Chamomile tea benefits. Chamomile tea: benefits and contraindications. Ready-made chamomile tea

Chamomile tea: benefits and medicinal properties, popular recipes and contraindications for use.

Chamomile as a medicinal plant has been known to mankind since ancient times. The healing properties of this unpretentious flower were discovered more than two millennia ago: people noticed that chamomile tea calms the nerves and helps to get rid of insomnia. Today the plant is widely used in folk medicine, and in pharmacology and cosmetology.

Composition and medicinal properties of chamomile

The benefits of chamomile tea

Benefits for nervous system

The fragrant drink contains the antispasmodic apigenin, which has a positive effect on the psychoemotional state of a person. Irritability, insomnia, depression, overwork, nervous exhaustion, stress - all these problems will help to defeat medicinal chamomile drinks.

Benefits for the gastrointestinal tract

Chamomile tea stimulates the secretion of bile, treats ulcers, gastritis and liver diseases, helps with intestinal microflora disorders and cholelithiasis. And this healing drink is also useful for people who are taking medications based on acetylsalicylic acid, as it is able to protect the gastric mucosa from its damaging effects.

Chamomile tea with diabetes mellitus

Proven benefits chamomile tea for people with type 2 diabetes: the plant contains substances that lower blood sugar. This miraculous property of chamomile allows it to be used as an additional remedy in the fight against a serious illness: chamomile, in addition to its therapeutic effect, also helps prevent complications that diabetes can cause.

Chamomile properties for colds

For influenza, sore throat, bronchitis and other respiratory diseases, chamomile tea is useful due to its diaphoretic, expectorant, antimicrobial and analgesic properties. Healing broth is drunk like tea, used to rinse the throat, make baths and inhalations from it.

Skin health benefits

It is believed that chamomile tea, when drunk every day, can provide a fresh and healthy looking skin. And also medicinal broth can be frozen. Chamomile tea ice cubes have an antiseptic effect, refresh and rejuvenate the skin, and eliminate irritation. Chamomile is especially useful for baby's delicate skin, its extract is added to baby creams, shampoos and toothpaste... Chamomile broth will give health to hair: both blondes and brown-haired women can use it to rinse curls after washing.

Chamomile slimming tea

With daily use of chamomile tea, you can lose up to 4 kg per month, the main thing is not to ignore physical activity and proper nutrition... The following properties of the plant provide weight reduction. Firstly, chamomile controls appetite, has a positive effect on digestion and promotes better absorption of nutrients. Secondly, the medicinal plant has a calming effect, which is especially important for people who are accustomed to "seize" stress. And thirdly, chamomile provides a diuretic effect, which means it helps the body get rid of excess fluid.

Chamomile tea for children

Chamomile tea is also useful for children: it is irreplaceable when a baby's teeth are teething, a tummy hurts or a cold begins. Chamomile tea relieves pain, improves digestion, helps the baby to calm down, normalizes sleep. But small children can only be given a very weak decoction.

Women's health benefits

The substance bisabolol, which is found in chamomile drinks, has a positive effect on women's health. Chamomile tea improves the work of the endocrine system, soothes pain during women's days, helps in the treatment of gynecological diseases, in particular, it is recommended to drink it with inflammation of the appendages. For diseases of the genitourinary system, chamomile tea is used not only internally, but also externally - in the form of compresses, baths and douching.

Chamomile tea for pregnant women

Expectant mothers should also make friends with chamomile tea. Even in such a crucial period as carrying a child, this sunny flower is desirable and useful. Chamomile-based drinks will help the expectant mother to cope with the impending cold, because herbal treatment is a safe alternative to drug therapy. Headaches, apathy, depression, stomach cramps, toxicosis - all these problems can be alleviated and even eliminated by ordinary chamomile.

Precautions for pregnant women

Outwardly (in the form of baths, compresses, inhalations), chamomile tea during pregnancy can be used without fear, unless, of course, there is an allergy to the plant. As for the use inside, expectant mothers can drink no more than 2 glasses of weak infusion per day. Overuse of medicinal tea can provoke premature birth. Chamomile-based drinks promote the production of estrogen by the ovaries, which tones the uterus, as a result of which there may be a threat of miscarriage.

