8 Chamomile Tea Benefits for Your Body and Mind

Some people believe certain types of tea contain magical, medicinal properties, and when it comes to chamomile, there’s a lot of truth behind its reputation. Chamomile tea's health benefits and healing properties range from helping to promote sleep to reducing inflammation and aiding digestion. This calming, caffeine-free drink even plays a supporting role in heart health. So what exactly is chamomile tea, and how legitimate is its rep for inducing relaxation?

What Is Chamomile Tea?

Chamomile is a flowering herb from the Asteraceae plant family—when fresh, it resembles a miniature daisy. Chamomile flowers contain several potent plant compounds like flavonoids, sesquiterpenes, and other antioxidants, and once dried, the flowers can be used for herbal and natural remedies—including a delicious cup of chamomile tea.

To make the herb into tea, the flowers of the chamomile plant are dried and then infused with hot water. Chamomile has been considered a calming herb—and used to make soothing, healing chamomile tea—for centuries. Here are some of its most noteworthy and scientifically proven health benefits, behind its lovely flavor and aroma.

Chamomile Tea Benefits

1. Chamomile tea promotes better sleep with the antioxidant apigenin.

Indeed, chamomile tea is an excellent after-dinner, pre-bedtime drink. In addition to its aromatic, earthy-floral flavor and lack of caffeine, it has longstanding medicinal uses and is known for its relaxing effects.

Chamomile is a powerful antioxidant, says Rachel Cheatham, PhD, founder and CEO of the nutrition consulting firm Foodscape Group and adjunct assistant professor at the Tufts Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy. Over 120 chemical elements for chamomile have been discovered, including the antioxidant apigenin, which helps bind receptors in your brain that promote drowsiness and reduce insomnia.

Other research suggests that combining chamomile and lavender tea is especially helpful for new parents dealing with sleep deficits. The consumption of chamomile tea by postpartum individuals has also been shown to reduce symptoms of depression—a common cause of sleeplessness. "Just remember: The key to this effect appears to be regular daily consumption," Cheatham says. "When the tea drinking stopped after two weeks of testing, so did the desirable sleep-inducing, mood-lifting effects."

Unsurprisingly, chamomile is one of the key ingredients in the popular Sleepytime tea brand (alongside spearmint, lemongrass, Tilia flowers, and Hawthorn berry).

2. Chamomile tea has powerful anti-inflammatory properties.

Chamomile is a great anti-inflammatory drink, thanks to its lengthy list of chemical compounds and antioxidants, mentioned above. Reduced inflammation in the body means a lower risk of gastrointestinal pain, arthritis, autoimmune disorders, depression, and several other chronic health issues.

3. Chamomile tea contains heart-healthy flavonoids.

Certain antioxidants in chamomile tea, like flavonoids, help support heart health by lowering the risk of heart disease. Over the years, flavonoids have been studied to measure their effectiveness in lowering blood pressure and cholesterol, including triglycerides and "bad" LDL cholesterol. Drinking chamomile tea regularly may help maintain healthy blood pressure levels more indirectly as it helps to reduce stress, promote sleep, and relax blood vessels and arteries. 

Although chamomile tea potentially benefits heart health in many ways, it may increase the risk of bleeding for people on blood thinners.

4. Chamomile promotes relaxation and relieves stress and anxiety.

Thanks to its calming properties and ability to combat insomnia, chamomile tea can be a highly effective stress- and anxiety-reducer. As many are well aware, sleeplessness and stress go hand in hand. You can use chamomile tea (and its soothing scent) as a natural sedative in a relaxing bath or massage, too—it may help ease soreness.

Though more, larger studies are needed, some research has found this hot drink to be an effective aid for lowering moderate to severe generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) symptoms. Remember: The quality and sourcing of chamomile tea matters when it comes to its potential health benefits. High quality and potency are desired.

5. Chamomile tea helps lower and regulate blood sugar. 

While drinking chamomile tea is not a one-to-one substitute for traditional diabetes medications or treatments by any means, research has found that it supports maintaining lower blood sugar, as part of a balanced diet benefiting people with diabetes. Chamomile contains an antioxidant called quercetin, which impacts certain enzymes that are part of the diabetic response.

While there's still more in-depth research to be done, a small-scale study from Tabriz University of Medical Sciences in Iran observed 64 type-2 diabetes patients between the ages of 30 and 60. Half the group consumed chamomile tea daily with every meal for eight weeks, while the other half drank water with meals. At the end of the two-month period, the chamomile group had significantly lower average blood sugar levels than those who only drank water.

6. Chamomile contains quercetin, an immune-boosting antioxidant.

Speaking of quercetin, this polyphenol (or plant compound) also has proven antibacterial, antiviral, and antimicrobial benefits, which help boost immune system functioning and health. Research has also uncovered quercetin’s promising anticancer properties, including mitigating cancer cell viability and proliferation, and disrupting the cancer cells’ metabolic processes. 

7. Chamomile tea can be a soothing remedy for an upset stomach.

Chamomile tea contains anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic, and carminative properties, which help in soothing the stomach lining and prevent gas formation in the gut. Drinking a cup of chamomile tea may be a helpful herbal remedy for relieving an upset stomach, bloating, indigestion, and abdominal gas.

8. Chamomile tea may help relieve PMS symptoms and menstrual cramps.

Research is limited, but a few studies have shown that chamomile tea can help soothe menstrual cramping. Additionally, studies reported reduced anxiety and tension associated with period pain.

Who Shouldn't Drink Chamomile Tea?

While chamomile tea is good for many things and is a great caffeine-free drink option, it's not for everyone. Like any plant, chamomile can cause rare allergic reactions in some people, and not enough studies have been done on its long-term safety for doctors to recommend drinking it during pregnancy.

“People sensitive to ragweed and chrysanthemums or other members of the Compositae family are more prone to develop contact allergies to chamomile, especially if they take other drugs that help to trigger the sensitization,” reports a scientific paper in Molecular Medicine Reports.

Like some other herbal teas, there are some side effects which could include eye irritation, hypersensitivity reactions, and vomiting. Chances are, drinking a cup of chamomile tea won't harm your health, but consult your doctor if you plan to incorporate it into your daily routine.

How Long Before Bed Should We Drink Sleep-Inducing Tea?

According to Cheatham, there's no magic time frame for sleep-inducing tea drinking, though it's probably best to consume your cup of chamomile about an hour or so before bedtime. "Creating an evening tea-drinking habit is as much about drinking those health-promoting compounds in tea as it is about consciously creating an environment signaling to the mind and the body that bedtime is approaching," Cheatham explains. Ideally, pre-bedtime tea drinking should happen without any tech distractions either. Enjoy the steeping process, savor each sip, and put connected devices down and into sleep mode.