The Healing Properties Of Chamomile Tea
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If there is one ingredient that should always be in the medicine cabinets of an alternative healer, that one ingredient should be chamomile tea. It really doesn't matter what brand of chamomile tea you get - this is one tea that is nearly impossible to screw up. Since chamomile tea has such a mild taste, many commercial chamomile tea bag offerings are blended with other flavors and bits. For medicinal purposes, just stick with plain chamomile. Some herbalists and alternative healers prefer German Chamomile, Matricaria recutia, but this writer has never noticed a difference, except in price.
Not For Those Allergic To the Ragweed Family
To me, chamomile tea is a magical brew, but this is not the case for everyone. If you are allergic to the ragweed family, then steer clear of chamomile tea, chamomile-infused beauty products and just about anything else having to do with chamomile. See you at my next Hub on tea, alternative healing or pet advice.
Still with me? Right, now let's get on with looking at the specific healing properties of the versatile chamomile tea. And please don't use this Hub as an alternative to the advice of a medical professional, whether of complimentary or traditional medicine.
As A Sleep Aid
This is probably what chamomile tea is best known for - getting you relaxed enough to get some sleep. Chamomile tea does not work all by itself - if all you did for your sleep problems is drink a few cups of chamomile tea, you'd only be up most of the night running back and for the to the bathroom. If you have chronic sleep problems due to pain or due to an unknown cause, please see your doctor.
But having something hot and soothing a half hour or so before bed does help the body relax and make it more susceptible to sleep. The chamomile flower - no matter its species - contains relaxants and is an anti-spasmodic. That might help give you the edge you may need to fall asleep.
As A Painkiller
Although not as powerful a painkiller as aspirin or Demerol, for that matter, chamomile does soothe noticeably for mild complaints. Chamomile tea also has antibacterial properties, so you can put it right on your skin (if it's cool enough!) Here are some ways to use hot, wet chamomile tea bags:
- Not only does drinking the tea help with mild menstrual cramps or painful cramps from diarrhea, the hot bags can be wrapped in an old towel and placed on the point of pain for relief. Be careful - these can be hot.
- When you get itchy eyes, either wash your eyes with cooled chamomile tea or place the warm, wet tea bags over your closed eyes. My Mom got sun block in her eyes and warm chamomile tea bags eased the stinging considerably.
- Bathe mildly itchy skin with cooled or lukewarm chamomile tea.
- Bathe mild or first-degree burns in COOL tea for pain relief and to clean the area.
- Use a hot tea bag wrapped in an old dish towel or bandage OR soak cotton pads in hot chamomile tea as a hot compress for mild earaches, especially if your ears have been irritated by use of ear plugs, or by scratching them too much.
- I've heard some women use the warm chamomile tea bags to relieve cystitis, using the warm tea as a douche or inserting the used tea bag like a tampon. However, I've never personally tried that. Drinking lots of chamomile tea, spring water and cranberry juice defiantly eases the pain of a mild bladder infection.
As A Digestive Aid
Chamomile is one of the herbs that helps the digestion move along happily, including peppermint, ginger, fennel and parsley. But for one reason or another, you might not like the other teas made from the other herbs. Peppermint is not good for little children or for many people with GERD-type acid reflux disease. And where the heck can you find parsley tea on short notice?
Some crazy people, like me, like to mix herbs or herbal tea bags, taking one of ginger and one of chamomile to make a pot of soothing tea after a time of (a-hem) overindulgence in the snacking department. This is also soothing for those that have arrived to your home with travel sickness and can't take peppermint tea.
Chamomile tea is also good for relieving mild nausea, and can be drunk to prevent or ease morning sickness. If you are pregnant, check with your doctor first about drinking any herbal tea beyond your second trimester.
As A Substitute For Chamomile Oil
All of these attributes can be given for chamomile essential oil, which is also a great painkiller, anti-spasmodic, antibacterial and relaxant. However, this great essential oil is also FABULOUSLY expensive! I've certainly never been able to afford it (unless I get it as a gift). So, when I can, I substitute chamomile tea bags for chamomile essential oil. Doesn't work too well for an all over body massage, though.
Drink up!
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I"ve not used this myself but I have a question a friend of mine has been giing this to her son since birth and he is now 18 mos. old will this harm his? He has diarearra all the time.
Mmmmm camomile tea is yummy. I love the sweet pungent odor it gives off when it hits the warm water. Very relaxing, just as your ad mentions. What are some of your other favorite teas that have this calming effect?
brilliant hub.... very informative.
mm, haven't had chamomile tea for ages, used to have it before bed on a regular basis but I've moved on to red bush tea these days. Might have to revist Chamomile at some point though, I kinda miss it :o)
I've found some scientific work backing up many of the claims you make here; you might want to try using google scholar to add links to some of these studies. A lot of people make articles like this, putting forth bold health claims, some of which aren't true. Having a few citations can be important to establishing credibility.
The things you are saying here are right-on, though.
There are some additional benefits you may want to consider adding, too, including Chamomile being effective at preventing damage caused by diabetes, and also antimutagenic and cholesterol-lowering activity. These have all been established scientifically. Here's a link about the diabetes research:
http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/jf8014365
Thanks for the article; I hope this additional resource is useful!
Good info, keep up the good work.
