People who regularly drink tea most likely have enjoyed a cup of chamomile tea at least once. It is, after all, a common herb many people use for various health concerns. But, where does this tea come from, and is it true that it can help with illnesses, even serious ones, like diabetes and cancer? Find out here.
What is Chamomile Tea?
Before enumerating the benefits of chamomile, let’s first discuss where it comes from.
Chamomile tea comes from dried chamomile, a flowering plant, which is part of the daisy family.
There are two types of chamomile flowering plants: German and Roman. Reports say the German variety is more potent and widely used than the Roman variety.
The Science-Backed Benefits of Chamomile Tea
What can drinking this tea help us with? Below are the science-backed benefits of this tea:
1.- It might help with sleep troubles
Perhaps, the most popular benefit of chamomile tea is it helps people with sleep troubles. And it’s not surprising, considering a report listed German chamomile as a “mild sedative,” along with other herbs, such as hops, lavender, passion flower, and lemon balm¹.
Another report said chamomile extract has “benzodiazepine-like ” hypnotic effects. Note that benzodiazepines are prescription medicines that can reduce anxiety and induce sleep.
Of course, there are small-scale studies where participants report that they slept faster after drinking chamomile tea.
Tip
If you’re looking for teas to help you fall asleep, you might as well consider a blend of ingredients, like valerian root, hops, passion flower, and lavender. However, consult your doctor first, especially if you have an underlying health condition or are taking medications.
2. It has anti-inflammatory properties
Inflammation, which basically involves redness and swelling, is the body’s natural reaction to bacteria, viruses, and chemicals.
However, sustained inflammation can be detrimental. Case in point: serious illnesses, such as cancer, diabetes, asthma, arthritis, and Alzheimer’s disease are associated with chronic inflammation.
Chamomile tea has flavonoids that possess anti-inflammatory properties².
3. It can help with some skin conditions
In relation to its anti-inflammatory properties, did you know that people also use chamomile tea for wound healing? Moreover, it’s been traditionally used for dermatitis and nonspecific skin irritation³.
Important:
Despite its potential benefits for some skin conditions, keep in mind that chamomile can still induce contact dermatitis and urticaria³.
4. It may help with menstrual pain
If you frequently experience menstrual pain and are hesitant to resort to pain medications, you might want to look into chamomile tea.
A 2010 report mentioned that women who took chamomile tea for a month experienced reduced menstrual pain⁵.
What About Diabetes And Cancer?
Besides the above-mentioned benefits, some reports likewise claim that chamomile tea can help with cancer and diabetes. Here are further explanations on that.
Reports say chamomile has inhibitory effects on pre-clinical models of ovarian, breast, prostate, and skin cancers. The plant also appears to induce apoptosis or cell death in cancer cells.
As for diabetes, this tea appears to lower blood sugar levels, increase liver glycogen storage, and inhibit sorbitol (a type of carbohydrate) in red blood cells.
However, we still need further studies to determine chamomile’s full effects on diabetes and cancer.
Key Takeaway
Chamomile tea might be able to help people with sleep trouble, inflammation, some skin conditions, and menstrual pain. The tea also appears to have the potential in treating cancer and diabetes.
However, please note that chamomile tea is still an herbal tea. While it’s generally safe, you might still need to consult your doctor about taking it, particularly if you have an underlying health concern or are under maintenance medicine. Never replace your medicine with chamomile or any other herbal medicine.
Learn more about Healthy Eating here.
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