You must have heard about drinking chamomile tea to help with sleep.
But did you know, it also has benefits for your digestive system and oral health?
Essentially it is a herb that comes from flowers of the Asteraceae plant.
In order to make the tea, the flowers are dried and then you drink it with hot water.
It contains antioxidant properties that reduce the risk of several diseases.
There are several other benefits of the tea that we discuss in this article below. Let’s dive in!
Chamomile Tea Helps With Sleep
Right before bedtime, having a cup of this tea can help you sleep better.
If you have trouble sleeping, the apigenin antioxidant binds to receptors in your brain.
It helps to promote sleep, reduces the chronic inability to sleep as well as insomnia.
According to a study, postpartum women who drank the tea for two weeks had better sleep quality and lesser symptoms of postpartum depression than those who did not.
Also, people who drank the tea consecutively for 28 days fell asleep 15 minutes faster.
Hence, it not only induces sleep but also improves the quality of your sleep.
The compounds present in the tea that induce sleep are the same ones that help alleviate stress, anxiety and help your brain relax.
It helps people with sleep disorders such as insomnia and sleep apnea to sleep better.
That said, the sleep-inducing benefits are short-term.
It is not a solution to your sleep disorder. Rather it can help you as long as you keep drinking the tea.
The benefits will last as long as you are consistent in drinking the tea regularly. Though, if you quit, you can again face issues regarding your sleep cycle.
Moreover, more research is needed on its benefits when it comes to sleep.
Nonetheless, if you have trouble sleeping, it does not hurt to get a cup of tea right before bedtime.
Protects Against Cancer and Improving Heart Health
The antioxidants found in the tea can fight cancer cells.
In fact, the antioxidant apigenin that also induces sleep can fight cancer cells present in the skin, uterus, breast, digestive tract and prostrate.
Also, people who drink tea about 2 to 6 times a week are less likely to get thyroid cancer than those who do not.
Another class of antioxidants, flavors are also found in abundance in the tea.
Flavones help to reduce the important markers leading to heart disease.
They can lower cholesterol levels as well as blood pressure.
Drinking chamomile tea with meals showed improvements in triglycerides, total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol which is the bad cholesterol in comparison to drinking water at that time.
It can promote healthy blood pressure by reducing bad LDL, inducing good sleep, relaxing your blood vessels and also reducing stress.
So, the flavonoids present in the tea are good for your health overall.
However, they may also specifically promote your heart health.
Though, there are certain downsides to it too. It may increase bleeding in people who have thinner blood.
Hence, people who suffer from this problem are should forego it instead.
Chamomile Tea Helps with Digestive Issues and Controls Blood Sugar
Having good digestion is important for your overall health.
Chamomile can reduce gastrointestinal conditions hence promoting better digestion and digestive system.
Its anti-inflammatory properties can help protect against diarrhea in mice.
Further studies in rats show how it can protect against stomach ulcers, reduce acidity in the stomach, inhibit bacterial growth that causes ulcers and acidity.
Plus, there are anecdotal claims that drinking chamomile is rather soothing for your stomach.
It can relieve you of digestive ailments such as gas and nausea.
In fact, in ancient times it has been popular for relieving colic in babies.
It can help with digestive problems such as irritable bowel syndrome, upset stomach and abdominal pain.
Combining licorice root and peppermint leaves with chamomile can prevent gastric ulcers.
The antioxidants in the tea help to reduce acid production as well as leukotriene which causes ulcers.
In order to gain maximum benefits of the tea when it comes to digestion, drink a cup right before every meal.
It will improve digestion and reduce gas.
When it comes to blood sugar levels, chamomile has antioxidant properties that prevent damage to the pancreas cells.
The damage happens when your blood sugar levels rise.
Though your pancreas needs to stay healthy as they are responsible for producing insulin which regulates blood sugar levels.
The tea can also reduce fasting blood sugar levels as well as reduce blood sugar spikes that occur right after eating.
