8 Health Benefits of Chamomile Tea

Chamomile tea has been consumed for hundreds of years. It is made by infusing German chamomile (Matricaria recutita), a member of the sunflower family, in hot water. Roman chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile) is also beneficial, but most research has been done on German chamomile and it is the most commonly used in teas.

Here are eight health benefits of this popular tea:

Better Sleep
Chamomile tea's most well-known benefit is as a sleep aid. It is known for its relaxing and soothing properties and is often taken before bed to promote restful sleep.

Stomach Soother
Peter Rabbit's mother was right to give him chamomile after he ate too much in Mr. McGregor's vegetable garden. Chamomile is helpful for a variety of stomach problems. It soothes stomach aches, eases the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome, promotes elimination, and assists in overall digestion. It is often found in teas for digestion in combination with peppermint.

Menstrual Cramps
The ancient Egyptians used it to soothe menstrual cramps and now science is catching up. One found that drinking chamomile tea raised urine levels of glycine, a compound that calms muscle spasms. Researchers believe this is why chamomile tea helps menstrual cramps.

Hemmorrhoid Help
One study found that chamomile ointment was helpful in the treatment of hemorrhoids.

Cold Fighter
Chamomile has immune boosting properties and helps in the fight against colds due to its

Wound Healing
The Egyptians, Romans, and Greeks used chamomile flowers in a poultice and applied them to wounds to speed healing. They must've been on to something. In rats given chamomile extract in their water experienced faster wound healing times.

Diabetes Management
Chamomile tea is being studied for its beneficial effects in the management of diabetes. In daily consumption of chamomile tea was found to prevent the progression of diabetic complications and hyperglycemia.

Cancer
In-vitro studies show possible protection against several different types of cancer cells.

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Precautions
Some people have serious allergic reactions (including anaphylaxis) to chamomile. If you are allergic to other plants in the same family such as daisy, ragweed, aster, chrysanthemum, or marigold you should use caution when using chamomile.

Chamomile should be avoided during pregnancy because it may act as a uterine stimulant and therefore increase the chance of abortion.

People with bleeding disorders or on blood thinners should avoid chamomile, as it contains coumarin and may increase the chance of bleeding.

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