Does Chamomile Tea protect against Thyroid Cancer?
Chamomile tea is more commonly known as a possible sleep aid, and clinical trial has shown chamomile does indeed treat sleep and mood/depression issues (1). Interestingly enough, some thyroid hormones are responsible for both sleep and mood (2).
When tested on isolated cancer cells, chamomile tea manages to kill different cancerous cell types but protect healthy peripheral mononuclear blood cells (3). This study also tested marigold tea for comparison. Both chamomile and marigold contain phenol compounds that were attributed the anti-cancer activity. The higher amounts of phenol compounds in marigold were thought to make it (but not chamomile) toxic against healthy cells as well (3).
However almost 1% of chamomile is made of apigenin, a compound that acts on cells multiplying and communicating, all of which are higher in many cancerous cells (4). Moreover specific cell multiplying enzymes (which are also higher in many cancerous cells) are inhibited by apigenin and different chamomile extracts (4). Anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties of chamomile and apigenin that help fight cancer are also thought to be as effective as hydrocortisone when applied on the skin (4).
Directly testing against thyroid cancer, drinking just 1 cup of chamomile tea per week lowered the risk of developing cancer by 60% (5)…
