Chamomile tea. Useful properties and contraindications

Chamomile tea - a drink made from a humble flower, famous all over the world. Its beneficial properties are recognized by nutritionists, doctors, cosmetologists, and traditional healers are widely used. Tea has almost no contraindications, it is allowed to drink during pregnancy, as well as at a young and old age.

Features of the plant product

Chamomile tea is not only tasty, but also a healthy drink. It is traditionally offered in cases of intense excitement or fatigue. Moreover, ready-made sachets for quick brewing can be found both in a pharmacy and in a regular store.

The popularity of chamomile tea is due to its availability and mild action. With a very useful composition, the drink does not contain potent substances that can harm health. Even the ancient physician Galen compared the tenderness of the action of chamomile with rose petals.

Description

Chamomile for brewing tea does not differ in bright appearance, has a modest size and small flowers. This herb rarely exceeds 30 cm, has a branched stem, almost without leaves.

To make healthy tea, this type of chamomile is used, called pharmacy. The variety is distinguished by a small number of finely dissected leaves and small inflorescences. Pharmacy chamomile flowers have a large, convex yellow center and small white petals in a circle.

The diameter of a fully opened basket does not exceed 2 cm. It also distinguishes the cultivar among garden or wild varieties with larger flowers and long white petals.

Pharmacy chamomile is characterized by a strong specific aroma: dense, slightly bitter, with apple notes. Moreover, the smell intensifies after drying, does not disappear during storage and turns into tea during brewing. Therefore, the drink is widely used in winter, enjoying its summer bouquet.

Chamomile tea: beneficial properties and contraindications have been known in many cultures since antiquity. Due to the characteristic structure of the flower, the plant is often compared to a small sun. Even in ancient Egypt, chamomile was called a sacred gift from the Sun God.

The Egyptians cultivated flowers on purpose. It was believed that tea from the plant not only improves well-being, but also changes life for the better. Today the country is one of the most important suppliers of raw materials and chamomile extracts to the world market.

The most famous healers of Ancient Greece, the East, the Roman Empire left notes about the modest flower in their treatises. The Russian name itself (chamomile from "rum") goes back to the place of its greatest use in the Middle Ages.

In Russian-speaking territories, chamomile has always had many of its own, folk names. She was called a girl's flower, mother grass, camila, morgun. Flowers have long been used to make tea, and the herb has been used for baths.

Chemical composition

The most valuable component of chamomile is called the essential oil made on its basis. The hood has a blue color and a concentrated odor. Chamomile oil contains a unique substance - chamazulene, the concentration of which can be up to 10%.

Together with matricin, the substance has most of the beneficial effects. The rest of the components of chamomile oil are called inactive by scientists.

Hamazulen is highly soluble in water, so a properly prepared tea gets all its properties. Heating destroys some of the essential components and gives other properties to chamomile decoctions. The composition of pharmaceutical chamomile has been studied quite well.

After all, the plant today is the leader in the number of scientific publications, as well as research conducted. The active ingredients of chamomile flowers and their beneficial properties allow the product to be used not only in traditional, folk medicine, but also in cosmetology and cooking.

Component	Properties
Hamazulene and Matricin	Reduce allergy symptoms, enhance immune defenses, quench inflammation. They have analgesic, sedative effects.
Apigenins	Relaxes muscle tissue, relieving pain in the intestines during cramping. They have a diaphoretic and diuretic effect. Destroy free radicals, inhibit the division of pathological cells (benign and malignant).
Chrysins	They have a powerful sedative effect. They help to reduce anxiety, stop panic attacks, are useful for tantrums, chronically low mood. Useful for sleep disturbances or nightmares.
Coumarins	Responsible for the specific smell of chamomile and tea from it. They have an anti-inflammatory, diuretic effect, thin the blood. Help with edema, especially useful in the postoperative period.
Tannins (tannins)	Provides a bitter taste to chamomile tea, stimulates the digestive system. They kill harmful microflora without affecting beneficial bacteria. Useful for flatulence, indigestion, dysbiosis.
Ascorbic acid	It is necessary for the normal functioning of the whole organism. Strengthens bone, connective tissue, lowers cholesterol. It is a powerful antioxidant.
Pectins	They help to bind and remove harmful compounds, neutralize toxins, cleanse the intestines. Restore the normal microflora of the digestive system.
Carotenes	They accelerate the metabolism, start the processes of cell regeneration. Slow down aging, prolong the youth of organs and the beauty of the skin.

