Skip to content

Chrysanthemum

The chrysanthemum is a plant whose name is made up of the Greek words for "gold" and "flower". Chrysanthemum is also used to make medicine. Chrysanthemum is used to treat chest pain, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, fever, colds, headaches, dizziness and swelling. In combination with other medicinal plants, chrysanthemum is also used to treat prostate cancer. Chrysanthemum tea is very popular as a drink in southern China.

How does chrysanthemum work?

Chrysanthemum may increase blood flow to the heart. It could also improve insulin sensitivity.

How effective is chrysanthemum?

There is not enough scientific data to assess the effectiveness of chrysanthemum for chest pain, high blood pressure, diabetes, fever, headaches, dizziness and prostate cancer. More scientific research is needed to evaluate the effectiveness of chrysanthemums for these conditions.

Safety and side effects

There is not enough information to say whether chrysanthemum is safe and harmless. However, it can increase the sensitivity of the skin to sunlight, so it is important to use appropriate sun protection, especially for fair-skinned people.

Precautions and warnings

Pregnancy and breastfeeding: Not enough is known about the use of chrysanthemum during pregnancy and breastfeeding. For this reason, pregnant and breastfeeding women should avoid chrysanthemum. Allergies to broomweed and related plants: Chrysanthemum could cause allergic reactions in people who are sensitive to plants in the Asteraceae/Compositae family. Members of this plant family include broomweed, marigolds, daisies and many others. If you suffer from allergies, you should consult your doctor before taking chrysanthemum products.

Interactions

There is currently no information on interactions between chrysanthemum and medications or supplements.

Dosage

An appropriate dosage of Chrysanthemum products depends on various factors such as age, state of health and others. At the present time, there is insufficient scientific data to make a statement about appropriate dosage ranges for different chrysanthemum products. For this reason, you should follow the dosage instructions on the label and/or consult a doctor or pharmacist before use.

References

  1. Bleumink E, Mitchell JC, Geismann TA, Towers GH. Contact hypersensitivity to sesquiterpene lactones in Chrysanthemum dermatitis. Contact Dermatitis 1976;2:81-8.
  2. Camplimi P, Sertoli A, Fabbri P, Panconesi E. Alantolactone sensitivity in chrysanthemum contact dermatitis. Contact Dermatitis 1978;4:93-102.
  3. Chen SH, Yen YP, Chen XS. Effect of jiantangkang on blood glucose, sensitivity of insulin, and blood viscosity in non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus. Chung Kuo Chung His I Chieh Ho Tsa Chih 1997;17:666-8.
  4. deJong NW, Vermeulen AM, van Wijik RG, deGroot H. Occupational allergy caused by flowers. Allergy 1998;53:204-9.
  5. Huang KC. The Pharmacology of Chinese Herbs. 2nd ed. New York, NY: CRC Press, LLC 1999:113-114, 417.
  6. Kuno Y, Kawabe Y, Sakakibara S. Allergic contact dermatitis associated with photosensitivity, from alantolactone in a chrysanthemum farmer. Contact Dermatitis 1999;40:224-5.
  7. Paulsen E, Sogaard J, Andersen KE. Occupational dermatitis in Danish gardeners and greenhouse workers (III). Compositae-related symptoms. Contact Dermatitis 1998;38:140-6.
  8. Wang HK, Xia Y, Yang ZY, et al. Recent advances in the discovery and development of flavonoids and their analogues as antitumor and anti-HIV agents. Adv Exp Med Biol 1998;439:191-225.
  9. Yu XY. [A prospective clinical study on reversion of 200 precancerous patients with hua-sheng-ping]. Chung Kuo Chung His I Chieh Ho Tsa Chih 1993;13:147-9.