Growing chamomile tea will not only benefit your health, it will entice your senses. The scent of the tiny daisy like flowers of the Chamomile plant smell like freshly cut apples. Chamomile should be a part of every basic herb garden. It is a hardy annual that adds beauty, attracts bees and butterflies due to the sweet fragrance the blooms give off, and makes a sweet flavorful tea. This is one of the pleasures of growing herbs.
One of the safest and gentlest of herbs, Chamomile has been used for centuries for medicinal purposes. Ancient Egyptians used the ground flowers to drink for fighting colds, calming nerves and alleviating skin irritations.
Herb
Modern science is now proving that the ancient cultures knew what they were talking about. Here are nine reasons you should consider growing Chamomile as part of your basic herb garden:
- Chamomile has proven anti bacterial properties that enhance the immune system. It can be used in a steam for respiratory ailments such as hay fever, sinus infections and asthma.
- Has been used to decrease inflammation. The unsweetened tea is used on the skin to fight acne, skin irritations and bee stings.
- Chamomile has been proven to have properties that relax the muscles. Taken as a tea, it helps with menstrual cramps and sore muscles. It can also be used in a bath, to decrease muscle soreness and improve skin irritations. The sweet scent from the bath water will also brighten your mood.
- Chamomile when made into a tea is known for its calming effect and it often taken before bedtime to aid in a good night's sleep.
More drinking and growing Chamomile tea benefits your health
- New research studies show that the tiny daisy like flowers may have a chemical that will decrease the complications of Type 2 diabetes. This chemical has an affect that increases the ability of the cells to allow sorbitol to pass through the cell wall. In Type 2 diabetes, the sorbitol builds up outside the nerve cells and eyes causing pain and blindness.
- A cup of Chamomile tea to rinse your hair after it has been washed will bring out the gold highlights in brunette or dark blonde hair.
- If you are an avid gardener and start your plants indoors, Chamomile tea sprayed on your plants will prevent the seedlings from developing any type of fungus.
- Used in composts, Chamomile tea is thought to increase the calcium level of the soil.
- Chamomile is safe for babies and is often make into a tepid tea to ease gas pains and soothe a teething baby.
There is nothing more soothing and appealing to the senses than to experience Chamomile tea made right from the blooms out of your own garden. I drink dried loose leaf Chamomile tea in the winter. But, in the summer, taking time to go out and pick the blooms and smell the sweet scent relaxes me. As I wait for the tea to steep, I experience the refreshing scent of newly cut apples. As I taste my tea from the garden, it is a lightly sweet taste that I feel does not need any sweetener added. I know that when I use the loose leaf dried Chamomile tea, I often use a spot of honey or a touch of apple juice.
Drinking and growing Chamomile tea not only benefits your health, your senses. The addition of this plant will benefit your garden as well. I hope you will choose to make this herb part of your basic herb garden year after year.
Drinking Chamomile Tea Benefits Your Health - 9 Reasons to Grow Chamomile In Your Herb Garden
Connie Bednar has been a tea enthusiast all her life. She enjoys sharing information about loose leaf tea and so her web site http://www.your-cup-of-tea.com was born. Learn more about herbal teas such as chamomile and other herbs on her web site. Take the time to sign up for "Tea Note Speaker" her newsletter while you are there and take advantage of her complimentary tea e-course.