Chamomile Tea Benefits

Chamomile Tea Benefits

Chamomile makes a pleasant tea with an apple-like taste and aroma. At night, just the thought of sipping chamomile tea soothes frazzled nerves and forcibly induces sleep. Despite its many benefits, chamomile has more to offer. Over a dozen active chemical compounds have been identified in the daisy-like flowers, allowing the herb to alleviate stress as well as soothe stomach upset almost as quickly as Pepto Bismol.

In what ways is it useful? • Belching • Boils • Conjunctivitis • Foot Pain • Gum Problems • Hives • Indigestion • Inflammatory Bowel Disease • Menstrual Problems • Psoriasis • Rosacea • Stress • Teething • Ulcers

An ingredient in chamomile called apigenin is effective at calming the nervous system and aiding sleep. Having a hard time relaxing? You can enjoy chamomile tea, or take a warm bath with chamomile tea, chamomile oil, or chamomile flowers added to the water.

Anxiety and stress are reduced by the essential oil’s penetration into the skin. Take a handful of chamomile flowers or 10 drops of chamomile oil and massage it into your skin. Anxiety and stress are relieved by essential oils as it penetrates the skin.

Uses both inside and outside

You can use chamomile for more than just relaxation. It contains several chemical compounds that act as antispasmodics, including bisabolol. During menstruation, they ease cramps as well as the discomfort caused by the smooth muscles lining the digestive tract and uterus.

People with arthritis and other painful conditions who are dependent on painkillers for daily relief might benefit from drinking chamomile tea to reduce the stomach-gnawing effects of aspirin and other drugs. A number of minor health complaints can also be treated with chamomile’s antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties.

• Rashes and Burns

Both your skin and your intestinal tract can benefit from chamomile. In external applications such as chamomile cream or compresses made with strong chamomile tea, chamomile accelerates the healing of cuts, burns, and rashes. In order to reduce the itching caused by sunburn, mix equal parts of chamomile oil and almond oil (available in health-food stores).

• Skin irritations

For wounds or inflammation caused by eczema, contact allergies, or post-radiation skin damage, doctors often recommend chamomile-based creams, such as Kamillosan, in Germany. A small amount of chamomile oil can treat skin conditions such as boils.

• Infections

When used as a wash, chamomile reduces the chances of eye and skin infections caused by bacteria and fungi. Inflamed gums can be soothed with chamomile tea mouthwash, and mouth ulcers can be treated with chamomile tea mouthwash.

How to buy and use chamomile

In health-food stores, you can find dried flowers or chamomile tea bags. Sprinkling chamomile tea on top of the soil has proven to be effective for growing chamomile in gardens. German chamomile (Matricaria recutita), also known as Hungarian chamomile, and Roman chamomile (Chamaemelum Nobile) are both chamomile varieties.

There is no doubt that German chamomile has superior healing properties, even though both plants look almost identical. The skin-healing properties of chamomile cream can be found in health-food stores, but making it yourself is just as easy and less expensive. Take a heaping tablespoon of chamomile flowers and pour boiling water over them.

Once the tea has cooled to room temperature, soak a cloth in it and apply it for five minutes to a cut, burn, or rash. After a report in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology suggested chamomile tea could trigger a potentially fatal allergic reaction in ragweed allergy sufferers, the media went wild.

As a result of their examination of the available data, scientists were only able to identify a few reactions (none fatal) to German chamomile. It has been determined by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration that chamomile is entirely safe. Ragweed only needs to be avoided by those who have previously experienced a severe reaction.