5 Chamomile Tea Benefits Your Body and Mind Need

Some people believe certain teas contain magical properties, and when it comes to chamomile, we can understand why. Chamomile tea's benefits range from helping with sleep to aiding digestion, and the drink can even play a role in heart health. So what exactly is chamomile tea? Chamomile flowers contain flavonoids, sesquiterpenes, and other antioxidants, and once dried, they can be used for herbal and natural remedies.

While chamomile tea is good for many things and is a great caffeine-free drink option, it's not for everyone. (Like any plants, chamomile can cause rare allergic reactions in some people, and not enough studies have been done on its long-term safety for doctors to recommend drinking it during pregnancy.) Here are some of the most well-known chamomile tea benefits for health concerns adults face.

Anxiety

According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, 40 million Americans suffer from anxiety disorders, making it the most common mental illness in the United States. For those looking for a natural alternative to medication, chamomile tea has been known to benefit anxiety symptoms by helping to ease insomnia and calm nerves.

Many people who use chamomile as a stress-reducer tend to drink it as tea or use it in capsule form for convenience. Chamomile tea may not work the same way for everyone, so consult a doctor if considering it for natural medicinal purposes.

Sleep

For years, people have been drinking chamomile tea before bed to help bring on sleep. The calming effect is thanks to an antioxidant called apigenin, which binds to certain receptors in your brain that may help decrease anxiety and initiate sleep. A 2016 study of the links between chamomile tea and sleep quality and depression in women found that those who drank chamomile tea every night for two weeks had better sleep quality than those who did not—and the effects were reversed when they stopped drinking the tea.

Stomach Issues

Chamomile tea contains anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic, and carminative properties, which help in soothing the stomach lining. Drinking a cup of chamomile tea may relieve an upset stomach, menstrual cramps, irritable bowel syndrome, indigestion, and abdominal gas.

Heart Health

The antioxidants in chamomile tea, like flavones, may help lower the risk of heart disease. Over the years, flavones have been studied to measure their effectiveness in lowering blood pressure and cholesterol, including triglycerides and "bad" LDL cholesterol. Drinking chamomile tea regularly may help maintain healthy blood pressure levels because it helps to reduce stress, promote sleep, and relax blood vessels and arteries. Although chamomile tea potentially benefits heart health in many ways, it may increase the risk of bleeding for people on blood thinners.

Blood Sugar

Drinking chamomile tea may help lower blood sugar, benefiting people with diabetes. Chamomile contains an antioxidant called quercetin, which impacts certain enzymes that are part of the diabetic response.

While there's still more research to be done, a small-scale study from Tabriz University of Medical Sciences in Iran observed 64 type 2 diabetes patients between the ages of 30 and 60. Half the group consumed chamomile tea daily with every meal for eight weeks, while the other half drank water with meals. At the end of the two-month period, the chamomile group had significantly lower average blood sugar levels than those who only drank water.

After reading all of the possible chamomile tea benefits, it's no surprise that people like to end their evenings with a cup of it. Like some other herbal teas, there are some side effects which could include eye irritation, hypersensitivity reactions, and vomiting. Chances are, drinking a cup of chamomile tea won't harm your health, but consult your doctor if you plan to incorporate it into your daily routine.