Does drinking chamomile tea really help you sleep?
Chamomile tea is a popular tea beverage, enjoyable both hot and cold that also offers a variety of health benefits.
Chamomile tea contains antioxidants that are believed to offer health benefits, which include:
- May reduce your risk of some diseases
- Chamomile tea may also help improve your sleep quality
- Chamomile tea may also help improve your ability to fall asleep
- Chamomile tea may also help improve your digestion.
What exactly is chamomile?
Chamomile is a herb that originates from the daisy-like flowers of the Asteraceae plant family. It has been used for centuries as a natural remedy for several health conditions.
How to make chamomile tea?
Easy, the flowers are dried and then infused into hot water, people enjoy chamomile tea as a caffeine-free alternative to black or green tea and for its earthy, somewhat sweet taste.
Another plus is chamomile tea is believed to be loaded with antioxidants that may play a role in lowering your risk of several diseases.
How may chamomile help with sleep?
It contains apigenin, an antioxidant that binds to certain receptors in your brain that may promote and reduce insomnia, or the chronic inability to sleep.
In one studyTrusted Source, postpartum women who drank chamomile tea for two weeks reported better sleep quality compared to a group that did not drink chamomile tea. They also had fewer symptoms of depression, which is often linked with sleeping problems.
Another studyTrusted Source found that people who consumed 270 mg of chamomile extract twice daily for 28 days had 1/3 less night time awakening and fell asleep 15 minutes faster than those who did not consume the extract.
These findings are promising, but more studies are necessary to determine the extent of chamomile tea’s effects on sleep. Nevertheless, drinking chamomile tea before bed is certainly worth a try if you have trouble falling or staying asleep.
How may camomile promote Digestive Health?
Of course proper digestion is extremely important for your overall health. There are many anecdotal claims that drinking chamomile tea is soothing to the stomach. Traditionally, it has been used to treat several digestive ailments, including nausea and gas.
How may chamomile Benefit Blood Sugar Control?
The anti-inflammatory properties found in chamomile may prevent damage to the cells of your pancreas, which arises when your blood sugar levels are chronically elevated (this is important as it produces insulin, the hormone responsible for removing sugar from your blood).
In one studyTrusted Source of 64 diabetic people, those who consumed chamomile tea daily with meals for eight weeks had significantly lower average blood sugar levels than those who consumed water.
Additionally, several animal studies suggestTrusted Source that chamomile tea may lower fasting blood sugar levels by a considerable amount, and it may also be beneficial for preventing blood sugar spikes after eating.
Most of the evidence regarding chamomile tea’s role in controlling blood sugar is based on results from animal studies. Nevertheless, the findings are promising.
How may chamomile improve Heart Health?
Chamomile tea is abundant in flavones, a class of antioxidants. Flavones have been studied for their potential to lower blood pressure and cholesterol levelsTrusted Source, which are important markers of your heart disease risk.
One studyTrusted Source of 64 diabetic patients found that those who drank chamomile tea with meals had noteworthy improvements in their total cholesterol, triglyceride and “bad” LDL cholesterol levels, compared to those who drank water.