Chamomile Tea: A Natural Remedy?

Chloe Kim
11 hours ago
4 min read

What is Chamomile?

Chamomile is a name of several daisy-like plants under the family Asteraceae. They look like the typical image of a "daisy", a round yellow center with little white petals surrounding it. Out of the many different species of chamomile, two specific species are often used for herbal infusions: Matricaria Chamomilla and Chamaemelum Nobile. This plant is also used in various forms of traditional medicine- dating back to ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome.

Chamomile can be used for many flavoring purposes in things such as foods, beverages, mouthwash, soaps, and cosmetics; however, the most common use for Chamomile is herbal tea and earning the title of a "natural remedy" for various issues. Here, let this question be asked today, how is chamomile tea a natural remedy?

Benefits of Chamomile Tea

Of course, chamomile has a lot of uses within traditional medicine other than herbal tea- capsules, oils, creams, ointments, baths, etc. However, we are focusing on chamomile tea and what benefits it holds for the human body.

Chamomile tea is widely known for its improving sleep, reducing anxiety, and supporting digestion properties. But how exactly is chamomile tea inducing these benefits? Lets look at the science that takes place behind it:

Improved Sleep / Reduced Anxiety

The consumption of chamomile tea has been traditionally used to treat insomnia and induce sedation (calming effects) and has been effectual. This is most likely because chamomile contains a flavoniod called apigenin which binds to benzodiazepine receptors in the brain. When this binding happens, it produces a sedative effect that helps promote relaxation to your mind and body and lead to sleepiness.

Additionally, the binding process of the flavoniod apigenin and the benzodiazepine receptors not only induces sleepiness, but also reduces anxiety with its increased relaxation. This can reduce the nervous system activity and promote a more relaxed state of the human body and brain. This observed calming effect has led to the world-wide use of chamomile tea for temporarily treating anxiety and creating relaxation.

Apigenin - Apigenin is a natural flavonoid, a type of plant pigment. The chamomile plant has a notable concentration of this flavonoid which is why chamomile is often used to gather apigenin.

Benzodiazepine receptors - These receptors are part of the GABAA receptor complex in the brain. The binding of apigenins enhances the effects of the neurotransmitter GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) which is correlated to sedative, anxiolytic, and other pharmacological effects.

Supporting Digestion

Can you make Chamomile Tea at Home?

Simple answer- yes! And we're about to guide you through it.

Gather your chamomile flowers - This can be fresh or dried chamomile flowers.
Boil water - Either in a kettle or a saucepan, boil some water! However, if you are using fresh chamomile, you may want to cool the water slightly before adding flowers.
Add chamomile - If using a tea bag to hold your flowers, place it in a mug or teacup and pour the hot water. If using loose flowers, add them to a infuser basket placed in a mug.
Steep the tea - Once the hot water in added with the flowers, let it steep for 5-7 minutes. You many adjust the steeping time to your personal preference, the longer steeping times can lead to stronger and potentially a bitter flavor.
Strain and serve - Remove the used tea bag or remove the infuser to leave the tea in your mug or teacup. Optionally, you can choose to add honey or lemon to enhance the taste of your tea.

And ta-da! Your very own homemade chamomile tea- of course you can buy teabags at a local store, but who doesn't love a little bit of fun making your own tea?

But...

Alas, chamomile tea is not an official medical treatment and cannot guarantee certain benefits and treatments. So don't rely on chamomile tea to permanently treat and cure certain issues you may be experiencing. However, further research about the medical benefits of chamomile is being done by scientists and hope to learn more about this flower and its seemingly magical properties in the future!

Works Cited

Assessed and Endorsed by the MedReport Medical Review Board