Chamomile Tea

Chamomile tea has been used as a healing drink for centuries so it’s no wonder that it is estimated that over 1 million cups are ingested every day. The medicinal properties of this tea are wide and many but perhaps the best known is its ability to help you relax. Many people like to drink it before bedtime as a sleep inducer and one Herbal medicine guide claims that drinking chamomile tea before bed will stop nightmares.

Some natural medicine books recommend using chamomile tea for children and the dose should be half of the adult dose. Make sure you let your child’s doctor know before you give him chamomile tea. Although this tea is fairly safe some can have severe allergic reactions. If you suffer allergies such as ragweed or hayfever it might be best to avoid drinking chamomile tea. People with asthma should drink chamomile tea with caution. Although it is said chamomile tea can help relieve the pain of labour it is not advisable to drink a lot of it during pregnancy as it may cause uterine contractions.

• Use chamomile tea to relieve anxiety or put a handful of chamomile flowers in a bowl of hot water and inhale the scent.
• Use a poultice of cool chamomile tea for burns.
• To relieve insomnia drink a cup of chamomile tea at bedtime.
• Drink a cup of hot chamomile tea to soothe an upset stomach.
• Add chamomile oil or tea to a hot bath to help soothe dry skin.
• Chamomile tea and powdered milk as an exfoliating paste for sensitive skin.
• Cooled chamomile tea can be made into a compress to soothe irritated and strained eyes and is reputed to help treat conjunctivitis.
• Chamomile is an anti-fungal; therefore a tea can help treat fungal infections by dipping onto a cotton ball and applying to the area.
• Chamomile tea is also said to help relieve menstrual cramps in women due to its ability to relax the uterus.

Chamomile tea has been a common beverage for eons and its safety can be regarded as well proven. The calming effects of this tea are rather mild so they may not be experienced by everyone.