I drink it a lot but mostly because it doesn't have caffeine and I'm a tea nut. I knew it was good for calming a person down but didn't know about all those other benefits. Thanks.
i just got hooked on this awhile ago because i was having trouble sleeping and it really relaxes me before i go to sleep,i definitely prefer it to any over the counter medications:)
i like this tea as well, thx 4 share
Chamomile is also used in inducing contractions in pregnant women or supporting miscarriages. This is very very important to note!
I have used this in 2 pregnancies of my own, and 1 friend began to miscarry after drinking Chamomile tea for 3 days...she didn't know it would cause that.
love of night
I think you are confused. A muscle relaxing effect of this tea will not induce contractions or cause miscarriages. Baby's come out because of muscle contractions (tightening/shortening muscle fibers) in the uterus meaning a tighting of the muscle, not a loosening or relaxing of the muscle as chamomile tea will cause.
My doctor pretty much prescribed me chamomile tea during my pregnancy as i had severe anxiety. Drank it every day for nine months, does not induce miscarriages. Raspberry leaf tea, black and blue cohosh, Those can cause miscarriages. Chamomile is pretty harmless, been giving it to my son since he was born and it helps him sleep. Hes 18 months now and doesnt get diahrrea. Magnificent herbal tea!
i like this site great job hub. i wanted to say im allergic to ragweed but i love chamomile it has always soothe me in everyway why is this? i know from going to the doctors an throat nose specialist they had something to introduce me to blood work was done and my blood was drawn and put in a dish in a lab and mixed with different common allergy samples people have . because of my breathing i followed through with this. common meds for nasal problems woulnt work or any for that matter.i was highly highly allergic to cats but i lived with one in the house. ragweed was one he said and dust and smoke but the cat is what he said was what baffled him. when i blurted i have a cat he said it was the dander of the cat. i was to have a five year prescription of shots to wheen off the allergy gradual i didnt want to do it it wasnt i didnt believe in what he was saying. but i know from my life experiences its better to try to heal before anything within a year of not trying to fix the problem i compromised with my body and opted for mouth breathing i was in a sense exposeing myself to become immune that is very practical .i own two cats and breath today fine no ithy eyes or red bloches with any cat i come into contact with. hmmm.:) my boyfriend lastly used to be allergic to grape any form coolaid or the fruit as a child even had a couple reactions that nearly cost his life before he found out.even as an adult he was .but one day he came to me really happy but now he pops grapes in his mouth and i just say to him your crazy he told me he accidently ate a grape he thought it was a cherry .i didnt panic cause its not my nature well ill watch you i told him. i just wanted to share what i do for myself i feel some docters can be cocky and or pushy and dont accept. common sense is my approach to my body and i am not a docter im still here very healthy and i do regular check ups dentist and docs in the third grade i was placed in my school no home school in with 7th grade biology students for the year i believe i was allowed to do this because i shocked pre k teachers at four when they have doctors come in and test kids with questons and like iq levels related. i was self taught young 2 yrs four i made trips with my mom to the library liked all the books yet my mom didnt read english its how you are eager in life to learn i havent changed
hi i just commented with the name samantha about ragweed i join hub as username 123samantha visit my page when i get up to adding stuff i have to go to work now though bye:)
Nice hub. I love chamomile tea. I'm getting into herbal remedies and I know it is one of the best. Thumbs up!
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Chamomile Tea tastes good and helps me with my GERD symptoms. What a good herbal tea to drink!!
Its one of my favourite tonics, Fantastic article have uprated it
I have been drinking chamomile tea for at least the past month. A friend suggested it to me because I have troubles sleeping. I drink it a half an hour before I want to go to bed and Im out. I read somwhere else that it can make u more restless and have nightmares. I wanted to comment there telling the person that they where crazy lol. I would assume that the tea she drank was not purely chamomile and might have another herb in it. I have also noticed that it promotes deep sleep and helps promote the remembering of dreams (I drink it when I want to remember my dream as well as helping me sleep) Hope that may help some of you who like to record there dreams for later interpretation.
I LOVE the Twinings Chamomile tea, and i ad the Manuka honey to it ...it sort of puts you on a natural high.. and it cures my kidney pains instantly...so definitely worth a mention...if you get mild kidney pains due to drinking too much alchohol...try some chamomile tea...
God bless..
"And where the heck can you find parsley tea on short notice?"
You're kidding, right? Doesn't everyone have dried parsley on their spice rack? Just mix a teaspoon with boiling water, steep for ten minutes and strain. Voila, parsley tea!
hi
i have started using the chamomile tea again as i have been having problems sleepin ,under stress as well ,and boy do i sleep im going to buy some chamomile oil as i have just been told i have server arithitis in both my shoulders and i am in a lot of pain and as i dont want to take pills i'm going to give it a go i will let you know how it goes
Because of severe gerd haven't had anything but water to drink for 3 months. Can I have liptons chAmomile yes. Am on various mess for it
Wonderful hub,very informative and well shared.
Well i have hyperemsis morning sickness.it makez me vomit 6-10 timez a day.none of the medocine work .my mom bout me this tea an it workz
ive just pooed in my pants through taking this
Chamomile tea even helps you prevent gas! Try it after you eat beans;)
I have had terrible reactions to drinking chamomile tea. It gives me sharp lower abdominal pains that is followed by painful diahrea and gas.
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jenny 3 years ago
i agree, chamomile is the best.
i started to drink it daily when i suffered from digestive problems and when i have cramps