Contraindications

Chamomile, although it has anti-allergic properties, is itself capable of causing allergies. Before drinking the medicinal tea, make sure you are not allergic to the plant. If you decide to be treated with chamomile broths, you should not be overzealous. In case of an overdose, nausea, dizziness, weakness, headache, heart palpitations may appear. It is not recommended to combine chamomile drinks with artificial sedatives, diuretics, and blood thinners (including aspirin) without first consulting a doctor.

Chamomile tea recipes

Recipe 1. Classic chamomile tea

2 full teaspoons of chamomile flower baskets - dried and crushed, pour a glass (200 ml) of hot boiled water, cover with a saucer and leave for 20-30 minutes, filter, squeeze the flowers and drink warm. This infusion can be consumed alone or added to green or herbal tea.

Recipe 2. Chamomile tea with peppermint

Chopped mint and chamomile are taken in equal proportions - 1 teaspoon each, pour a glass of hot boiled water, let it brew and filter. This tea is very soothing, helps to relieve gallbladder disease and prevent gallstones. If you are preparing a soothing drink, you can add cumin in addition to mint and chamomile.

Recipe 3. Chamomile tea with lemon balm

If you take the previous recipe, but replace mint with lemon balm, you get a wonderful medicine not only for the nervous system, but also for the stomach. And this drink also helps with colds: take it warm, 1 glass 2-3 times a day. To recover faster, supplement the fragrant drink with natural honey, but it is better not to add it to tea, but to eat a bit.

Recipe 4. Chamomile herbal tea

Medicinal plants - peppermint, sweet clover, St. John's wort and chamomile are taken in equal proportions - one coffee spoon each, pour the mixture with a glass of hot boiled water, cover with a saucer, and filter after half an hour. This herbal tea has a cleansing, rejuvenating and appetite-reducing effect.

How to choose flowers for tea

For chamomile tea to be beneficial, prepare it from natural dry raw materials purchased from a pharmacy. Give preference to a natural scattering; it is better to refuse crushed flowers in bags. You can prepare healing baskets with your own hands, the main thing is not to confuse pharmacy chamomile with other varieties of plants (there are about 50 of them in total). When self-collecting inflorescences, pay attention to the petals: in chamomile, they always look down, and the yellow part of the flower has a conical shape.

The value of chamomile as medicinal plant very large. We turn to this sunny flower with many of its problems, and it really is able to help us say goodbye to them. Stock up on fragrant sunny baskets, prepare a healing drink that will fill your home with the aroma of a blooming summer meadow, and give its inhabitants warmth and comfort. Drink chamomile tea and be healthy!

Chamomile tea is the only tea allowed for children from the first months

Chamomile tea is almost the only drink that is allowed for babies in the first months of life. Chamomile flowers have many useful qualities, the tincture contains trace elements and vitamins, which are so necessary for the normal functioning of all vital systems of the body. It is useful for:

• digestive;
• circulatory;
• nervous;
• the immune system.

Chamomile is sold as a collection of dried flowers. It is necessary to prepare tea immediately before drinking; it is not recommended to use the broth the next day for small children. You can bathe newborn babies in chamomile tincture - it has a beneficial effect on the skin, moisturizing it, relieves irritation caused by a diaper, and helps well with prickly heat. Couples of chamomile infusion when bathing soothe the baby and promote better sleep.

Beneficial features

Chamomile tea is healthy, it:

• has an anti-inflammatory effect;
• relieves nervous tension in children;
• effective for insomnia;
• normalizes work gastrointestinal tract;
• eliminates increased gas formation in the intestines;
• effectively fights many bacteria and viruses;
• strengthens the immunity of children;
• has some analgesic functions, especially for gastritis and stomach ulcers;
• effectively removes stones from the gallbladder.

