Chamomile & Chamomile Tea: Benefits and Side Effects

If you are a tea connoisseur or a fan of calming, warm drinks that settle you down before bedtime, you are probably familiar with chamomile.

Chamomile tea is a popular herbal tea appreciated for its mild, fruity flavor and capacity to soothe one’s nerves. Actually, the word derives from a Greek word for ground apple, and its taste has been described as reminiscent of quinces or apples.

Chamomile offers many benefits -- it has a long history of use as both a medicinal herb and a tea. In fact, chamomile has an impressive pedigree backed up by medical research, and is understood to help a variety of conditions. Chamomile can be used safely for a long period of time to nurture the nervous system, among other systems of the body.

This herb is native to Europe, North Africa, and the Mediterranean region. Its dried flowers have been used for centuries in herbal tea, while its oil byproduct has been an ingredient in commercial flavors and perfumes. Chamomile foliage and flower heads have also been used as antispasmodics (to reduce muscle spasms) and diaphoretics (to produce perspiration).

University of Newcastle in the United Kingdom refers to chamomile as a medicine that strengthens the stomach. Science Daily recently covered a study in the U.K. that studied the effects of regular intake of chamomile tea over a period of two weeks. Researchers found the tea drinkers had increased evidence of antibacterial activity in their urine. This outcome strengthens the evidence that chamomile can also boost the immune system and help fight illness.

The urine analysis in this study also noted an increase in amino acids that help alleviate muscle spasms and relax the nerves. These benefits can be helpful for people suffering from stress, muscle spasms of any kind, and menstrual cramps. A handful of chamomile leaves brewed in a part or a tea bag steeped for a few minutes brings these benefits.

Researchers at the National Institutes of Health discovered that chamomile can help people with some intestinal discomfort. Chamomile works as an anti-inflammatory and reduces gas. The same study recommended that people drink a cup of tea after meals, and emphasized the herb’s safety.

Chamomile is known in the medical community as a mild botanical, which means it is a plant that has medicinal properties. This classification does not guarantee its effectiveness, but in the case of chamomile, you can be pretty sure that drinking one or more cups a day can benefit your health.

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