Lavender Tea Benefits
The floral flavor and slightly purple hue of lavender tea please your senses while its many plant compounds provide you with additional health benefits. Drinking lavender tea may relieve symptoms of both anxiety and depression, such as restlessness, insomnia and irritability. Its calming effect also extends to your digestive tract, where it may reduce intestinal gas.
Lavender tea is very easy to prepare. Take one teaspoon of dried lavender flowers. Add in eight ounces of hot water. Let the mixture steep for around five minutes. Your lavender tea is ready to enjoy!
Relieves Indigestion
Indigestion is characterized by nausea, abdominal pain, belching, vomiting and a burning sensation in your stomach, and is usually a sign of an underlying stomach problem, such as peptic ulcers. Drinking lavender tea may help relieve nervous intestinal disorders and indigestion. This is because it contains essential oils that have a soothing effect on the stomach.
A study by the University of Parma and published in November 2004 in “Life Sciences” found that lavender oils protected against gastric ulcers and relieved indigestion in rats.
Insomnia Relief
Insomnia is a condition that manifests itself in the inability to fall sleep restively. It is usually caused by anxiety, stress and depression. According to a study published in February 2006 in “Taehan Kanho Hakhoe Chi” by Keukdong College, Korea, the aroma of lavender relieved depression and insomnia in female college students. The study involved 42 female college participants who were reported to be suffering from insomnia. Drinking lavender tea releases the fragrances which may help relieve this sleep disorder.
May Treat Migraine
Drinking lavender tea releases essential oils that may help relieve migraines.
A study by scientists at Mashhad University of Medical Sciences found that inhaling lavender essential oil may help manage acute migraines. The study, which was published in April 2012 in "European Neurology," involved 47 patients who were suffering from migraines. One group was asked to inhale lavender essential oil for fifteen minutes, while the placebo inhaled paraffin for a similar time period. It was found that the percentage of patients who inhaled lavender oil responded better to migraines than the placebo.
Convulsions
Convulsions occur when your body shakes uncontrollably due to rapid contraction and relaxation of muscles. A study by the Aga Khan University Medical College published in July 2000 in the “Journal of Ethnopharmacology” found that lavender has antispasmodic and anticonvulsant effects. The study, which was conducted on mice, attributed such properties to the ability of lavender to block calcium channels in the nervous system that are responsible for convulsions and spasms.
Safety Concerns
Lavender tea is relatively safe, according to MedlinePlus, but it can cause issues, particularly if you are taking medications that depress the central nervous system. Medications that might cause problems when taken with lavender tea include barbiturates, chloral hydrate and CNS depressants, often referred to as sedatives. If you have any type of allergic reaction, such as a rash or throat closure, discontinue use of lavender tea.
Sources:
healthyliving.azcentral.com
poundoftea.com
healthyeating.sfgate.com
livestrong.com
Other links:
Nine Reasons to Drink Green Tea Daily
Water is the Most Vital Nutrient for the Body
How to Get Rid of Water Retention
