Drinking tea is a culinary tradition that has been in existence for years among many nations. People love to drink tea at any time of the day for its soothing and relaxing effects. One of the main types of tea that has slowly become a favorite is lavender tea. Whether you want to accompany it with your favorite treat or have it plain in the afternoon, lavender tea is bound to be refreshing. But besides its refreshing elements, you can also drink this tea for its potential health benefits. We have heard of various possible health benefits from sipping this tea. However, some are misconceptions that science does not support. In this read we will look at lavender tea benefits backed up by science. Take a look.
What Is Lavender Tea?
It is an herbal tea brewed from the lavender plant’s flowers known as Lavandula angustifolia (1). This plant is native to the Mediterranean regions such as Europe and North America.
Today, the plant is cultivated for its aroma and possible health benefits in America and other countries worldwide.
Lavender is also used to make body care and beauty products and cosmetics thanks to its potential benefits for the skin and its soothing effects (1).
Lavender Tea Health Benefits
There are so many theories about the benefits of drinking lavender tea. But, unfortunately, science cannot back up most of them. Now we will discuss the benefits of lavender tea backed up by science. They include:
Improved Sleep Quality
There is a belief that drinking a cup or two of lavender tea can help in improving sleep quality. A 2015 study was conducted in Taiwan among 80 postnatal women with poor sleep quality to determine the effect of lavender tea consumption on sleep quality (2).
The women in the experimental group were required to drink one cup of lavender tea after spending ample time smelling the aroma of the tea. Women in the control group only received regular postpartum care (2).
After two weeks, the researchers evaluated the effects of consuming the tea. The study findings revealed that the women in the lavender tea group perceived less fatigue, less depression, and greater bonding with their infants (2).
That said, there is not enough concrete evidence to show that lavender tea improves sleep quality. More research is required to prove this before healthcare researchers adopt this theory (2).
Reduced Feelings Of Anxiety And Depression
Drinking lavender tea is thought to be effective in reducing depressive and anxious feelings by stabilizing and enhancing an individual’s mood. To evaluate this, we will examine two different studies whose objective was to determine the effect of lavender tea on anxiety and depression but in various age groups. Take a look:
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Study 1 (Target Population: The Elderly)
In 2019, healthcare researchers conducted a randomized control trial to determine the effect of drinking lavender tea on anxiety and depression among the elderly.
The researchers gave the elderly subjects in the experimental group two grams of lavender tea in the form of teabags two times a day (5). They did this for two weeks before analyzing their findings.
Upon the study analysis, the researchers discovered that the experimental group had reduced depression and anxiety scores for the two weeks, and that their scores were lower compared to the control group (5). The study concluded that lavender tea could be used as a complementary treatment in reducing depression and anxiety among the elderly (5).
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Study 2: (Target: Postnatal Women)
This 2015 study we discussed earlier in relation to sleep quality aimed at determining the effects of lavender tea on anxiety, depression, and fatigue among postnatal women with poor sleeping patterns (2). Generally, lavender inhalation aromatherapy is believed to have a hypnotic effect that helps with stabilizing and enhancing an individual’s mood (2).
In light of this, it is believed to lead to positive feelings of bonding among postnatal women and their infants. Therefore, this study was curious to know how much lavender tea consumption reduced anxiety, depression, and fatigue.
So, a total of eighty Taiwanese postnatal women with poor sleep quality were given one cup of lavender tea daily. The study findings indicated that women in the experimental group reported less fatigue and depression and bonded more with their infants (2).
Both studies concur that lavender tea consumption may help reduce depression and anxiety levels. However, researchers call upon positive and mindful use of lavender tea herbal therapy during postpartum care (2). It also can’t replace prescribed treatments for clinical depression and anxiety – it can simply serve as an additional or adjunct therapy.
Reduced Inflammation
Literature has also linked the consumption of lavender tea and oil to reduced inflammation (1). Inflammation is a complex biological process that is part of your body’s defense mechanism (3).
When your body detects danger, it launches a biological response, sending an attacker to tackle the foreign body. Unfortunately, sometimes your body perceives its cells and tissues as the danger, an action that is attributed to autoimmune diseases like type 1 diabetes or arthritis (3).
Applying lavender oil topically has been linked in animal studies to easing inflammation, characterized by redness, pain, swelling, function loss, and heat (1). However, be sure to talk to your doctor before you start drinking lavender tea for this benefit.
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Reduced Menstrual Cramps
Painful cramps are among the most common signs of menstruation among women worldwide. These painful sensations occur in the lower abdomen and lower back of menstruating women (7).
Many women generally experience primary dysmenorrhea, which is pain resulting from menstruation only. That said, a significant number experience secondary dysmenorrhea. This pain results from menstruation and other medical problems like endometriosis, fibroids, or pelvic inflammatory disease (7).
Menstrual pain is often accompanied by other signs and symptoms, including nausea, vomiting, bloating, constipation, headaches, and pain in the lower back and thighs (7).
