Drinking chamomile tea can do more than help you get a good night’s sleep. Research out of the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston suggests the herbal tea may boost longevity.

In findings published online in The Gerontologist, UT researchers found Mexican- American women who drank the tea had a lower risk of death than those who did not.

Chamomile is one of the oldest, most widely used medicinal plants in the world. It has long been used as an herbal remedy for a variety of health conditions in Mexico and among Mexican-Americans.

For the new study, researchers tracked the effects of chamomile and the cause of death in nearly 1,700 older Mexican-Americans from five Southwestern states for seven years.

The results showed that the 14 percent of women in the study who drank chamomile tea were 29 percent less likely to die over the seven-year period, compared with non-drinkers.

Past studies of chamomile have shown benefits in treating hyperglycemia, upset stomach, diabetic complications, anxiety disorder, and high cholesterol.

It also has antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and anti-clotting effects on the blood.