What Are the Benefits and Risks of Consuming Chrysanthemum Flowers?

Drinking tea is an integral part of traditional Chinese dietary culture. Tea consumption also offers health-promoting and wellness benefits. Chrysanthemum tea, in particular, boasts a refreshing, fragrant, and subtly sweet flavor that leaves one feeling invigorated and refreshed. So, what are the benefits and drawbacks of consuming chrysanthemum? Let’s explore them together.

Benefits and Drawbacks of Consuming Chrysanthemum

1. Benefits

Chrysanthemum possesses heat-clearing and detoxifying properties, as well as fire-purging and phlegm-resolving effects. It can serve as an adjunctive therapy for pharyngitis and cough. Its active constituents also support cosmetic and dermatological applications—such as improving skin appearance and treating boils, carbuncles, and other skin infections. Additionally, chrysanthemum may enhance immune function, alleviate eye fatigue, aid visual recovery, and relieve symptoms including blurred vision and dry, gritty eyes. It may also help lower cholesterol levels and mitigate “three highs” (hypertension, hyperglycemia, and hyperlipidemia), thereby helping prevent cardiovascular diseases such as hypertension and coronary heart disease.

2. Drawbacks

Chrysanthemum tea is characterized by a bitter, cold nature in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Thus, it is contraindicated for individuals with deficient-cold constitutions, those with heightened sensitivity, women during certain physiological periods (e.g., menstruation or pregnancy), and individuals with weak spleen-stomach function. Consumption may lead to symptoms such as aversion to cold, chilliness, further weakening of spleen-stomach function, and reduced immunity. Moreover, due to impaired digestive capacity, individuals with spleen-stomach deficiency may experience gastrointestinal irritation after drinking chrysanthemum tea, potentially resulting in abdominal pain, diarrhea, or other gastrointestinal disorders.

The above outlines the key benefits and potential drawbacks of consuming chrysanthemum. It is essential to adhere to the principle of moderation when consuming any food or herbal product to avoid adverse effects on health. We hope this information proves helpful to you.