Our fast life and chaotic work culture have increased stress and fatigue to such an extent that it has become impossible to control. It builds pressures on personal and professional fronts of life. Long before the Covid-19 pandemic added its extreme challenges for humans, the World Health Organization had labeled stress as the "health epidemic of the 21st century." Problems may vary from health issues to financial problems, from pressure of work to problems brought by parents. Actually, in this type of situation, daily hassles disturb our happiness and peacefulness. In such a situation, learning how to handle stress and trying to reduce it is necessary.
For ages, our ancestors revered herbal teas for the sweet aroma and numerous health benefits it has. Organic Chamomile tea is an ever-green brew of delicate small chamomile flowers, cherished for its calming properties and effective action on anxiety and sleeping disorders. From ancient Greece and Rome to modern India, chamomile tea has captured the hearts of people from most nations worldwide. Its naturally occurring compounds offer lot of benefits to mental and physical well-being.
Understanding Cortisol and How Chamomile Can Help Balance It
Cortisol, sometimes referred to as the "stress hormone," acts much like an internal alarm system in your body. Whenever you experience stress, cortisol levels surge in your effort to put up with that undesirable situation. This response is effective for short-term use but continuous stress increases cortisol levels, which results in unhealthy effects on both your body and brain.
GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) can quite literally be referred to as the brain's natural "relax" signal. It is a neurotransmitter that has the potential to offer balance and calming effects on the nervous system, promoting relaxation by not allowing stress to build up. In theory, your body balances cortisol and GABA production to keep you in that sweet spot of relaxed but alert. But when it becomes stressed, your body jacks up cortisol levels and upsets GABA, leaving you anxious, sleepless, and plagued by other stress-related issues.
The Balancing: Here is where chamomile enters. Some studies show it may restore that balance. Chamomile regulates cortisol levels, especially in the morning, and it also supports the body's natural response to stress throughout the day. Of course, further research is needed to confirm this, but as of now, chamomile shows promise to help your body cope with that stress and find its path towards much more calmness.
How Chamomile Flowers Impact Your Mental Health
Besides GABA, the chamomile flowers can influence other neurotransmitters in the brain, like dopamine, serotonin, and noradrenaline, all important to keeping your mood high and maintaining your mind balance. Drinking chamomile tea has a plethora of other benefits:
Soothes Inflammation
The anti-inflammatory powers of chamomile help with some problems, including IBS. Apigenin and ferulic acid can also reduce inflammation by blocking a molecule often associated with pain and swelling known as nitric oxide.
Anti-Oxidative Stress
It decreases harmful molecules, also called reactive oxygen species, and cools overactive enzymes that drive inflammation.
Lowers Blood Pressure
Studies show that chamomile lowers high blood pressure. It happens due to a decrease in stress by reducing angiotensin II chemical linked to high blood pressure.
It May Help Fighting Depression
Depression has become common nowadays, and still, many people can't identify the symptoms to get rescued from the early stages. Chamomile flowers can help with its essential oil's aromatherapy and help relieve depression, particularly in new mothers.
Protects the Brain from Memory Loss
Chamomile has a neuroprotection ability, thus it protects the brain by stimulating the brain chemicals responsible for memory and learning, like the Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor.
Helps to Sleep Better
Generally, it is known that chamomile is beneficial in improving sleep quality due to an apigenin compound that binds to certain receptors of the brain, thus soothing the central nervous system and relaxing the mind. Better sleep also contributes to reduced stress and healthier skin.
Research Conducted by Scientists
Read about this study where patients with moderate to severe Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) received 1,500 mg of chamomile extract daily, for a period of up to 8 weeks. The primary objective of the study was to assess if chamomile was effective in reducing symptoms associated with anxiety, as measured by GAD-7.
The positive response was seen in about 58% of the subjects after 8 weeks; their anxiety symptoms decreased considerably. Most of them also reported an overall good feeling. About 12% noticed some side effects, but there were no serious adverse events.
Researchers concluded that chamomile is effective for anxiety symptoms as compared to conventional anti-anxiety medications. However, further studies are needed that compare chamomile directly with conventional drugs against GAD.
Conclusion
Chamomile is an extremely powerful herb with countless benefits to human health. From taking the anxiety away, sleeping without irritation, lowering inflammation, or protecting the brain, chamomile tea naturally covers all. Although most people can drink chamomile tea without any harm, there are indeed some categories that must exert caution. Those on blood thinners or about to undergo surgery has asthma or allergic reactions must avoid it. Pregnant women also must consult their doctor before consuming it.
