Can you drink too much chamomile tea?

In this brief guide, we are going to answer the question “can you drink too much chamomile tea” with an in-depth analysis of the recommendations for drinking chamomile tea. Moreover, we are going to highlight what chamomile tea is, what are the benefits and nutritional facts of chamomile tea, and what are the side effects of consuming too much of this tea.

Can you drink too much chamomile tea?

Yes. Consuming an excessive amount of chamomile tea is not likely to be fatal or cause severe health risks but when ingested in the form of a highly concentrated tea or large doses, it has been shown to induce vomiting. 

It is also possible that chamomile might interact with anticoagulant and antiplatelet drugs as well as any drug with sedative properties such as benzodiazepine. 

Chamomile may inhibit cytochrome P-450.97 Therefore, patients who are taking other drugs metabolized by the enzyme system should used caution when ingesting chamomile products. (1)

Chamomile is listed on the FDA’s (United States Food and Drug Administration) GRAS (generally recognized as safe) list and so its tea is for the most part, very safe to drink.

Safety in young children, pregnant or nursing women, or those with liver or kidney disease has not been established, although there have not been any credible reports of toxicity caused by this common beverage tea.(2)

What are the recommendations for drinking chamomile tea?

There are no standards available for consuming chamomile tea on a daily basis. But different studies have shown that you can drink about one to four cups of tea on a daily basis. 

Some researches consider 3 cups per day as safe,chamomile tea is one of the world’s most popular herbal teas and about a million cups are consumed every day. (2, 3)

What is the nutritional value of chamomile tea?

A standard cup of chamomile tree has about 2 calories and 0.5 g of carbohydrates. It is also rich in flavonoids that are responsible for strong antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. 

A small number of other micronutrients, such as sodium, potassium, vitamin A, calcium, iron, and magnesium, are also present.(4)

What are the benefits of chamomile tea?

Chamomile tea’s main benefits  are: :

Better sleep:

By alleviating stress and anxiety, chamomile tea also helps in improving sleep duration as well as restful sleep for individuals suffering from the problems of insomnia and sleep apnea.(2, 4)

Skin health:

Chamomile tea also provides benefits when applied topically on the skin. It can be used to heal wounds quickly and treat inflammatory conditions. It also finds its application in reducing the scales and itchiness of the skin. The anti-inflammatory properties can protect against skin irritations, such as eczema and rosacea.(2, 4)

Proper digestion:

Chamomile tea has been used traditionally to deal with a lot of digestive problems, including colic, irritable bowel syndrome, abdominal pain, upset stomach, gastric ulcers, and persistent diarrhea.(2, 4)

Immune system boosting:

The immune system is also boosted by chamomile tea to fight the conditions, such as the common cold and flu. Its scent can also be used to clear the congested nose and antibacterial characteristics can work against some viruses and bacteria.(2, 4)

Heart health:

Chamomile tea helps maintain the health of the heart by lowering blood pressure as well as the levels of bad cholesterol known as LDL. It is also known to lower or maintain blood sugar levels.(2, 4)

Hair health:

It promotes hair growth, making them shinier and thicker. Anti-inflammatory activity can reduce the itchiness, dryness, and dandruff in hair. It can also act as a natural dye as it lightens the color of the hair.(2, 4)

Cancer risk reduction:

The consumption of chamomile tea is also linked with the reduced risk of cancers due to the presence of a flavonoid, apigenin, that is known to reduce the number of cancerous cells in the body. Some of the common cancers against which this tea can be effective are the cancers of the breast, uterus, skin, thyroid, and digestive tract.(2, 4)

Other FAQs about Tea that you may be interested in.

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Conclusion:

In this brief guide, we answered the question “can you drink too much chamomile tea” with an in-depth analysis of the estimated recommendations about the consumption of this tea that has not been suggested by any organization.

Moreover, we discussed what chamomile tea is, what are the nutritional facts and benefits of chamomile tea, and what are the side effects of excessive intake of this tea.

Citations:

  1. Juarascio, A., Cuellar, N. G., & Gooneratne, N. S.  Alternative Therapeutics for Sleep Disorders. Therapy in Sleep Medicine, 126–139. 2012.
  2. Srivastava JK, Shankar E, Gupta S. Chamomile: A herbal medicine of the past with bright future. Mol Med Rep. 2010
  3. Rafraf, M., Zemestani, M., & Asghari-Jafarabadi, M.  Effectiveness of chamomile tea on glycemic control and serum lipid profile in patients with type 2 diabetes. Journal of Endocrinological Investigation, 38(2), 163–170. 2015.
  4. Sah A, Naseef PP, Kuruniyan MS, Jain GK, Zakir F, Aggarwal G. A Comprehensive Study of Therapeutic Applications of Chamomile. Pharmaceuticals (Basel); 15(10):1284. 2022.

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