Herbal Tea

Herbal Tea

Herbal tea is a generic term used for any beverage made by steeping flowers, roots, leaves, and bark from plants other than Camellia sinensis, the tea plant. Sometimes, herbal teas are referred to as tisanes, especially when they have perceived medicinal value. Many cultures make their own special varieties of herb tea, and a wide assortment of herbal teas are available in most markets and natural food stores. It is also possible to make your own herbal tea blends, if you are familiar with botanical ingredients.

When Camellia sinensis is mixed with herbs and flowers, it is still referred to as “tea,” since the primary ingredient is the tea leaves. Many classic blends of tea include floral or botanical ingredients such as orange, bergamot, lavender, jasmine, or toasted rice. The caffeine level and flavor of true tea can be altered through different handling and curing techniques for the tea leaves, which leads to a wide assortment of teas including green, white, and black. When an herbal tea is made, true tea is not included in the ingredients, and the ingredients may be combined in a blend which is targeted to create a specific flavor or medicinal effect. Herbal teas can be calming and relaxing, energizing, or soothing, and they may be targeted at skin conditions, stomach complaints, breathing difficulties, cold symptoms, and many other medical issues. In some cultures, herbal tea is an important part of medical practice. Many people enjoy herbal tea as an alternative to regular tea, since it is caffeine free and it does not usually have the tannins which make true tea bitter.

Some common ingredients in herb tea include lemon, mint, chamomile, lavender, orange, fennel, hibiscus, roses, rose hips, jasmine, licorice, nettles, rosemary, vetiver, valerian, willow, citrus blossoms, thyme, and horehound. Regional “teas” such as mate and rooibos are also technically herb tea, since they are made with plants other than Camellia sinensis. Since herbal tea is usually low in tannins, it can be steeped for longer periods of time to make an intense, strong infusion. There are a number of ways to prepare herbal tea. When ingredients like roots and bark are used, the tea is often boiled on the stovetop in a heavy pan to release the maximum amount of flavor. When dried flowers and leaves are blended to make an herbal tea, the tea may be brewed by pouring boiling or almost boiling water over the ingredients and then steeping them. Some cooks also make sun tea, by placing a large glass pot of water and ingredients in the sun and allowing it to slowly steep over the course of a sunny day.

Extracts and tea bags of various herbs are produced for commercial use. Taste, texture and aroma can vary from tea to tea, depending on the ingredients used. Herbal teas have many benefits to their consumption: they are caffeine free and have great medicinal use. In this article, the different types of herbal tea are listed, with their respective benefits.

Types of Herbal Tea and Their Benefits

1. Anise
Main Ingredient: Seeds or leaves of the anise plant.

Benefits:
• Reduces flatulence
• Aids in treating an upset stomach
• Used as an expectorant to reduce phlegm congestion in the throat and lungs

2. Caraway Tea
Main Ingredient: Caraway fruits or seeds plant.

Benefits:
• Relieves pain due to gas in the stomach
• Soothes irritable bowel syndrome symptoms
• Cleanses the digestive tract
• Can be used as a breath freshener
• Relives digestion issues like colic, cramps and gas
• Increases the flow of breast milk
• Stimulates the appetite
• Soothes a sore throat
• Reduces the pain of menstrual cramps

3. Chrysanthemum Tea
Main Ingredient: Chrysanthemum flowers

Benefits:
• Cleanses the liver
• Helps with conditions like influenza, sore throat and eye problems
• Helps treat varicose veins and atherosclerosis

4. Cinnamon
Main Ingredient: Cinnamon bark

Benefits:
• Eases menstrual cramps
• Lessens the impact of a cold
• Comforts an upset stomach

5. Chamomile
Main Ingredient: Chamomile flowers

Benefits:
• Acts as a mild and natural sedative
• Aids in digestion and acts as a laxative
• Helps with irritable bowel syndrome
• Can be used as a gargle to rinse a sore mouth
• Eases cold and fever symptoms

6. Dill
Main Ingredient: Dill seeds

Benefits:
• Helps ease coughs, flu and colds
• Improves digestion
• Stops flatulence, soothes an upset stomach
• Eases colic in children

7. Elderberry
Main Ingredient: Dried elderberry flowers

Benefits:
• Aids in treating allergies
• Helps treat mucus-related diseases like colds and bronchitis
• Encourages recovery from viral infections like chickenpox or measles
• Useful in treating pain from arthritis and rheumatism
• Helps in flushing out toxins from body

8. Fennel
Main Ingredient: Fennel seeds

Benefits:
• Helps in breaking down kidney stones
• Can be used as a mouthwash
• Eases symptoms of asthma, bronchitis and whooping cough
• Aids in digestion and reduces a bloated stomach
• Acts as an anti-depressant and can treat jaundice
• Effective in hastening weight loss
• Reduces feelings of pain and fever

9. Ginger Tea
Main Ingredient: Ginger rhizomes (root)

Benefits:
• Home remedy for colds
• Eases vomiting and nausea
• Soothes an upset stomach
• Helps ease morning sickness
• Gets rid of bad breath