The most important property of chamomile tea is that it helps with infant colic. The very concept of colic has no clear definitions - it is discomfort in the intestines, both adults and kids suffer from them. But most of all, they are susceptible to infants who have not yet formed intestinal microflora and the food is poorly digested. The result is increased flatulence, constipation, or, conversely, diarrhea, accompanied by colic.

The child is constantly crying, nervous, does not sleep well and is slowly gaining weight. If the pediatrician has not found any other reasons for this condition, then you can give your baby chamomile tea to drink. Numerous studies have proven its effectiveness.

Chamomile tea benefits and harms

Instructions for use

To brew healthy tea from chamomile flowers, it is recommended to purchase pharmacy fees, since collecting it yourself, without knowing all the intricacies, can be hazardous to health. For example, flowers grew along the road and are polluted with exhaust gases, or there may be radioactive substances, chemical waste, etc. nearby. You need to know in what period of flowering chamomile has the best medicinal properties.

Ready-made pharmacy fees can be sold in various forms:

• in bulk form;
• dosed, like tea bags. This option greatly facilitates the process of preparing a drink - do not worry and worry about how many inflorescences are needed for one cup of water;
• granular - this form is common for baby food... Granules contain chamomile extract, they dissolve quickly in warm water... Sometimes such a drink is slightly sweetened with maltodextrin to improve its taste characteristics. It is this option that should be preferred when preparing a drink for babies.

To avoid allergies, a baby aged 1 to 5 years old can be given the usual chamomile tincture only half a cup a day.

How to brew correctly?

Each package contains a recipe according to which tea should be brewed for a child:

• for oral administration:
  • a teaspoon of a scattering of dried flowers must be poured with one glass of boiling water. Cover with a lid and a tea towel. Leave to brew for 15 minutes. If the child refuses to drink in pure form, you can add a little honey or sugar. You should be careful with honey, because from its use in a child up to a year old, allergies may occur.
• mouthwash:
  • three teaspoons of dried flowers need to be poured with a glass (200 ml) of boiling water and let it brew for 15-30 minutes. If the child does not know how to rinse his mouth on his own, then you need to moisten gauze with tincture and wipe problem areas;
• for the bath:
  • pour three tablespoons of dried flowers into 1 liter of boiling water and put on the fire, as soon as the broth boils - set aside and cover tightly. After 30 minutes, strain, then dilute with 10 liters of bathing water.

How to brew chamomile

Age restrictions and contraindications

Chamomile flower tea is useful and recommended for adults and children from the first month of life. Therefore, as such, he has no age restrictions. The only condition is the observance of proportions and brewing technology. It is necessary to act in strict accordance with the instructions, and also to make sure that there is no individual intolerance to this drug.

Chamomile infusion is prescribed as a prophylactic agent and as a therapeutic one. For infants, you need to pay Special attention preparation process and follow the instructions given by the pediatrician.

Are there any contraindications

Of course, like any medicine, there are cases when drinking tea is not desirable and can harm the body:

• individual intolerance - often an allergy occurs unpredictably. The body reacts in this way to an increased intake of any substance or group of vitamins. If an allergy to chamomile tea was previously identified, then you should not provoke its occurrence again and refrain from drinking;
• you cannot drink chamomile tea at the same time as other medicines, for example, sedatives and diuretics. This is due to the fact that a drink made from chamomile flowers also has sedative and diuretic properties, an overdose may result;
• you cannot self-medicate, even prevent prevention, brew a drink "by eye", use personally collected herb;
• children on breastfeeding you do not need to give such a drink in large quantities. This is due to the fact that chamomile interferes with the absorption of iron, which is already very little in breast milk. If you actively water the baby with chamomile infusion, then vitamins containing iron can be included in the diet, especially when its deficiency is detected.

• like all medicines, it must be used in accordance with the recipe and recommendations of a specialist;
• to calm the child and relieve pain from colic, it will be enough to give 15 ml of tea after each feeding (after 30 - 60 minutes);
• a child under one year old can drink no more than 100 ml of such a drink per day;
• stop drinking if an allergy occurs until the cause of its occurrence is clarified.

