Are you stressed out or have digestive issues? Or are you trying to fight a cold? Then, you should explore the many chrysanthemum tea benefits to transform your health!
If you also enjoy making natural skin and health products, these flowers can also be part of your new beauty secret routine 😉.
Keep on reading to learn all about its healing properties in Traditional Chinese medicine, how to prepare it and some special recipes!!!
What is chrysanthemum?
Chrysanthemum are beautiful flowers with many healing properties. They are a type of daisy, named after the greek words of “gold” and “flower” . They were first cultivated in China hundreds of years ago and they have been used for medicinal purposes in Traditional Chinese medicine, such as having a “cooling” effect on the body.
Chrysanthemum tea benefits
They don’t have any caffeine in them, so you won’t be jittery all day, quite the contrary, they seem to have more of a relaxing effect on the body. What other health benefits does Chrysanthemum tea have? Well, here is a list for what it helps with!
- Reduces inflammation
- Is rich in antioxidants
- Treats chest pain
- high blood pressure
- Type 2 diabetes
- Fever
- Common cold symptoms
- Sore throat
- Headache
- Dizziness
- Reduces stress
- Improves eye health
- Digestive issues: upset stomach, bloating, indigestion
Chrysanthemum nutrients
If you’re looking for a flower to eat or drink that is full of vitamins, this one is fantastic! It’s a good source of protein, because of its iron. So, if you feel tired from too low levels of iron or if you even have anemia, this could boost you. In addition to that, this flower has Niacin, which balances your cholesterol and Zinc that is great for a healthy immune system. Besides those nutrients, it is a good source of:
- Vitamin A
- Vitamin K
- Thiamin
- Riboflavin
- Vitamin B6
- Folate
- Calcium
- Magnesium (I don’t know if you’re like me, but I never seem to get enough of it with food, so drinking it as well can be helpful)
- Manganese
- Potassium
- And more
Chrysanthemum tea benefits in Traditional Chinese medicine
Chrysanthemum in TCM
These Chrysanthemum flowers, called ju hua in Chinese, have been used for centuries in Traditional Chinese Medicine. According to the book “Between Heaven and Earth, a Guide to Chinese Medicine”, chrysanthemum flowers are beneficial for the liver and the lungs. They eliminate the “Heat” and “Wind” and neutralize toxins, in the body. Especially when you feel really hot, because of the weather or you’re sick with a fever, I think this tea is amazing for cooling down the heat.
In this book, the authors Beinfield and Korngold, explain not only the benefits that we can find in scientific research such as lowering fever or inflammation. But we can also discover their healing effects on vision, brightening the eyes and aiding in fat metabolism.
Chrysanthemum in Daoist medicine
In the Daoist medicine course from the Five Immortals temple, our teacher taught us that the chrysanthemum tea has amazing benefits that are great for when you start feeling sick. It also:
- Cleanses the liver
- Clears the brain
- Reduces “fire” in the head
- Reduces dizziness
- Lowers the “fire” nature in the body
When I was following this course and it started getting really cold, the students and I drunk this tea in precaution, we definitely didn’t want to get sick…
Another tea that I would drink regularly while I was there, was a special one to, this time, keep me warm. Here is the recipe of this Chinese medicine tea!
How to prepare Chrysanthemum tea ?
Last fall, my friends from the Five Immortals temple and I spent hours picking yellow chrysanthemum flowers, on top of the mountain. To change from our daily intensive training (yes tai ji (tai chi) can be totally badass), it was a soothing and peaceful moment. When we were done, we would spread them in wooden baskets to let them dry in the sun for several days, so that they could be used as tea !
If you want to learn more about my experience at this temple, click here to read more about it.
But there is no need to go through all that if you wish to drink this healing tea quickly. Go buy some dried chrysanthemum tea (preferably organic) and lets start brewing !
