House of Botanicals · Buda, Texas · Est. 2015

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Herb module

Huang Chu Ju

Chamomile FlowerMatricaria recutita

The gentle daisy of the tea cup, used to move Qi, settle the Stomach and calm the Shen at night.

★ Chief herb in Sleep · Kÿma

Huang Chu Ju is chamomile flower, a Western herb that Zoi brings into Traditional Chinese Medicine. Its role is to move Qi, soothe the Stomach and calm the Shen. It sits second in Sleep | Kÿma™, working beside valerian to relax the body and quiet the mind.

Best functions

  • Calms the Shen to support relaxation and sleep
  • Moves Qi and Blood and is traditionally used to ease pain
  • Strengthens the Stomach
  • Releases the Exterior and clears Heat
  • Traditionally used to quiet a cough

Fascinating facts

  • Chamomile flowers look like small daisies, with white petals around a domed yellow center. The flower heads are the part used.
  • The name chamomile comes from Greek words meaning "earth apple," after the plant's sweet, apple-like scent.
  • Zoi's notes describe studies suggesting chamomile may improve sleep quality, shorten the time it takes to fall asleep, and reduce nighttime waking and daytime tiredness.
  • Chamomile has been brewed as a soothing herbal tea for generations and is still one of the most popular bedtime teas.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine

Chamomile is described as cooling and dispersing, and it enters the Lung, Heart and Stomach channels.

Go deeperDownload the fact sheet on the Sleep · Kÿma page
Biomedical deep dive

Huang Chu Ju Chamomile Flower

From the Zoi Medicinals fact sheets’ Biomedical Details, with lines from Noa’s herb notes marked “Noa’s notes”.

On the fact sheet

  • Huang Chu Ju (Chamomile Flower, Matricaria recutita) enters the LU, HT and ST meridians; moves Qi, tonifies the Liver, stops pain, strengthens stomach, releases Exterior, clears Heat, stops cough, moves Blood and calms Shen. Sleep | Kÿma sheet

Key active constituents

The fact sheets don’t name constituents for this herb.

Pharmacology and mechanisms

  • Chamomile has reported sedative (calming, sleep-supporting) properties.
  • Apigenin (a key compound) binds GABA-A receptors (the brain's calming receptors). Noa’s notes
  • Improves sleep quality and reduces nighttime awakenings. Noa’s notes
  • Antispasmodic (muscle-relaxing) and gastroprotective (stomach-protecting). Noa’s notes

What the research says

  • In studies, chamomile was linked to better sleep quality, falling asleep faster, fewer night awakenings and less daytime fatigue (Abdullahzadeh et al., J Educ Health Promot 2017; Zick et al., BMC Complement Altern Med 2011).
  • One cited trial looked at oral chamomile and sleep quality in older adults (Abdullahzadeh et al., J Educ Health Promot 2017).
  • A small randomized, placebo-controlled pilot study tested a standardized chamomile extract in chronic insomnia (Zick et al., BMC Complement Altern Med 2011).

Safety, interactions and cautions

  • Every Zoi fact sheet: do not use if pregnant or breastfeeding unless directed by your health care practitioner.

In these Zoi formulas

  • ★ Sleep | Kÿma (#2 on the fact sheet)

These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. This product is not meant to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.