In a study of diabetic people, those that drank tea instead of water with meals showed a significant decrease in average blood sugar levels.
Theirs was on the lower side than those who drank plain water.
Hence, it can benefit people with these digestive problems and regulate blood sugar levels.
Helps with Anxiety and Stress
There is increasing anxiety, stress and other mental health problems in the world’s population.
While medications and seeing an expert can help the most, certain people may prefer turning to natural remedies to look for ways to de-stress.
These include drinking chamomile tea.
This tea can induce calm and relax you.
Hence, it helps to calm down your anxiety and reduce your stress.
It can also ease symptoms related to stress.
Hence, whenever you feel more stressed, drink a cup or two of the tea.
This tea can increase melatonin and serotonin in the body which helps to soothe the mind and alleviate stress by relaxing the mind.
Plus, it can also relieve migraine, and headaches as the antioxidants increase blood supply to the brain.
That helps to alleviate pain and aches. This brings us to…
It has pain-reducing properties
Did you know that one name of chamomile tea is herbal aspirin?
Due to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, it can alleviate pain, redness, congestion and swelling.
It can reduce skin irritation, toothaches, inflammation, swelling and pain resulting from infections.
This is why it is a staple in beauty products such as lotions, toothpaste, and bathing soaps.
But its use in the skin is not all.
It can reduce pain such as arthritis, back pain and injuries both mostly in the form of a gel.
However, the tea can be effective in treating migraines and headaches.
Women can drink tea after labor so that their abdominal muscles relax and they can get a good rest.
Hence, the anti-inflammatory properties can relieve several forms of pain.
More on that below!
Benefits for Skin, Hair and Oral Care
Skin Care- Improves Skin Health
Besides drinking the tea, a topical application helps to alleviate skin concerns such as eczema and irritation.
It can also speeden healing of blemishes on the skin.
It eliminates oxidative stress which helps you skin to brighten and glow. Alos, it can reduce the appearance of wrinkles and signs of aging.
Also, applying chamomile through skin products such as lotions, creams, eye creams and soaps can be moisturizing for the skin.
Plus, that helps in reducing skin inflammation.
Therefore, use products that contain chamomile to have moisturized, smooth skin.
Oral Care- Provides Oral Health Benefits
The antiseptic properties in the tea can be effective against oral bacteria.
It can fight infections, prevent cavities and overall protect your teeth and gums.
It promotes oral health and what’s more, it can also be effective as a toothache relief. because of its anti-inflammatory properties.
While drinking chamomile tea, you are promoting oral health and preventing several problems such as cavities and gum disease that may arise otherwise.
Hair Care- Strengthens and Improves Hair
While the tea does help with your skin, it also improves the appearance of your hair and strengthens it.
Due to its anti-inflammatory properties, chamomile can:
- strengthen the hair follicles
- make your hair silkier
- reduce the scalp irritation
- reduce dandruff in your hair
Hence, it has several benefits for your Hair case along with your Skincare and Oral care.
It can simultaneously improve all of these three giving you a youthful appearance while also keeping you healthy.
Other Benefits of Chamomile Tea
Boost Immunity
This tea can soothe a sore throat. It can also probably prevent and treat the common cold.
This is due to the phenolic compounds present in the tea that help to boost your immune health and fight infections.
These compounds can relieve nasal congestion, sinus, flu and other cold issues.
Prevents Osteoporosis
Bone loss causes conditions like osteoporosis. There is weak evidence on how drinking tea can prevent bone loss.
Hence, it will prevent the onset of diseases such as osteoporosis and bones do not lose minerals and calcium quicker as when the body can replace them.
Relieves Menstruation Symptoms
The anti-inflammatory properties in the tea help to relax your body and mind.
Drinking this tea during your time of the month can relieve symptoms related to menstruation such as mood swings, cramps, bloating and anxiety.
Finally,
Drinking a cup of chamomile tea can have several benefits for your oral health.
Add a single cup in your daily routine to see a massive improvement in your physical as well as oral health.
