What Is Chamomile, Benefits of Drinking Chamomile Tea for Your Health

The use of Ayurveda as alternative medicine has been around for centuries, if not more. As a traditional folk remedy, chamomile is undoubtedly one of the most sought-after due to its wide range of health benefits.

Given the diverse range of benefits, researchers are now exploring deeper into its medicinal properties to determine its effectiveness in managing multiple chronic illnesses, including diabetes, cancer, and other metabolic disorders.

If you are wary about the use of chamomile tea and its potency, this article will explore every last detail you may need to know.

What is Chamomile?

Chamomile is a popular flowering plant from the family Asteraceae. The blooms resemble the appearance of daisies and are a standard element in multiple herbal inclusions.

Given the sharp flavor profile, chamomile is generally consumed in a “tea form” to mellow down the flavor and steep the helpful flavonoids and elements from the plant.

Like many other herbal teas, chamomile contains many flavonoids that have proven medicinal benefits in relieving various medical complications.

It is the flowers that are dried and then sold as chamomile tea. Most people who wish to cut back on caffeine in their daily diet often switch to herbal alternatives like chamomile to rejuvenate and energize themselves without the side effects of caffeine.

However, despite the variety of chamomile tea benefits, we can’t deny that it has certain side effects too. Hence, most doctors and individuals report starting with smaller doses and then working their way up in the dosage chart.

Also, chamomile tea might interfere with the composition of certain medications you are on. So, always cross-check with your doctor before consuming it.

What are the Health Benefits of Chamomile Tea?

Chamomile flower is loaded with flavonoids and other plant compounds that have proven benefits in improving one’s physical and mental well-being.

If you are considering switching to a caffeine-free alternative, chamomile tea is a good place to start. However, discuss the same with your doctor if you are already diagnosed with a chronic disease and are consuming certain medications for the condition.

Also, getting timely tests for symptoms you are experiencing is important. The more you delay tests and brush the symptoms to the curbside, the more you put your well-being at risk.

That said, the following are some of the most important health benefits of chamomile tea:

1. Manages and Regulates Menstrual Pain and Cramping

You will often hear that drinking chamomile tea is amazing for managing your sharp menstrual cramps and pain. It isn’t just folklore but an actual health benefit with scientific evidence.

A study on patients with primary dysmenorrhea found that drinking chamomile tea for a month straight relieves menstrual pain and cramps significantly.

According to the study, the group that consumed chamomile tea also had reduced anxiety and distress throughout the period of the study, indicating that chamomile tea can relieve emotional complications tied with menstruation as well.

Further studies need to be conducted with a larger cohort of participants to understand the mode of action and how chamomile tea benefits women who suffer from severe menstrual pain during their cycles.

2. Potential Benefits in Improving Sleep Quality

According to the National Sleep Foundation guidelines, an individual should get 7-9 hours of quality sleep every day for a healthy life. How much of it are you getting?

If you struggle with poor sleep quality or insomnia, chamomile tea has proven benefits in helping with that.

Chamomile contains an active compound called apigenin, a type of antioxidant that directly attaches to the brain receptors to promote sleep and relieve the symptoms of insomnia in certain patients.

Studies also found that drinking chamomile tea reduces the risks of depression associated with a lack of sleep. Besides that, drinking chamomile tea for sleeping ensures you don’t wake up startled in the middle of the night. This is especially effective in patients who struggle with night terrors.

3. Might Promotes Digestive Health

As weird as it sounds, chamomile tea has proven benefits in promoting digestion. It contains active compounds like sesquiterpene lactones, which promote the secretion of pancreatic juices that promote better digestion.

Chamomile also has antispasmodic benefits, which reduce unnecessary spasms in the stomach and intestine. This ensures that the food has enough time to mix and digest with the gastric and pancreatic juices for optimal digestion.

If you tend to struggle with an upset stomach or improper digestion, including chamomile tea in the daily diet can relieve those complications and enable you to get the most benefit out of your ingested food.

Since chamomile tea has a calming effect on the body, drinking it has proven beneficial in relieving irritable bowel syndrome, acid reflux, diarrhea, etc.

4. Regulating Blood Glucose Levels

As we mentioned in the beginning, chamomile tea has amazing benefits in regulating multiple chronic and metabolic disorders.

If you are diagnosed with diabetes, chamomile tea can help in multiple ways. A few studies indicate that chamomile tea has the potential to regulate and maintain normal blood glucose levels when taken in conjunction with diabetes medication.

Also, a pre-clinical trial found that the consumption of chamomile tea prevented unnecessary spikes in blood glucose levels, keeping one’s health in check.

There are not enough clinical trials to establish a concrete answer to chamomile tea’s benefits in managing diabetes. However, the initial reports indicate potential benefits in managing blood glucose levels in diabetes patients.

5. Might Shield Against Certain Types of Cancers

We have an idea about the benefits of chamomile tea for sleep. However, does it really prevent cancer?

Since chamomile tea has a high level of antioxidants in it, there are chances that it can potentially prevent a few types of cancers, including that in the breasts, digestive tract, uterus, prostate, skin, etc.

The active antioxidant in chamomile tea is apigenin, which has proven benefits in preventing and fighting cancer cells.

Also, in a study with 113 thyroid cancer patients, 286 patients with benign thyroid disease, and 138 healthy individuals, the study found that individuals who drank chamomile tea for 2-6 weeks had a reduced risk of developing thyroid cancer.

The current and initial research surrounding the use of chamomile tea for cancer prevention looks promising, but more peer-reviewed research is needed to confirm its benefits.

6. Manage Stress and Anxiety Symptoms

If you struggle with stress and anxiety, chamomile tea has proven benefits in relieving those symptoms too.

