Exactly How Drinking Chamomile Tea Helps Your Body: 6 Health Benefits

Chamomile is perhaps one of the herbal teas with the most prominent medicinal value.

It’s been used around the world by many people for several years. 

Chamomile means “ground apple” in Greek. It’s a plant that’s part of the Asteraceae plant group.

Other names for Chamomile include Matricaria recutita, Banunj, Baboonig, Babuna, and scented mayweed.

There are many reasons to drink herbal tea in general. But Chamomile tea has powerful properties that make it stand out.

In this post, you’ll learn about the health benefits of Chamomile team. Let’s dive in.

1. Has anti-diabetic effects

One of the health benefits of drinking chamomile tea is its effects on diabetes.

Several studies show that chamomile suppresses blood sugar levels and increases the storage of glycogen. Both of these effect help to ease diabetic complications

A recent study examined the effects of chamomile tea on glycemic indices and antioxidant status in patients with type 2 diabetes.

The researchers recruited 32 patients. Patients drank chamomile tea for 8 weeks. 

The findings showed a reduction in significant diabetes indicators. It also concluded that Chamomile tea may be useful in lowering diabetes risk factors.

2. Improve sleep quality

One of the traditional ways chamomile herbal tea has been used was to treat insomnia.

This is because of the calming and sedative effects of chamomile. 

Chamomile contains a flavonoid called apigenin. Apigenin binds to brain receptors known as the benzodiazepine. 

This combination produces a sleep-inducing effect.

Scientific research into maternal health  (also see this study) found that lavender and chamomile herbal tea improved sleep quality. 

The herbal tea also helped to improve the mood of new mothers. 

A study in the Journal of Clinical Pharmacology reported that cardiac patients who drank chamomile tea were able to sleep instantly and deeply for 90 minutes.

3. Has anti-cancer properties

A study in the European Journal of Public Health found a link between chamomile and cancer. 

The researchers enrolled 113 Greek patients with thyroid cancer and 286 patients with benign thyroid diseases.

The findings suggest the more regularly you drink chamomile, the lower the risk of thyroid cancer and thyroid diseases. 

The researchers reported that consuming chamomile tea for 30 years significantly reduced the risk of thyroid cancer and benign thyroid disease development by almost 80 percent.

4. Reduces common cold symptoms

The common cold is a viral infection that affects our upper respiratory system. While the symptoms are not deadly, complications of the common cold can be.

When not treated sooner than later, a common cold can become worse and lead to other problems like pneumonia and even death.

Promising research shows that chamomile herbal tea can help reduce the symptoms of the common cold. 

If you want to avoid the long term side effects of drugs and antibiotics this is for you.

One of these early findings was published in the European Journal of Pharmacology. 

The researchers report that the inhalation of chamomile extract steam can help ease common cold symptoms.

More clinical trials will be needed to provide more findings in this area.

5. Promotes gastrointestinal health

When we eat, food enters the stomach. Our stomach muscles then mix the food and liquid with digestive juices. 

And slowly as this process is completed, the stomach passes on its content to the small intestines.

The gastrointestinal tract (GI) is a string of hollow organs connect in a long, winding tube. It’s sometimes not able to process the food.

It could lead to conditions such as bloating, flatulence, and other forms of irritation.

Drinking Chamomile tea can help get rid of gas, soothe the stomach, and improve GI muscle relaxation so food moves smoothly.

This in part because of the protective elements that include extracts of lemon balm leaf.

6. Reduces stress

One of the health benefits of chamomile tea is its ability to reduce stress levels and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD).

Signs of GAD include:

• Constant and too much worry a
• Restlessness
• Extreme fatigue
• Lack of concentration
• Irritability
• Muscle tension
• Sleep disturbances

Researchers did a clinical trial to determine the impact of chamomile extract on GAD. 

They found that chamomile extract may have modest anxiolytic activity in patients with mild to moderate GAD generalized anxiety disorder.

Part of this is because compounds present in extracts of chamomile can bind to brain receptors in the brain. And this could be responsible for some sedative effects.

Takeaway

Chamomile tea, like other types of herbal teas, has powerful effects. 

As the research into this herb evolves, new research continues to affirm the traditional and medicinal value of this herb.