What are Chamomile Tea Benefits

Chamomile, sometimes spelled chamomile, is actually a flowering herb from Egypt which looks like a little daisy with white petals and a yellow middle. Some say it has a smell similar to an apple, which is where its name comes from since it comes from the Greek word for ground apple.

Chamomile tea has been around since ancient times and was drunk by the Egyptians, Romans and Greeks as a medicinal product and to help them to relax. Its tea is made from the buds and flowers of the plant. It is harvested, then the flowers can be used dry or fresh in both cooking and for medical usage.

How is it used?

Chamomile is widely used as a tisane, otherwise called herbal teas. Even though it is called herbal tea, it is not really tea since it isn’t made from the Camellia sinensis plant, which all real teas like black or green come from. Herbal teas don’t have any caffeine at all.

It is not only drunk as a tea, it is also put into things like lotion, soap, shampoo, candles, cosmetics and oils. When used as an essential oil, you shouldn’t consume it or put it directly onto your skin. It is quite popular as a way to relax before going to bed when it is drunk like as tea.

How to Make Chamomile Tea to Drink

If you want to enjoy Chamomile tea as a drink, then you’ll need one to four tablespoons of either fresh or dried flowers per cup of water. You need to heat the water to 200 degrees Fahrenheit, which is close to the boiling point. Then steep the flower in the hot water for between 3 and 5 minutes. You can also add some sweetener if desired or even a bit of lemon juice for more flavor.

Chamomile Tea Benefits

Chamomile plants have an active ingredient called bisabolol, and this has antimicrobial, anti-irritant, and anti-inflammatory properties. Therefore, it has many good benefits that can help your health. Here are some of them:

1) INSOMNIA

If you have trouble sleeping, Chamomile tea is considered to be a natural sedative, so if you want to improve your sleeping habits, drink several cups before bedtime.

2) IMMUNE SYSTEM AID

Chamomile tea increases the level of Hippurate, a substance which assists in stimulating the immune system via battling bad bacteria. So, it’s good to drink if you are sick or feeling bad.

3) GET RID OF MUSCLE CRAMPS

Chamomile also helps for increasing the level of glycine, an essential amino acid glycine. Glycine soothes nerves as well as helps get rid of muscle cramps. This also makes it a good choice for getting rid of women’s menstrual cramps.

4) DEPRESSION

Chamomile also has been used to help ease depression and anxiety, and studies have proven its worth in treating these issues.

5) DIGESTION

Chamomile tea has also been used to help sufferers of stomach upset and other disorders. So it could help people who have Chron’s Disease or irritable bowel syndrome feel better. This is due to its anti-inflammatory and anti-spasmodic properties. It has also been used to treat colic in kid as well as help get rid of diarrhea.

6) REGULATES BLOOD SUGAR LEVELS

Chamomile tea also can assist people who have diabetes as it prevents drops and spikes in blood sugar levels. But speak to your doctor before you try it for best results.

7) HEALING

Chamomile tea actually can  help heal cuts and burns via its antibacterial, antimicrobial antioxidant, and antimicrobial effects and lowers the risk of infection.

8) MOUTH SORES

Chamomile tea also is great for mouth sores if you gargle it. This way it can help treat periodontal disease and canker sores.

9) HEMORRHOIDS

Chamomile tea also helps hemorrhoids if used as a rinse or place a wet teabag onto the hemorrhoids to ease the pain of bowel movements as it shrinks the hemorrhoid and soothes the nerves in that area.

10) HEADACHE

It can also soothe headaches, especially if it is a tension headache since it soothes the nerves.

11) ECZEMA

Chamomile also helps eczema since it is a natural anti-inflammatory. Just dip some gauze into the tea and place onto the area of concern. Leave for 15 to 20 minutes, then dry off the skin.

12) SUNBURN

It can also soothe sunburns if you chill the brewed tea and make a poultice to put onto the burned area of skin.

13) ROSACEA

Due to the anti-inflammatory properties, it also helps get rid of the red caused by rosacea. Make a compress with the tea and put it onto the area of skin involved.

Considerations

Even with all the great above ways chamomile tea helps various issues, you still should take a few precautions prior to using it. For one thing some people might be allergic to it, especially if they suffer from hay fever since it is in the same family as ragweed.

It also can act as a blood thinner as it has a bit of coumarin in it, so could interact with medications like aspirin, NSAIDS, naproxen, sedatives, and antiplatelet drugs. In fact, it also may interact with supplements like valerian, St. John’s Wort, garlic, ginkgo biloba and palmetto.

Additionally it shouldn’t be put directly onto the eyes, as this can cause pink eye.

Conclusion

So, if you decide to either drink chamomile tea or use it topically to treat one of the above issues, you should speak with your doctor first to rule out interactions or other problems.