Grow chamomile to help diabetes

Recent research has shown that chamomile may be useful in controlling diabetes.

Experiments on diabetic rats found that the herb can reduce blood sugar levels, leading to suggestions that chamomile products such as tea may be useful for human diabetics.

What many diabetics wont realise is that they can grow chamomile in their garden or greenhouse.

"Chamomile is an easy herb to grow, and self-seeds happily," says website herbexpert.co.uk.

"This means it will sprout up from the ground in the same place each year without the trouble of you having to save seed and re-sow them.

"The plants grow up to one metre tall, depending on the variety you choose."

The website contains a useful guide on how best to grow the plant, which comes in two main varieties.

German chamomile is the most common and can grow up to a metre in height, while Roman chamomile rarely grows beyond 30cm.