10. Ginseng 
Main Ingredient: Ginseng root

Benefits:
• Increases the libido, cures sexual dysfunction in men
• Eases feelings of stress
• Improves appetite and digestion
• Strengthens the immune system

11. Hibiscus
Main Ingredient: Hibiscus flower

Benefits:
• Reduces high blood pressure
• Reduces cholesterol levels
• Strengthens immune system

12. Hydrangea
Main Ingredient: Root of the hydrangea plant

Benefits:
• Reduces size of kidney stones and eases their passing
• Cleanses the urinary tract and prevents infections
• Is thought to be effective against gout, malaria and prostate issues
• Acts as a diuretic and flushes out toxins
• Encourages the body to sweat and hence cools down

13. Kava
Main Ingredient: Kava roots

Benefits:
• Mood enhancer, eases the mind and gets rid of stress
• Eases muscle tension and pain
• Helpful in treating gout, prostate issues and rheumatism
• Can be used to treat depression and anxiety disorders
• Helps treat urinary tract diseases

14. Lemon Peel Tea
Main Ingredient: Peel of a lemon

Benefits:
• Strengthens the immune system and blood vessels
• Reduces symptoms of varicose veins
• Increases blood circulation especially in the extremities
• Relieves digestive tract problems
• Used to treat colds, flu and scurvy

15. Lemon Grass
Main Ingredient: Fresh or dried herb

Benefits:
• Aids in digestion
• Calms the nerves
• Lowers body temperature during fevers
• Reduces cholesterol and blood pressure levels
• Possible effectiveness against cancer

16. Labrador Tea
Main Ingredient: Leaves of the plant

Benefits:
• Helps treat colds, flu and coughs
• Relives an upset stomach
• Reduces symptoms of a hangover
• An ideal source of Vitamin C, for those suffering from scurvy
• Helps treat respiratory infections and ulcers
• Purifies and cleanses the blood

17. Lime Blossom
Main Ingredient: Flowers of the linden tree

Benefits:
• Eases headaches and migraines
• Helps treat insomnia
• Lowers blood pressure levels
• Calms the mind and reduces anxiety
• Relieves urinary tract infections

18. Mint
Main Ingredient: Dried or fresh mint leaves

Benefits:
• Anti-bacterial properties rids the mouth of germs after eating
• Treatsallergic reactions, asthma and irritable bowel syndrome
• Relieves stomach pain

19. Rooibos
Main Ingredient: Leaves of the Aspalathus Linearis plant

Benefits:
• Revitalizes the skin
• Aids with insomnia and headaches
• Relaxes the nervous system
• Eases colic and stomach cramps in infants
• Eases digestive system issues (indigestion, ulcers, constipation)
• Increases immune system strength
• Helps in calming down and easing mental tension

20. Rose Hip
Main Ingredient: Fruit of the rose plant

Benefits:
• Strengths the immune system
• Can treat colds and flu
• Eases rheumatoid arthritis
• Cleans and clears the urinary tract

21. Rosemary
Main Ingredient: Leaves of the rosemary herb

Benefits:
• Eases the symptoms of arthritis and rheumatism
• Improves a person's memory and concentration
• Aids in relieving an upset stomach and headaches
• Reduces skin damage such as wrinkles

22. Sage
Main Ingredient: Sage herb

Benefits::
• Relaxes the nervous system
• Eases coughs and chest congestion
• Eases throat pain due to laryngitis or tonsils
• Gets rid of constipation
• Treats sores and ulcers in the mouth

23. St. John's Wort
Main Ingredient: Dried flowers of the herb

Benefits:
• Very effective herbal anti-depressant
• Helps ease insomnia
• Relieves hangovers and after-effects of drinking alcohol
• Helps with chest congestion, sinus, cold and flu
• Eases the mind and elevates one's mood

24. Thyme
Main Ingredient: Thyme herb

Benefits:
• Aids in digestion and relieves flatulence
• Eases colds and coughs
• Eases menstrual cramps

25. Tulsi (Holy Basil)
Main Ingredient: Tulsi extract or leaves

Benefits:
• Lowers blood pressure and cholesterol levels
• Increases the strength of the immune system
• Eases the symptoms of colds and flu
• Improves respiratory and metabolic functions

26. Valerian
Main Ingredient: Dried Valerian root

Benefits:
• Can induce peaceful sleep
• Eases headaches
• Acts as a mild sedative
• Eases menstrual cramps

27. Yarrow
Main Ingredient: Dried yarrow herb

Benefits:
• Eases the symptoms of colds and fevers
• Relieves stomach problems like cramps and flatulence
• Aids the flow of menstruation
• Acts as an appetite stimulator

From the above list, green tea, oolong tea and black tea are missing. This is because such teas are prepared by adding various plant parts to conventional tea made from the tea bush. As such, they are considered flavored teas. The extensive types of herbal tea means a smorgasbord of tastes, flavors and aromas to enjoy as well as different situations of use. Whatever your ailment, there seems to be a herbal tea for it. Keep in mind, that such brewings and beverages are not meant to replace medicines and treatments, when it comes to diseases.

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