Chamomile tea, the beneficial properties and contraindications of which are not known to many, is a unique product due to its rich mineral composition. Valuable macro- and micronutrients are involved in a variety of reactions and are essential for maintaining health.

Found in chamomile tea:

• potassium (most);
• iron;
• zinc;
• sulfur;
• chlorine;
• magnesium.

The peculiarity of plant materials is that all components support the work of each arc. Thus, the unique positive effect of taking chamomile tea is ensured.

Useful properties of the drink

Chamomile flower tea tastes good, has a relaxing scent, and due to this, it can be considered a valuable remedy for autumn blues or year-round stresses. But long-term observations confirm that its benefits are much more extensive.

Features of the effects of chamomile tea:

• with regular use, it exhibits antidepressant properties;
• with a single admission, it is able to stop an anxiety attack, cope with a stressful situation;
• the sedative properties of tea do not lead to drowsiness - on the contrary, brain function improves, and thoughts become clearer;
• during illness, tea helps to lower the temperature, reduce the symptoms of intoxication (nausea, headache, aches, body pains);
• provides instant relief for digestive disorders, belching, flatulence, bloating;
• tea taken internally improves complexion;
• a warm drink is good for gums and teeth;
• when applied to the skin, it refreshes, moisturizes, cleans and disinfects.

Warm chamomile tea is recommended for headaches. Sometimes such a simple remedy can stop the onset of a migraine attack. Having on hand bags of ready-made chamomile raw materials, you can quickly prepare lotions for the eyes. To do this, it is enough to brew the tea as usual.

Then wet, warm sachets are placed on closed eyelids. The procedure reduces swelling and dark circles around the eyes in a few minutes.

For women

Chamomile tea is good for women of any age. The properties of the drink make it possible to alleviate many painful conditions.

Features of using chamomile tea for women:

1. Regularly drinking a glass of warm drink a day can help reduce PMS symptoms, relieve headaches, and ease pulling sensations in the lower abdomen and lower back.
2. Chamomile is considered a good remedy for reducing heavy periods. Tea soothes abdominal cramping, helps to overcome daytime sleepiness and enhances sleep at night.
3. With the onset of menopause, chamomile is useful for depression, memory loss or concentration. Tea reduces nervousness, helps to cope with mood swings.
4. Chamomile drinking is the prevention of cystitis and other inflammations accompanying menopause or occurring at an earlier age.

Chamomile tea is one of the few herbal drinks allowed during pregnancy. At any period of gestation, the drink has a sedative effect, relieves symptoms of toxicosis, nausea.

The only limitation for pregnant women is the amount of tea they drink. It is safe and beneficial for the expectant mother to drink 1 teaspoon of infusion per day. A contraindication is to take pure chamomile oil (in any dose) due to its ability to provoke a miscarriage.

Chamomile tea has the same beneficial properties and contraindications for lactation as for women before pregnancy. Dried chamomile inflorescences are included in the official herbal collection for nursing mothers.

Features of taking chamomile tea during lactation:

1. If there were no allergic reactions to the plant before, it is allowed to start taking with small doses already in the first days.
2. In small quantities, the active ingredients of chamomile do not harm the baby. Exceeding the recommended doses by the mother can cause diarrhea in the child.
3. Chamomile tea helps a woman to overcome hormonal and emotional crises, to prevent the development of postpartum depression.
4. The drink has a mild laxative effect. This property is useful for enlarged perineal veins or postpartum hemorrhoids.

Chamomile does not directly affect lactation. The increase in milk supply occurs indirectly, due to a sedative effect and an improvement in the quality of sleep. Breastfeeding mothers are advised to drink 1 cup of hot chamomile tea 1 hour before bedtime.

External use of chamomile infusion has no strict contraindications and can be limited only by the personal intolerance of the plant.

For men

The sedative properties of chamomile tea with the effect of improving mental performance are beneficial for men. Work tension and stress are easier to deal with by drinking a cup of aromatic drink at lunchtime and in the evening. This use of tea can be considered an effective prevention of seasonal infections.

