What is Chrysanthemum Tea?

Chrysanthemum tea is a natural relaxant with loads of health benefits. It boosts immunity, calms tensed nerves, improves eyesight, and performs loads of other functions. This tea is derived from chrysanthemum flowers, scientifically called Chrysanthemum indicium. Traditional Chinese doctors, for many decades, have used this tea for various healing purposes. It is bursting with calories, calcium, iron, dietary fiber, sodium, iron, potassium, vitamins A and C, with loads of other nutrients. Let’s see the benefits of chrysanthemum tea.

10 Health Benefits of Chrysanthemum Tea

Improves Cardiovascular Health

Chrysanthemum tea combats high blood pressure and coronary artery illnesses. It also controls cholesterol levels, hence prevents heart attacks and strokes.

Treats Coughs and Cold

Weather changes come with some adverse effects such as coughs, fever, flu, diarrhea, and a number of other conditions. Coughs and cold are the most common conditions people suffer during such weather changes. You would agree that coughs and cold can be quite draining. When this happens, try having two cups of chrysanthemum tea daily. Its antioxidant content is potent enough to fight bacteria, while its healing properties reduce fever intensity.

Strengthens Bones

Chrysanthemum tea contains minerals that strengthen bones. These minerals restore bone density, especially in older people. It also delays age-related bone diseases in young people. Scientists are yet to ascertain how safe this tea is for children.

Improves Eyesight

The body converts vitamin A to beta-carotene. The vitamin A content protects the eyes from diseases and improves the eyesight. Chrysanthemum tea is rich in vitamin A, hence drinking it regularly prevents night blindness, blurry vision, dry eye, cataracts, and some other eye diseases. It also improves eyesight.

It is Anti-Inflammatory

Chrysanthemum tea’s anti-inflammatory property makes it a perfect choice for throat swelling and irritation. It also combats headaches, respiratory problems, itchy eyes, congestion, and sore throats. It is vital to seek the advice of a medical professional before treating respiratory problems with any home remedy.

Relaxes Nerves

A drink of chrysanthemum tea after a stressful day gives some calmness to the mind. It contains enzymes that stimulate stress hormones, hence ensures a relaxed mental state, giving room for better concentration.

Increases Metabolic Rate

When your metabolic rate increases, you perform various body functions better. Chrysanthemum tea contains folic acid, choline, riboflavin, and niacin which increase metabolism and enhance hormonal and neurotransmitter activities. Regular consumption of this tea will keep your body active and energized.

Strengthens the Immune System

Chrysanthemum tea contains vitamin C, potassium, magnesium, and calcium, that can strengthen your immunity and ward off illness-causing elements. Vitamin C is an antioxidant which stimulates the growth of the white blood cells and prevents viral infections and bacteria.

Prevents Chronic Diseases

You can prevent oxidative stress by having a drink of warm chrysanthemum tea regularly. Its antioxidant property prevents those free radicals which result in oxidative stress and cause cancer, dementia, Alzheimer’s, macular degeneration, and some other chronic diseases.

Detoxifies the Body

Chrysanthemum tea contains diuretic properties which eliminate excess salts, toxins, and chemicals. It is a perfect option for detoxifying the body.

4 Side Effects of Chrysanthemum Tea

Risk of Allergies

People who are allergic to dandelion, goldenrod, ragweed, and sunflower may need to avoid chrysanthemum in all forms. For some, it’s the leaves, flowers, pollen, stems or even the whole plant that they are allergic to. Allergies such as skin rash, asthma, hay fever, eczema, inflammation of the sinuses or hives are common among sufferers. You might want to discontinue its consumption and contact a dermatologist if you experience any of these.

Medication Interaction

Chrysanthemum interacts with some drugs, herbs, and supplements, especially those that manage or treat HIV, gout, herpes, and diabetes. To be on the safe side, if you’re on any drug, herb, or supplement, inform your doctor before taking chrysanthemum in any form.

Risk of Poisoning

Excess consumption of chrysanthemum tea may cause poisoning. This is as a result of its pyrethrins content. Consuming any product that contains pyrethrins excessively can be toxic to the nervous system. It may cause asthma, inflammation, or eye damage.

Risk of Hypotension

People who take sedatives or high blood pressure medications are advised to avoid chrysanthemum, as it may cause hypotension. This is because chrysanthemum already lowers blood pressure.

Quick Chrysanthemum Facts

• The name “chrysanthemum” is derived from the Greek words “chrysos” and “anthemon”. The former means gold, while the latter means flower. “Goldflower,” how beautiful!
• Chrysanthemum, also called mums or chrysanths, are flowering plants which belong to the genus Chrysanthemum, in the Asteraceae family.
• Chrysanthemums are tropical flowers native to Asia and Northeastern Europe.
• Chrysanthemum flower is one of the most popular flowers in the world.
• There were records of chrysanthemum in writings as early as the 15th Century B.C.
• The chrysanthemum was first cultivated in China as a flowering herb.
• There are 40 wild species of chrysanthemum, while there are thousands of varieties created through selective breeding.
• Chrysanthemums have varieties of shapes and sizes, and the flowers differ between species. Its stem can be between 5 and 15 centimeters (2 to 6 inches) in height. Its flowers can be 1 to 25 centimeters (0.4 to 10 inches) in diameter.
• Chrysanthemums are usually yellow, however, there are other colors such as pink, burgundy, bronze, purple, lavender, red and white.
• Chrysanthemums have alternately arranged leaves which are divided into leaflets with toothed or occasionally smooth edges.
• Spray chrysanthemums are varieties with more than one flower.
• The chrysanthemum flowers appear in various forms such as decorative, daisy-like, pompons or buttons.
• The flower heads of chrysanthemums are made up of tiny individual flowers. Its flowering parts are made up of disk and ray florets.
• Wondering what “disk florets” and “ray florets” are? Disk florets are tiny flowers located at the center of the bloom; they possess both female and male reproductive organs, while ray florets are the more conspicuous flowers on the perimeter; they possess only female reproductive organs.
• The National Chrysanthemum Society identifies 13 classes of chrysanthemum with various kinds of flowers, each having a unique arrangement of the disk and ray florets.
• The fruit of chrysanthemum is called ribbed achene.
• Chrysanthemums are one of the prettiest varieties of perennials.
• Chrysanthemums bloom early in the fall.
• Chrysanthemum symbolizes happiness, joy, love or grief, depending on the color and the human culture. In certain European countries, chrysanthemum is a symbol of death, and it is an inevitable part of funeral bouquets. In the United States, the flower is usually regarded as positive and cheerful, with New Orleans as a notable exception.
• Chrysanthemums symbolize different feelings, depending on the color and the culture. Its general symbols are love, joy, happiness, grief, and death.
• Because chrysanthemum symbolizes death in some climes, it is included in funeral bouquets.
• In China, the orchid, the bamboo, chrysanthemum, and plum blossom represent four seasons — the orchid for spring, the bamboo for summer, the chrysanthemum for fall, and the plum blossom for winter.
• Buddhist monks took chrysanthemum to Japan in AD 400. Japanese emperors loved the chrysanthemum flowers so much that they sat upon chrysanthemum thrones.
• The Festival of Happiness in Japan is dedicated to celebrating chrysanthemum
• The West knew chrysanthemum since the 17th century.
• The pyrethrum content in chrysanthemum naturally repels bugs.

Now That You Know…

Chrysanthemum tea is one which you should consider incorporating into your diet to enjoy its amazing health benefits.