Around one million cups of chamomile tea are drank around the world every day – and the delicious drink is full of health benefits.
Chamomile tea is known for helping people to sleep but it also fights against high cholesterol, reports Surrey Live.
Made from the dried blossoms of the Asteraceae plant, chamomile tea has been a go-to natural healer for centuries. This herbal wonder is packed with flavonoids, celebrated for their inflammation-busting and possible cancer-fighting properties as well as vital minerals and vitamins.
Researchers at Harvard Health found: “Chamomile tea is more than just a calming beverage to consume before bedtime.
Chamomile is an herb taken from the flowers of the Asteraceae plant family. People around the world have been using it as a natural remedy for several health conditions since ancient times.
Chamomile contains a variety of bioactive phytochemicals, notably flavonoids, which function as antioxidants. It also contains small amounts of minerals and vitamins, such as potassium, calcium, carotene and folate, among other nutrients.
“Research studies suggest several possible chamomile benefits, including a lower risk of death from heart disease, immune system support, and possible protection against some cancers.”
A meta-analysis published in Molecular Medicine Reports has highlighted the heart-healthy benefits of chamomile tea, linking its flavonoid content to improved cardiovascular outcomes. The report emphasized: “Flavonoid intake (analysed in tertiles) was significantly inversely associated with mortality from coronary heart disease and showed an inverse relation with incidence of myocardial infarction.”
However, it also called for more extensive trials to confirm chamomile’s “potential value in improving cardiac health.”
In a separate study featured in the Journal of Endocrinological Investigation, researchers found that chamomile tea could lower levels of “bad” cholesterol among diabetes patients. The findings stated: “Chamomile tea significantly decreased concentration of HbA1C, serum insulin levels, homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance, total cholesterol, triglyceride, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol compared with control group.”
The authors of the study concluded with optimism: “Chamomile tea has some beneficial effects on glycaemic control and serum lipid profile in type 2 diabetes patients.”
Beyond heart health, chamomile tea is also being studied for its potential to alleviate menstrual symptoms, regulate blood sugar, combat osteoporosis, reduce inflammation, fight cancer, improve sleep and relaxation, ease cold symptoms, and treat skin conditions.
|The Mirror US