Chrysanthemum recipe
Boil approximately 3 cups of water. Then, place 3 tablespoons of chrysanthemum flowers into your pan. Stir them a little bit and lower the temperature of the water to medium and let it simmer until you have two cups of water left. You will notice that the water will turn slightly yellow.
If you are wondering how this tea will taste, well, it has a slightly sweet and bitter taste, which is the case for most herbal teas. But that’s why a little added honey will turn your medicinal tea into a flavorful magical potion!
Check out my article on the 10 reasons to drink hot water for health benefits! This is definitely important for traditional chinese medicine, daoist medicine and ayurvedic medicine.
Chrysanthemum beauty secrets
In the book “The Tao of Beauty, Chinese Herbal Secrets to Feeling Good and Looking Great”, there are several beauty recipes that use chrysanthemum flowers. Here are a couple of them to depuff those eyes and have beautiful skin!
Eye beauty
As mentioned before, these flowers help clearing up the eyes and improves your vision. So, if you went out partying a lot or are just exhausted with puffy and bloodshot eyes, you can use the recipe to make the chrysanthemum tea. After making it, let it cool down. Then, take two cottonballs and soak them in the tea. Now, lay back in a confortable sofa and put the cottonballs over your eyes for 2 to 3 minutes. Put the rest of the tea in a glass jar and put it in the fridge to use later!
Chrysanthemum toner
In this toner recipe, the chrysanthemum will help reduce the heat in your skin. On top of that, the other ingredients will permit to exfoliate your skin and have a more beautiful complexion!
Ingredients
To make between 7 to 10 uses of the toner, you will need:
- Dried chrysanthemum petals: 1 tablespoon
- Chamomille dried flowers: 1 tablespoon
- Dried mint: 1 tablespoon
- Buckwheat: 1 tablespoon
- Lemon juice: 1 tablespoon
Recipe
Boil 2 cups of water in a saucepan. Then lower the heat. Put all the ingredients, except the lemon juice, in the water and simmer for 30 minutes. After that, you will let the water and herbs cool down. Then, you can strain it all with a sieve and throw away the herbs. Now, put the lemon juice in the toner and stir. All you need to do now is find a container, preferably a glass one, to store your toner. You can keep it in the refrigerator for up to a week.
You can use cottonballs or reusable facial pads to put the toner on your face. Also, to lower the chances of contaminating your toner, you can pour some of it in a bowl and then put the pad in the liquid before using it on your skin.
Does chrysanthemum have side effects?
Allergies
If you have allergies or sensitivities to daisies, marigolds, ragweed, avoid Chrysanthemum flowers since they are from the same family of plants (Asteraceae/Compositae). If you feel a skin rash, issues with your breathing or an unusual reaction, stop using these flowers and check with your doctor.
Interaction with medications
Chrysanthemum flowers might have an effect on certain medications. If you are taking any, ask your doctor if you can drink this tea.
Sun sensitivity
Your skin could become more sensitive to sunlight after drinking chrysanthemum tea. So, just in case, if you drink this often, you might want to wear some sunscreen before going out. Especially if you already have sensitivies to the sun.
Precautions when pregnant
If you are pregnant or breast-feeding, you should check with your doctor before drinking chrysanthemum tea. Since there aren’t enough studies that show the effects of these flowers on pregnancy, just to be safe, take precautions or avoid it.
Start brewing!
If you don’t have any sensitivies to chrysanthemum flowers, then this could be a great tea option for a sunday afternoon to relax and reload on vitamins before the start of the week! Or if you feel a cold coming along, this will help your body get through it more easily. Or you can also try the eye washing recipe to depuff those tired eyes and look fresh during the week!
Thank you for reading this article! Do you have any other recipes with chrysanthemum flowers? Share in the comments!
Ressources
- H. Beinfield, L.Ac. & E. Korngold, L.Ac., O.M.D., Between Heaven and Earth, a guide to chinese medicine, (pp. 352, 353)
- Helen Lee, The Tao of Beauty, Chinese Herbal Secrets to Feeling Good and Looking Great, (pp. 87-88 and 164)