Calendula tea is a mild, slightly bitter beverage that offers a number of health benefits.
It has long been popular in herbal medicine for its alleged healing properties. Tea made from the Calendula officinalis plant is often applied externally to wounds and burns, or taken internally to heal tissues of the mouth, throat, and digestive tract.
Nutrition Information
The vitamins and minerals present in calendula tea have not been widely published, and may be negligible.
Like most teas, one cup of unsweetened calendula tea contains:
- 0 calories
- 0 grams of fiber
- 0 grams of protein
- 0 mg of sodium
- 0 grams of fat, cholesterol, carbohydrates, and sugar
Potential Health Benefits of Calendula Tea
Research suggests that calendula deserves its reputation for wound healing. The herb’s antifungal and antimicrobial properties help prevent infection and heal injuries to body tissues.
Calendula is also known to have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant components, which might help to fight cancer, protect against heart disease, and ease muscle fatigue.
Calendula tea can also:
Help heal your skin. Rather than drank, calendula tea is usually applied directly to the skin to promote healing. In one study, 78% of participants who treated diabetes-related foot ulcers with calendula tea showed complete healing. Another study showed that 72% of the participants using calendula tea experienced full healing of leg ulcers, compared to fewer than a third of the control group.
Provide antioxidants. Preliminary research suggests that calendula tea may offer powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects.
Calendula is full of carotenoids and flavonoids, which are known to help lower your risk of cancer and other diseases.
Potential Risks of Calendula Tea
In some cases, calendula tea can cause mild irritation or an allergic reaction when you put it on your skin. Doctors also warn that there may be unexpected interactions when you drink calendula tea and take sedatives.
We need more research to figure out if calendula is safe for women who are pregnant or breastfeeding. So for now, women who are either should stay away from calendula tea.
Healthier Alternatives
If you get an allergic reaction from calendula tea, or you're pregnant or breastfeeding, depending on what you were using calendula tea for, there are a number of herbs that can give you similar benefits. Some of these include:
- Aloe
- Cayenne
- Chamomile
- Echinacea
- Feverfew
- Flaxseed
- Green Tea
- Lavender
- Milk Thistle
- Rosemary
- St. John's Wort
- Tumeric