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Skullcap Tea Health Benefits

There are two popular varieties of skullcap herb that are used to make skullcap tea and as a remedy for various conditions and illness. One of them is the Chinese skullcap or scutellaria baicalensis and the other is the American skullcap or scutellaria lateriflora. The Chinese make use of the roots of skullcap plant while the Americans use the top parts of the plants to make skullcap herbal tea.

The information on this page is about scutellaria lateriflora or also known as scullcap, blue skullcap, hoodwort, scute, mad weed and mad dog weed. Among the active constituents in skullcap herb are baicalin, chrysin glucuronide, essential oils, scutellarin and tannin. Skullcap leaves contain the highest amount of flavonoids.

1. Skullcap has been traditionally used as a remedy for anxiety, sleeping disorders, nervousness and convulsions. This is because of its mild sedative effect. But it is becoming less popular with the emergence of other herbs that also produce the same effect such as black cohosh, hop, passionflower and valerian root.
   
   
   
2. Drinking skullcap tea during tensed situations may help reduce stress. One of its secondary benefits is managing blood pressure.
   
   
   
3. Skullcap is also used as a natural remedy for alcohol, caffeine, drug and nicotine withdrawals. It may help treat the symptoms of delirium such as lethargy, agitation and irritation. To use it, add about 15 drops of skullcap tincture into a glass of warm water and drink it twice or three times daily.
   
   
   
4. The blue skullcap is also an emmenagogue. It helps stimulate menstruation and may help relieve menstrual cramps.
   
   
   
5. Skullcap is also a natural analgesic or a pain reliever. It is useful as a natural treatment for tension headache and other pains such as back pain.
   
   
   
6. Because of its anticonvulsant activity, it is used as a remedy for epilepsy and other convulsions.

To make skullcap tea, you can buy the cut and dried loose leaves. What you need to do is steep 1 teaspoon of the dried leaves in a cup of boiling water for 20 to 30 minutes. Skullcap root tea is available in tea bags. You can also use the liquid extract or skullcap tincture instead by adding several drops into a glass of warm water. Herbalists believe it is safe to mix skullcap with catnip, licorice, mullein, St John's wort and peppermint herbal extracts.

It's not advisable to drink more than 3 cups of skullcap herbal tea daily and continuously because it may reverse the effect. Some of the possible skullcap side effects are giddiness and confusion. Just take it when you think you really need it.