The benefits of chamomile tea for children are undoubtedly great, but it is necessary to use it correctly, follow the pediatrician's advice, choose a quality product, and give the child a drink in accordance with the recommended dosages.

During the period of treatment or prevention, it is necessary to monitor the baby's condition so that allergies do not occur.

Video: Chamomile Tea

But the most valuable component is essential oil, which has a very wide range of useful properties. The fact is that chamomile oil contains azulene, a substance known for its anti-inflammatory and bacteriostatic activity. This allows the use of teas and decoctions from chamomile inflorescences for the prevention and treatment of a huge number of various diseases.

Useful properties of chamomile tea

It is best to drink chamomile tea just before bed.

Tea made from dry crushed chamomile flowers is ideal for the prevention of gastrointestinal diseases and is often used as an adjuvant in their treatment. The use of chamomile tea helps to reduce, cleanse the intestines and restore its microflora. In addition, it is one of the few drinks shown to people with high gastric acidity. This tea is best drunk before meals as it stimulates appetite and prevents cramping.

Indirectly, chamomile tea helps improve the condition of people suffering from cardiovascular diseases due to its sedative properties.

Chamomile also has a choleretic and anti-inflammatory effect, so it is well suited for preventing gallstones and kidney stones. It is useful for women to drink chamomile broth during menstruation, to reduce pain in the lower abdomen and lower back.

Finally, chamomile tea has long been drunk for colds. It is an excellent diaphoretic and effectively helps the body fight off viruses. Chamomile herbal tea boosts immunity and helps to stay in good shape.

Modest flowers, often growing not only in meadows, but also on roadsides in dust and oblivion, are in fact a source of truly invaluable raw materials. Chamomile broth is able to get rid of many diseases and protect against the "invasion" of microbes.

The benefits of chamomile tea

Chamomile can be safely called a small flower with great potential. This light-loving plant has absorbed the best from the sun, and the most useful from the earth.

Pharmacy chamomile infusion copes well even with chronic gastritis. If you want to heal your stomach, then skip other hot drinks for a month and drink chamomile tea three times a day. In addition, it helps to get rid of colic and unpleasant sensations in the stomach after overeating, so that it is simply irreplaceable after heavy meals and during long holidays.

Due to the content of vitamin C and ascorbic acid in dry raw materials, which do not disappear after brewing, chamomile tea strengthens the immune system and prevents colds. If you are prone to seasonal colds, then more often include this drink in your diet throughout the year, then you can avoid ARI and even ARVI.

In autumn, spring and winter, it is recommended to drink this tea at least 4-5 times a week, as it not only disinfects, but also improves mood. If you do catch a cold, then chamomile tea will come to the rescue - it soothes sore throat, has a diaphoretic effect, and lowers the temperature.

Chamomile tea contains flavonoids and azulenes, that is, it has an antibacterial effect, therefore it helps to relieve internal inflammation. It relieves cystitis and other diseases of the genitourinary system, relieves pain in pyelonephritis, removes the effects of food poisoning and removes substances that poison the body.

The high content of nicotinic acid makes chamomile tea indispensable for those who, for some reason, do not eat well or follow a strict diet. In addition, thanks to this acid, the body receives the necessary dose of vitamin PP, which in turn relieves vasospasm of the extremities and helps in the treatment of diabetes.

Chamomile tea restores the nervous system, it calms, helps to relax, relieves depression and the effects of stress. It will also save you from insomnia. Those who regularly consume this drink are less susceptible to neuroses, irritability and sleep disturbances.

In addition, chamomile tea is recommended for those who take painkillers or anti-inflammatory drugs that contain acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin) on a regular basis or just for 2-3 weeks. This drink reduces the risk of erosion of the walls of the stomach and restores its microflora.

Why is chamomile tea useful?

Chamomile tea: contraindications

Chamomile tea really has a wide range of beneficial qualities and actions, however, like any drink, it has some contraindications.

Firstly, surprisingly, cases of allergic reactions and stomach upsets have been recorded. Therefore, individual intolerance is a contraindication.

