Herbal Tea-Unknown facts

By
Durga Jha
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TeaĀ is derived from the Camellia Sinensis plants and comprises caffeine. Herbal teas are blended using different herbs, flowers, fruits, and plants.

These herbs contain minimal caffeine and have been used historically to support health and wellness.
There is a bit of a misnomer that herbal teas don’t contain any tea. These are also known asĀ tisanes. These infusions are made by steeping other plant matter. They are caffeine-free because the plants they come from just simply don’t contain caffeine. However, there are a few exceptions like yerba mate, guayusa, yaupon, and guarana.

In ancient times, herbal teas have been used to cure a common cold, cough, runny nose, sore throat, digestive issues, help in fighting insomnia, immunity booster, etc. The herbs’ contain substances that act as an active ingredient to fight ailments alongside tea, which has antioxidants in abundance

Since few clinical studies prove herbal tea’s medical benefits, I stick to herbs with proven benefits and blend them with my favorite,Ā GreenĀ orĀ Black tea. The black and green tea acts as a base, which is then is mixed with popular herbs to curate “Herbal Tea” blends. It is on each individual to choose a combination that serves the purpose, health conditions, allergies to these herbs, etc. The important question to ask is

Is it to fight specific health conditions or for pleasure?.Ā 

If blended with safe ingredients,Ā spiced up teaĀ can also be served to kids to fight common colds, allergies etc.

 

 

There are numerous spices that are blended to create “herbal tea”. These spices have unique properties and specific health benefits. Some of the most well-known spices are

Cinnamon

cloves

cardamom

nutmeg

saffron

bay leaves

Mixed spices

HERBAL TEAS

Apart from spices that are known to combat common health issues, popular herbs are also infused with black and green tea to create “Herbal Tea” blends. The popular herbs used in the curation of these herbal blends are

Mint: I prefer my “Herbal Latte” daily prepared using organic black tea leaves, ginger, mint, and milk. This is a perfect tea to fight indigestion while provides the best aroma and flavour. Mint comes in two varieties-peppermint and spearmint. Mint has proven to help in gastro-intestinal problems, fight allergies and cold. It is easily available and can be included in the diet.A dash of cinnamon can be used to createĀ “Cinnamon Latte”Ā during fall and winter to warm up.Ā 

https://youtu.be/MmRnvlU65S4

Tulsi/Indian BasilĀ Tulsi or holy basil is a sacred flower in Hinduism and has several health benefits. It is widely grown in the Indian sub-continent and is worshipped. It helps in battling most common ailments such as fighting bacterial & viral infections, combating and treating various hair and skin disorders, and improving immunity.

https://youtu.be/eD6CuZqiBcY
Tulsi leaves benefits

LemongrassĀ is full of antioxidants that are good for digestion, regulate high blood pressure, boost metabolism, and burn fat, good for skin, and many other added benefits.

https://youtu.be/sdzrylmv3eE
ChamomileĀ 

ChamomileĀ Ā This is aĀ common name for several daisy-like plants of the family Asteraceae. Few species are commonly used to make herbal infusions for traditional medicine, and there is some evidence that chamomile affects health positively. To make this herbal tea, the flowers are dried and then blended with tea. According to aĀ study, Chamomile preparations are commonly used for many human ailments such as hay fever, inflammation, muscle spasms, menstrual disorders, insomnia, ulcers, wounds, gastrointestinal disorders, rheumatic pain, and hemorrhoids. Essential oils of chamomile are used extensively in cosmetics and aromatherapy. Many different chamomile preparations have been developed, the most popular of which is in the form of herbal tea consumed more than one million cups per day.Ā 

Rooibos image courtesy gettyimages

Rooibos,Ā meaning ‘red bush,’ is a broom-like member of the plant family Fabaceae that grows in South Africa’s fynbos. The leaves are used to make a herbal tea that is called by the names: rooibos, bush tea, red tea, or redbush tea.Ā Wikipedia. There are limited studies on the health benefits of this herb. However, based on a few research, this herb is low in caffeine and is a suitable replacement for black tea or coffee. It is full of antioxidants, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory properties that aid in digestion, prevent aging, boost immunity, help in sleeping, and enhance bone strength.

Hibiscus teaĀ is full of antioxidants and helps in digestion, lowers blood pressure and cholesterol, and aids in weight loss. As per the experts, Hibiscus tea is not only healthy but also has the refreshing power. The steeped tea has a ruby red or dark magenta color and tastes like a blend of sour and typically sweet-smelling drink. Drinking several cups of hibiscus tea may help lower blood pressure and Type 2 diabetes.
To understand the hibiscus tea benefits, the slideshow has been created.

Drinking green and white teas are seemingly the best in terms of “health” benefits. Just like me, adding a few known spices and daily used herbs can create a calming effect.Ā 

For more advanced levels of herbal tea blends, medical advice must be sought.Ā 

Herbal teas are some of the healthiest things to drink. The vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants found in many herbs have shown to provide many short and long-term health benefits. These teas are an excellent option to replace daily sugary and caffeinated drinks, but in moderation and with medical help where necessary to treat specific health conditions.

So what are you waiting for? Pick your favorite and enjoy the taste!

https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/wellness/story/benefits-drinking-herbal-tea-63644482

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2995283

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/320031

https://www.webmd.com/diet/supplement-guide-chamomile#1

https://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/features/tao-of-tea#1

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/rooibos-tea-benefits

 

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36 COMMENTS

      • I love tea but unfortunately I had to remove black and green tea form my list because of health issues, so now rooibos, chamomile, mint and a few others are my favs. I always have to have a cup of chamomile tea before bedtime. This post gives me more options…thank you so much for sharing

    • I love herbal teas, especially caffeine-free that have a detox effect. I can’t drink black tea in the evening, since I suffer from insomnia.

      • That’s great! I love tea, all sorts of tea-I am glad we both have same preferences. I am writing an article on Passion fruit tea which maybe good for insomnia, still doing my research. Will send you the link when it gets published.

  2. Iā€™m a big fan of herbal teas, and tea in general! I love to make homemade iced tea in summer time with fruit flavoured herbal teas. Such a nice refreshing drink on a hot day.

    • Thanks for reading through my article! I love herbal tea too! I create my own blends to make it more authentic šŸ˜€šŸ˜€

  3. When you say that there is a world behind tea, you don’t mind, in short, I like to drink it and I really know a lot about it, but I see that there is still a lot. Curiosities that become history.

  11. Thanks for sharing this! I love tea and I sometimes drink different herbal tea blends just for pleasure. Some of them really taste good and lift my mood! I like the idea of mixing it with some black or green tea to get more benefits though. I should do that! Haha šŸ˜€

    • Thanks for liking my article, herbal teas are refreshing and can serve various health benefits- try it with black and green tea and share your experience of your “Own creation”

  15. Thanks for the tea tips. I’m currently eliminating sugar from my diet. So no cola drinks. What I’ve found a nice alternative is doing a herbal tea mineral water. It’s delicious, sugar free and refreshingly cold. This afternoon I’m trying a new licorice blend.

  16. Most people regard tea is boring, coffee is great. I love tea, especially herbal tea. It tastes good with health benefits. Enjoy reading the post that enriches my knowledge about herbal tea.

  21. This was really interesting to read! I absolutely love my teas, especially mint tea (it does wonders when I’m not feeling well) but I am always open to learning about new options and their benefits. I recently picked up a chocolate mint rooibos and it’s REALLY good too!

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