Herb Tea Benefits: Herbal Teas That Will Make You Look and Feel Healthier
There’s nothing BETTER on a chilly day or when you’re craving for something warmer than a soothing cup of herbal tea. But besides the unique tastes that teas carry, herbal tea has lots of wonderful health benefits. From easing digestion to helping you a good night rest and relaxing an over worked mind, herbs have all sorts of powerful healing powers. Drinking herbal tea can also be a great source of vitamins and minerals and they can help you lose weight too.
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What is herbal tea?
Herbal tea isn’t really made from tea-which is a specific kind of plant. The French use the word tisane, which is a little more accurate, since herbal tea is really just an infusion of leaves, seeds, roots or bark, extracted in hot water. In drinking a well-steeped herbal tea, we get all the plant’s benefits in an easily digestible form.
The benefits of herbal tea
‘In a lot of ways, we might get more benefit from a good organic tea than from a vitamin pill,’ says herbalist Marianne Beacon of Elderberry Herbals in Peterborough, Ont. “You’re getting the benefits of hydration. There’s the social element: Tea is something that you can share with people. And when you’re drinking herbal tea, you get aromatherapy at the same time’and that’s something you don’t get from a tablet!’
That’s why Toronto-based herbalist Marcia Dixon says herbal tea should always be steeped in a covered vessel to contain the beneficial essential oils. ‘Otherwise, your room smells nice but you aren’t retaining the medicinal properties.’
Here is a list of 10 healthy herbal teas you’ll want to try.
Peppermint tea
Peppermint Tea Soothes Stomach Upsets. Peppermint tea is sometimes referred to as “the stomach healer” because it is known to soothe many stomach ailments, including stomach aches, stomach pains, stomach cramps, heartburn, gas/flatulence, indigestion and diarrhea, and to promote healthy digestion.
Ginger tea
Drinking a cup of ginger tea before traveling can help prevent nausea and vomiting associated with motion sickness. You can also drink a cuppa at the first sign of nausea to relieve the symptom. Useful in improving digestion and increasing absorption of food, ginger tea can bloat after eating too much.
Chamomile tea
One cup of chamomile tea has two calories, two milligrams of sodium and no cholesterol. Chamomile is commonly used for improving many different health conditions, including:
- Fighting anxiety and depression
- Natural allergy fighter or hay fever
- Anti-inflammatory
- Muscle spasms treatment
- PMS natural remedy and other menstrual disorders
- Insomnia Cure
- Skin disorders
- Ulcers
- Wounds
- Gastrointestinal disorders
- Natural arthritis cure and rheumatic pain reliever
- Hemorrhoids home remedy
Rooibos tea
Health benefits of red rooibos tea include its use as a cure for headaches, insomnia, asthma, eczema, bone weakness, hypertension, allergies, and premature aging. This tea is absolutely free from caffeine content and is also low in tannins. Drinking rooibos tea can further ease severe stomach cramps, as well as bring relief to asthma and other related conditions. It also boosts the immune system.
Lemon balm tea
Lemon balm, or “Melissa officinalis,” is an herb belonging to the mint family that’s been used for centuries to treat anxiety, sleep disorders, indigestion, and wounds. You can make lemon balm tea by steeping 1/4 to 1 tsp. of dried herb in hot water. You can drink the tea up to four times daily.
Lemon balm is helpful for…
- Protecting against heart and liver problems.
- Functions as a natural antibacterial agent.
- Maybe useful against diabetes.
- Might improve mood, concentration, and sleep.
- Fights herpes naturally.
- Powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory.
- Can regulate the overactive thyroid.
- May aid in digestion.
Milk thistle and dandelion tea
When consumed as a tea, milk thistle or dandelion are gentle liver cleansers. ‘They help the liver to regenerate and function at a higher capacity,’ says Huska. ‘They can also assist in the production of bile, which can help with our digestive process.’
Rosehip tea
Antioxidants. Rosehip tea is rich in vitamin C and flavonoids, which are responsible for its antioxidant effect. Antioxidants help prevent diseases related to oxidation, such as heart disease, arthritis, and cancer. They also inhibit damage caused by free radicals, which play a role in premature aging.