Secondly, chamomile tea is not recommended to be taken simultaneously (in the same period) with sedatives and diuretics. The fact is that it also has similar properties, so mixing it with sedatives, with antidepressants and diuretics can cause an overdose.

On this, by and large, the contraindications end. In general, chamomile tea is so healthy that it is given even to babies, and from a very early age.

How to collect and dry chamomile

Chamomile can be bought at any pharmacy in bulk and in the store in the form of tea bags, but if you collect it yourself, you will know for sure that an exclusively natural product has got into your cup. Collect this flower in ecologically clean areas during flowering (in May-June), take those inflorescences that have just opened, and pinch off the heads without stems.

Dry by spreading out in a thin layer (1 kg per 1 m 2) in a shady place - under a canopy outside, in the attic or at home in a well-ventilated area. It takes 5-6 days. Stir the flowers periodically, but do it gently so that the petals do not fall off. You can dry raw materials in a lukewarm oven.

When drying, keep away from direct sunlight and heat above 40 degrees - both kill beneficial features of this plant. Chamomile is ready to use when the receptacle is easily rubbed into dust with your fingers. Store dried flowers in a cardboard box or canvas bags. Shelf life is 1 year.

Why is chamomile tea useful?

Teas made from a variety of medicinal herbs are becoming more and more popular. Many prefer them, because they understand: nature gives us a large number of plant healers. One of them is chamomile. Since ancient times, people knowing about healing properties chamomile tea, used it as a medicine.

Aromatic chamomile tea contains the following components:

• B vitamins, vitamin A;
• essential oils;
• vegetable polyphenols;
• natural antispasmodics, glycosides;
• tannins;
• amino acids.

Beneficial features

Why is chamomile tea good for you? It's all about his rich chemical composition, which endows the drink with such properties as:

• relieves the inflammatory process;
• fights viruses and bacteria;
• hemostatic effect;
• antiseptic;
• relieves pain and spasms;
• has a calming effect;
• anticonvulsant;
• diaphoretic;
• removes bile.

For women

Chamomile tea has a positive effect on a woman's health. It is used for both internal and external use, as well as for inhalation, douching. The most important thing in treatment is not to abuse the drink, take courses, and also be sure to consult a gynecologist regarding the method of application and dosage.

Studies have shown that women who take chamomile tea for 14 days have increased glycine levels. Namely, this substance eliminates spasms and reduces negative manifestations during premenstrual syndrome.

For men

The beneficial properties of chamomile are also useful for men. The strong half of this sunny plant is recommended for use in the fight against prostatitis. For this, microclysters are used. A solution for them can be prepared from pharmacy drug Rotokan or Romazulan - an alcoholic solution of chamomile. To obtain the necessary composition for microclysters, you need to dissolve 1 tbsp. l. alcohol solution in 1/2 cup warm (about 38 degrees) water.

The procedure is best done at bedtime. The solution is injected into the rectum with an enema, after which it is recommended to lie on the stomach for 30 minutes. Microclysters will help with an acute form of prostatitis or with an exacerbation of a chronic ailment. After a course of procedures, a significant reduction in pain and other unpleasant symptoms is felt, and the inflammatory process is also relieved.

Healing properties

Chamomile tea is used in folk medicine for the following diseases:

1. With diseases of the gastrointestinal tract... Eases the condition of patients suffering from ulcers and gastritis, removing inflammation from the mucous membranes and removing toxins from the body.
2. With disorders of the nervous system... If you drink a cup of chamomile drink shortly before bedtime, then the night's rest will be calm. Excessive anxiety and panic attacks will go away thanks to the flavonoids contained in chamomile in large quantities.
3. For digestive problems... The feeling of a feeling of heaviness and fullness in the abdomen, which are symptoms of flatulence, is eliminated.
4. With a cold... Chamomile treatment should be continued for at least 5 days to get the effect. Chamomile tea can be drunk, used as a rinse in the mouth and throat, as a compress for conjunctivitis, and can also be instilled into the nose to relieve puffiness in case of hay fever.
5. For dermatological problems... The drink is used both inside and in the form of lotions to eliminate skin diseases.
6. With diabetes mellitus, with liver diseases, with toothache, chamomile tea relieves the symptoms of ailments.
7. If you drink a glass of a weakly brewed chamomile drink in the morning, it will increase the body's defenses and improve the color of the skin.