Professionals advise such women to try home remedies such as taking a warm bath, doing light exercise or drinking drinks like lavender tea. All these may help alleviate the pain.
According to a 2016 study conducted to determine the effect of lavender on primary dysmenorrhea, lavender aromatherapy can help alleviate menstrual pain (5). The study revealed that lavender helped reduce pain severity in primary dysmenorrhea sufferers due to its smell (5).
Experts believe that besides using it as aromatherapy, one can have it as tea and preferably smell it for a bit before consuming it. Even so, investigators say that more research is required to back this one study.
The list of lavender tea benefits does not stop here. Drinking this tea has also been associated with other health benefits. However, there is not enough evidence to back them up for these benefits so be sure to consult with a professional before taking this tea for any of the listed benefits below (4):
- Reduced Fatigue. Early research acknowledges that drinking lavender tea or inhaling lavender oil for almost twenty minutes twice daily for a month might help reduce fatigue (4). People undergoing dialysis for kidney diseases are said to benefit the most. However, more high-quality and current research is needed to prove this.
- Reduced Menopausal Symptoms. There is a running theory that the scent of lavender tea can reduce menopausal symptoms like hot flushes. This is said to work if you do this for four to twelve weeks (4). Quality research is still lacking to declare this factual.
- Treating Migraines. Early research also reveals that drinking this tea or rubbing two or three drops of lavender oil on your upper lip might help with migraines (4). Additionally, there is a theory that inhaling lavender vapor can also help with nausea and migraine pain, stopping the migraine from spreading (4). Despite this belief, sufficient evidence is needed to back up this claim fully.
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Lavender Tea Side Effects
Lavender tea is generally safe for most adults if consumed in moderation. However, if you drink too much of it, you may experience headaches, constipation, and an increased appetite (4).
You may also report more severe symptoms, including breathing difficulties, throat irritation and a skin rash if you have a lavender allergy. Such allergies are one of the lavender flower tea side effects. The allergy may also occur if you are allergic to similar flowering plants. So, make a point of talking to your doctor before adding this drink to your diet.
Despite health benefits, drinking lavender tea may not be safe for everyone. Again, note that although it has been linked to the above benefits, more high-quality research is needed for more definite conclusions. Studies reveal that this brew may not be safe for the following:
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Pregnant Women
There is no known harm that experts can pinpoint that links drinking this tea to harm during pregnancy. However, because it has not been studied sufficiently, experts do not know its effects on pregnancy (4). So, it is better off if pregnant women avoid it throughout their pregnancy.
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People Taking Sedatives
Lavender tea may interact with sedatives or medications that cause sleepiness. You may argue that both help with sleep; hence there should be no harm.
However, there could be. You may sleep longer than expected when the tea interacts with sedatives (4). Consequently, you may miss out on several things as your day may start late. It would be best to let your doctor know if you take sleep medications.
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People With Allergies
Lavender tea is unsafe for people with allergies to lavender or another flowering plant. If mistakenly consumed, it may cause throat irritation or difficulties breathing.
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People Undergoing Surgery
WebMD also reveals that lavender tea or its products like oil are unsafe for people undergoing surgery (4). This is because it might slow down the central nervous system when used alongside anesthesia and other medications taken before and after surgery (4).
Knowing this, it would be best if you talked to your doctor about what you can and cannot eat before and after your surgery. In most cases, you will be asked to stop drinking lavender tea or using any lavender product at least two weeks before your scheduled surgery (4).
The Bottom Line
Drinking lavender tea offers a unique flavor and aromatic fragrance that contributes to its benefits. Possible lavender tea benefits include improved sleep and reduced inflammation, menstrual cramps, anxiety, and depression.
It is also believed to reduce menopausal symptoms, migraine, and fatigue. However, more research is needed to justify these theories. Be sure to talk to your doctor before taking this tea, especially if you are pregnant, undergoing surgery or have allergies.
DISCLAIMER:
This article is intended for general informational purposes only and does not address individual circumstances. It is not a substitute for professional advice or help and should not be relied on for decision-making. Any action you take upon the information presented in this article is strictly at your own risk and responsibility!
SOURCES:
- Effect of Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) Essential Oil on Acute Inflammatory Response (2018, ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
- Effects of Lavender Tea on Fatigue, Depression, and Maternal-Infant Attachment in Sleep-Disturbed Postnatal Women (2015, pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
- Everything you need to know about inflammation (2020, medicalnewstoday.com)
- Lavender (2021, webmd.com)
- The Effect of Lavender Aromatherapy on the Pain Severity of Primary Dysmenorrhea: A Triple-blind Randomized Clinical Trial (2016, ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
- The effect of lavender herbal tea on the anxiety and depression of the elderly: A randomized clinical trial (2020, pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
- What to know about menstrual cramps (2020, medicalnewstoday.com)
