapolations at best.
The
study, published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry
was funded by Oxford Natural Health Products plc, a company
that develops and sells natural food products, pharmaceuticals,
and nutraceuticals through partnerships and licensing agreements
with other companies.
The
study followed only 14 subjects for 6 weeks who consumed chamomile
tea. Urine tests were taken from the subjects to measure the
presence of hippurate which may apparently act as an anti
inflammatory, and glycine which may apparently help reduce
muscle spasms.
It
is critical to understand that none of the test subjects had
muscle spasms or menstrual cramps, colds, or inflammation
of any kind that were treated experimentally with the ingestion
of chamomile tea.
The
title of the study is, "A Metabonomic Strategy for the
Detection of the Metabolic Effects of Chamomile (Matricaria
recutita L.) Ingestion".
Note
that there is no indication whatsoever that this study was
meant to determine the effect if any on the result of using
chamomile tea for the treatment of the common cold or menstrual
cramps.
In
the abstract of the study the words, "cold" and
"menstrual" do not appear.
So
why all the press on a supposed "study" that confirms
chamomile tea as a cold remedy?
Well,
I doubt that such conclusions were made serendipitously since
the conclusions are so far reaching if not totally contrived.
It seems these conclusions would be very helpful to those
selling chamomile tea products or extracts of chamomile.
I
would gladly accept chamomile tea as a cold treatment if significant
research proved it effective. That hasn't happened yet.
-
Cris LaBossiere
Go
here for an article on how home remedies for the common cold
don't work
For
more articles on diet and exercise go to the
Rhino Fitness home
page
2004
- 2005 Cris LaBossiere Rhino Fitness www.rhinofitness.ca
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