How to brew chamomile tea properly

In order for the drink to bring only benefits, it must be properly taken and brewed. You can prepare both tea and infusion, broth.

Chamomile tea

Pour 2 tablespoons of flowers with 300 ml of hot water, stir and pour into a saucepan. Then place the container in a water bath for 20 - 30 minutes, remove and let it brew for 60 minutes, strain. The tea is ready, you can add honey or a little sugar to it.

The second recipe for chamomile tea is 1 tsp. Pour flower powder into a small container and pour a glass of hot boiled water, close tightly with a lid, and cover with a cotton cloth on top. So leave for 30 minutes, then strain, you can add honey or a slice of lemon to taste.

You should know that chamomile goes well with mint, thyme and lemon balm. They are added to small amount while preparing a drink.

You can also use pharmacy chamomile tea bags, brewing it like regular tea.

Infusion

To prepare an infusion of chamomile, you need 1 tbsp. l. flowers, pour 250 ml of hot (90 degrees) boiled water and leave to infuse for 20 - 25 minutes under a lid. Then strain and consume.

Decoction

Chamomile broth is also easy to prepare. For this 3 - 4 tbsp. l. dry chamomile should be poured into a container and pour 1/2 liter of water, put on low heat and boil for 3 - 4 minutes, then let stand. The drug is ready, it is mainly used for external treatment.

Where else is chamomile tea used?

Of course, in cosmetology. To preserve the beauty of the skin, as well as to relieve inflammation on it, you can use a decoction of chamomile. It is poured into ice molds and frozen, and in the morning they wipe the area of ​​the face, neck, décolleté.

Is it possible during pregnancy, breastfeeding?

For expectant mothers carrying a baby, it is better not to take chamomile tea at all, or the drink should be weakly brewed, and the amount should not exceed 200 ml per day. Chamomile promotes the production of estrogen, a hormone that can trigger miscarriage.

For nursing mothers, chamomile tea is useful (except for individual intolerance), as it promotes good lactation. But adding menthol or mint to chamomile should not be due to the fact that these components significantly reduce a woman's milk production.

Is it possible for children?

The use of chamomile infusion for children is allowed from 4 months... It is better to add the infusion to water and offer the crumbs in small portions, starting with half a teaspoon, gradually increasing the dosage. This will relieve the baby from colic.

Up to one year old, babies can be given 1 to 2 teaspoons of warm tea if there is a pain in the throat or to normalize digestion. Can also be used before bedtime if the baby does not fall asleep well or has a teething period.

After 12 months, the child can enter chamomile tea into the menu in 1 baby cup (from 50 to 75 ml).

Contraindications and harm

Who should refrain from using chamomile altogether?

1. If there is individual immunity.
2. It is better not to take chamomile tea when using sedative and diuretic therapy. This is explained by the fact that the plant has the same properties, and this can provoke the development of an overdose.
3. Strongly not recommended for diarrhea and low blood pressure.
4. The period of gestation.

Can a drink be harmful? If you exceed the recommended dosage or concentration, then it is fraught with headache, decrease blood pressure, diarrhea and weakening of muscle tone. If you drink too strong chamomile tea all the time, it can provoke a prolonged depressed or irritable mood.

How many cups of chamomile tea can you eat per day?

Some Secrets of Drinking Chamomile Tea

1. In order for the flowers to fully give their useful properties to the drink, it needs to be infused for about half an hour. And it is recommended to drink tea warm or cool before meals.
2. For weight loss, you need to use the chamomile collection without any additives. However, it should be remembered that tea is an effective addition to the diet, but not a solution to the problem of excess weight.
3. It is recommended to drink chamomile tea on the eve of difficult moments in life, as it helps to cope with stressful situations.

Drink chamomile tea and be healthy, but remember about contraindications and that everything is good in moderation.