The use of chamomile tea for anxiety is believed to work due to the active antioxidants and other phytochemicals in them. Studies suggest that drinking chamomile tea has promising benefits in relieving mild to moderate symptoms in patients diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD).

However, there are very limited studies on this subject; hence reaching a confirmed conclusion isn’t possible yet.

Even researchers at Mayo Clinic report that the use of chamomile tea might have short-term benefits, but more human-based research is needed.

7. Might Prevent Risks of Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis is a chronic and progressive condition that prevents new bone creation following the removal of the older bone. The condition often leaves the bone weak and brittle.

Also, osteoporosis affects one’s posture and overall health. One of the most common reasons for osteoporosis is due to estrogen in the body in post-menopausal women.

Studies have found that post-menopausal women can reduce the risks of osteoporosis with chamomile tea since it has anti-estrogenic properties, which prevent the condition or relieve the pain, discomfort, and stiffness that comes with the eroding bones.

Further studies are required to establish a confirmed understanding of the condition and chamomile tea’s benefit in preventing this progressive disorder.

8. Might Improve Heart Health

Chamomile tea is rich in flavonoids, which are potent antioxidants that reduce oxidative stress and have promising benefits on the heart health of an individual.

Flavonoids also have amazing benefits in regulating blood pressure and cholesterol levels in patients with a risk of heart disease.

Even studies have found that including chamomile tea in the daily diet has amazing benefits in reducing the levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol. These are termed bad cholesterol, which enhances the risks of atherosclerosis in patients.

Besides flavones, chamomile tea also has no caffeine in it, which is great for individuals who deal with risks of tachycardia, heart palpitations, etc.

9. Relieve Flu-Like Symptoms

Experiencing flu-like symptoms, viral fever, etc., is common throughout the year. If you are prone to developing these active infections, including chamomile tea can effectively relieve those symptoms quite proactively.

If you are feeling under the weather with a fever, cold, and cough, drinking a warm cup of chamomile tea has a cooling, calming, and soothing effect on the body.

Additionally, chamomile tea benefits stomach issues, which are quite common when you are struggling with fever and other complications.

Since chamomile is enriched with flavones, it prevents free radical damage, further boosting your immune system to ward off unwanted cold and flu symptoms.

Not just drinking, reports also suggest that inhaling the steam from steeping chamomile tea can help to open up blocked nasal passages and ensure you can breathe freely without any hassle.

Studies assessing the antibacterial property of chamomile tea found that drinking a substantial amount of it results in the presence of hippurate and glycine in the urine. This indicates the active anti-bacterial properties of the herbal tea.

10. Has Anti-inflammatory Properties

Inflammation is the body’s active response against certain triggers, like infection, trauma, physiological complications, etc.

Research suggests that chamomile tea has certain active components which can reduce inflammation in the body. Chamomile tea can help relieve short-term or acute inflammation, which might result from an infection, fever, allergic reaction, etc.

There are not enough studies to assess the impacts of chamomile tea in managing long-term inflammation that’s common with chronic conditions like arthritis, gastrointestinal pain, hemorrhoids, etc.

11. Have Indirect Benefits for Weight Loss

We can’t stress this enough but there are no magic solutions for weight loss, especially with herbal tea like chamomile.

But, drinking chamomile tea and a healthy diet and active lifestyle might promote weight loss in certain individuals.

Chamomile tea is an amazing alternative if you want to maintain your hydration throughout the day but don’t want to add too much caffeine to your diet. Since chamomile tea is calorie-free, that is another reason why it makes a great addition to your weight loss diet.

However, we have to reiterate again, chamomile tea is not a miracle worker for your weight loss. It can be a good addition to your already healthy and balanced diet.

12. Alleviate Skin Problems

Chamomile tea has a lot of benefits, and that includes your skin too. Not just your physiological functions, drinking chamomile tea can also alleviate mild skin diseases and complications.

In this case, you’d have to rely on chamomile as an extract and not the tea form. Studies suggest that the topical application of chamomile can relieve symptoms of eczema flare-ups and inflammatory responses against infections.

Since chamomile has healing and soothing properties, it relieves the discomfort, redness, and irritation that come with skin diseases.

What are the Side Effects of Chamomile Tea?

Chamomile tea is no doubt amazing for your health. But everything has another side to the coin, and the same applies to chamomile tea.

Since there are very limited studies on chamomile tea and its benefits for various aspects of human health, being aware of the side effects is equally important.

Some of the most notable chamomile tea side effects are:

• Vomiting and nausea
• Skin irritation
• Allergic reactions
• Chest tightness
• Wheezing
• Hives
• Rashes
• Itching
• Gastrointestinal complications

If you witness any or multiple of these side effects after drinking chamomile tea, it is ideal to stop its consumption immediately.

FAQs

Does chamomile make you sleepy?

Chamomile tea has mild sedative effects, which is why it is often ideal for inducing sleep in individuals with insomniac tendencies.

Who should not use chamomile?

Chamomile requires a lot more research to assess its benefits for pregnant and breastfeeding women, along with children under the age of 12. So, if you fall into any of these categories, avoid consuming tea.

What happens if you drink chamomile tea every day?

Drinking chamomile tea every day in moderation can be a good alternative to other caffeine sources like tea or coffee. It can induce sleep, reduce inflammation and improve the overall immune system.

Conclusion

That’s all you need to know about chamomile tea, its properties, and its benefits on the human body. How many of these were you aware of? Also, a quick reminder that chamomile tea has a few side effects associated with it, so we’d recommend you pay attention to your body and how you feel after consuming it. If something feels amiss, discuss the same with your doctor.