For men over 40, chamomile infusion is a way to prevent inflammation of the prostate and keep the kidneys in order. Be wary of taking a drink only with inflammation of the pancreas. With an unbalanced diet or non-compliance with the food intake, problems with the gastrointestinal tract often arise.

Gas, bloating, congestion in the intestines, and stomach problems begin. Replacing regular tea with chamomile for a few days, you can notice a clear decrease in symptoms. It will take several weeks for a steady improvement in digestion.

For children

Chamomile is a traditional remedy for bathing newborns. Several glasses of infusion are poured into a bath with warm water from the first days of a baby's life. Bathing with infusion soothes the child, cleanses the skin, heals diaper rash.

Chamomile tea is used as a drink for children only after consulting a pediatrician. Broths are often used in a highly diluted form. Tea brewed in the classical way is offered to a child not earlier than 3 years old. A doctor's consultation is also required.

It is useful for teenagers to wash with chamomile brewed like tea. Such procedures before bedtime help to cleanse the skin, dry acne, and rashes. From the age of 12, you can drink chamomile tea in the morning to strengthen the nervous system and prevent stomach problems.

Potential harm

Chamomile tea is a safe and very healthy drink only if consumed in moderation. Essential oils of the plant in large doses cause headache, lethargy, and also excessively dilate the blood vessels of the brain.

An overdose of chamomile tea occurs when you consume at least a liter of drink per day. But sometimes unpleasant symptoms occur at much lower doses, if you drink tea for more than a month in a row without interruption.

Individual reactions to chamomile tea can include loose stools and indigestion. Unpleasant symptoms disappear on their own when the drink is excluded from the diet.

It is harmful to drink chamomile tea while taking certain medications:

• anticoagulants;
• diuretics;
• sedatives.

Chamomile enhances their effect, so the use of tea against the background of any medication course should be discussed with your doctor.

Contraindications

Chamomile tea has a lot of useful properties and has almost no contraindications. Its use in moderation is beneficial even for severe systemic conditions.

Limit the intake of chamomile tea in such cases:

1. the risk of miscarriage in early pregnancy;
2. the likelihood of premature birth in the 3rd trimester;
3. during heavy bleeding (nasal, uterine, gastric).
4. with persistent hypotension.

Chamomile allergy is very rare. Nevertheless, at the first intake of tea, it is recommended to take a few sips, then follow the reaction of the body for 2 hours. If there is no itching, rash, breathing problems or swelling of the face, the drink can be drunk in normal doses.

Application

Ready-made raw materials packaged in filter bags can be bought in a store or pharmacy. When buying, you should pay attention to the composition of the product. This is especially true for popular blends with green or black tea.

If a fragrance is indicated in the description, then there are no chamomile flowers in the bags and the desired beneficial effect will not be. Pharmacy teas are considered the safest, they are 100% natural. Filter bags are designed for one brewing, so overdose is excluded.

Bulk dried chamomile in boxes is also tested for contamination. Self-procurement of flowers should take place far from highways and large enterprises. It is also undesirable to collect chamomile for tea in the city.

Drying is carried out at a temperature not exceeding +40 ° C. Stir gently so that the flowers do not crumble. Usually 3 days are enough for drying. Store chamomile tea in sealed containers or paper bags, away from sunlight. Raw materials lose their beneficial properties after 12 months.

Classic chamomile tea

The traditional method of brewing the drink provides a rich taste and is not capable of harming the body. Following the same principle, chamomile is packaged in instant sachets.

Preparation:

1. Measure 1 tsp. l. dried chamomile flowers.
2. The raw materials are poured into a ceramic cup and poured into a glass of hot water.
3. After boiling, it is advisable to let the water cool slightly, otherwise some useful substances will be lost.
4. Then the cup is tightly covered and left for 5-7 minutes.
5. When the drink has acquired a golden color and cools down to a comfortable temperature, it can be filtered and drunk.
   
6. In the case of tea bags, the process is accelerated, since the drink does not have to be filtered.

The maximum benefit without harm to health is provided by chamomile tea in an amount of no more than 3 cups per day.

Egyptian tea

The recipe for the drink is pretty simple. This ancient method is used by those who love sweetened tea, but believe that it should remain healthy.

Preparation:

1. Pour 2 tsp into a teapot with a volume of 0.5 liters. l. chamomile flowers.
2. Pour 400 ml of boiled water, settled for several minutes after boiling.
3. Add 3 tbsp. l. liquid honey and add 1 tsp. l. lemon or orange juice.
4. Wrap the kettle for 10 minutes.

This tea is drunk per day. A new portion is prepared every day. The drink is especially useful for colds, loss of energy, insomnia.

Soothing with mint

Peppermint is often added to chamomile to enhance its sedative effect. This enhances the beneficial effects of tea on the nervous system and enriches its taste. The smell of the drink alone is able to relax and tune the body to good rest.

Preparation:

1. The dried herbs are mixed in equal parts.
2. Measure 1 tbsp. l. mint-chamomile collection.
3. Pour raw materials with 250 ml of boiling water in a cup or teapot.
4. Insist for about 7 minutes.

If there is fresh mint, 3-4 fragrant leaves are added to each mug of classic chamomile tea before infusion. Instead of mint, you can use valerian, St. John's wort, lemon balm as a reinforcement.

This tea is usually drunk in the evening, no later than 30 minutes before bedtime. After 20 days, the components are recommended to be replaced with other herbs so as not to provoke adverse reactions.

For face and body skin

Pharmacy chamomile is successfully used in home cosmetology. On the basis of the infusion, masks, scrubs are prepared or simply washed with them in the evenings.

Chamomile tea has not only beneficial properties, but also contraindications in cosmetology:

1. Effective hydration with the creation of a light film under which enhanced skin regeneration occurs. Used for all skin types.
2. Increasing elasticity and restoring firmness. This property is useful for restoring facial contours.
3. Elimination of small and softening of deep wrinkles. The application is indicated even for delicate skin around the eyes.
4. Improving complexion through improved blood circulation and high antioxidant properties.
5. Tea is used instead of lotion for rashes, irritations, acne. The disinfectant and anti-inflammatory properties help to clear the skin quickly.
6. If a rash, redness or swelling occurs at the site of application, the use of the infusion is discontinued. The hypersensitivity reaction subsides on its own when the chamomile remedy is canceled.

Pure tea is used for washing, evening skin cleansing, making cosmetic ice.

Daily use reduces the greasiness of the T-zone, normalizes the work of the sebaceous glands. Chamomile infusion replaces hair conditioner. Rinsing after each wash makes the hair manageable and soft. The scalp becomes less oily after 2 weeks of use.

Slimming

If you want to lose weight, chamomile tea is useful for several reasons:

• there is an increase in metabolism;
• provides a diuretic and mild laxative effect;
• digestion is normalized, the work of the stomach is stimulated;
• the general tone rises, the mood improves.

If, under normal conditions, it is allowed to drink 1 glass of tea a day, then for weight loss the drink is taken three times: 150 ml before each meal. The drink has the greatest effect when consumed 15 minutes before meals.

Physical activity during the day, adequate night sleep, combined with a light diet and chamomile tea, can lead to a loss of up to 4 kg of body weight in 30 days. This weight loss does not harm the body.

In folk medicine

Chamomile is often used to enhance the effects of other herbs or official medicines. Its properties are applicable in cases where antiseptic and bactericidal action is required.

Chamomile eliminates symptoms, relieves pain, lowers temperature during the main therapy. Warm flower tea helps a speedy recovery, restores strength in the shortest possible time.

The medicinal use of chamomile tea is not limited, but most often, it is found in such cases:

1. Gargling with chamomile decoction of gums for oral infections, sore throat and colds.
   
2. Application in the form of baths and douching for vaginitis, cystitis, infections of the genitourinary tract.
3. Internal intake helps to heal erosion and ulcerative lesions of the gastrointestinal tract, to cope with poisoning.
4. In cases of anxiety or insomnia in patients for whom hypnotics or chemical sedatives are contraindicated.
5. Application as an external agent for washing wounds, reducing inflammation, itching and irritation of the skin.

Chamomile tea, due to its beneficial properties, has been used by many peoples around the world for thousands of years. Its main features are known in almost every home, and the action and contraindications make it possible to use it not only for adults, but also for children and the elderly.

Video about the benefits of chamomile tea

Chamomile tea - medicinal properties and uses: