Herbal teas have been around for centuries. Not to be confused with true “teas”, herbal teas often do not contain caffeine and are made from dried plants, herbs and spices. Herbal teas are used for many different aliments such as headaches, nausea, immune-boosting properties, and relieving stress. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sometimes the best things do come in small packages, and herbal teas are a great example. Luckily, herbal teas are readily available in most grocery stores and markets across the world. Adding herbal teas to your daily wellness routine is a great way to naturally support your health due to their medicinal properties and maybe bring just a little more joy to your day. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou can’t buy happiness, but you can buy tea. And that’s kind of the same thing…\u201d -Unknown<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here are five different types of herbal teas and the wonderful health benefits that go along with them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Peppermint tea<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Peppermint tea is one of my favorites. It can be used in many scenarios, and it has a very calming effect on the mind and soul. Cool, calm, collected, <\/em>anyone? This type of tea is typically made from the dried leaves of a peppermint plant but can also be made with fresh leaves. Peppermint tea has been known to reduce the symptoms of gas and bloating and can also relieve the effects of nausea from various causes. Drinking this type of herbal tea can also aid in breaking fevers. A hot cup of peppermint tea can cause the body to produce an external sweat, while the main component of the tea, menthol, cools down the body internally. Weight loss, a natural breath freshener, and protection from colds and flu are just some of the additional benefits that a warm cup of peppermint tea can offer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Red rooibos tea<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Red rooibos tea originates out of South Africa near the mountains of The Cape of Good Hope and has been used for centuries for its health boosting properties. Probably one of the most well-known health benefits of this tea is the amount of quercetin that it contains. Quercetin is a powerful antioxidant that helps to reduce inflammation and protects the cells from free radicals. Controlling inflammation is a huge key in preventing a multitude of diseases, which is why adding rooibos tea to your diet can be such a wonderful addition. Red rooibos tea is also known to boost glutathione, or the master “antioxidant”, production in the liver. Glutathione is naturally occurring in the body but must be supported by dietary influences, as it is depleted during times of stress and from taking certain medications. Other system benefits of this tea include heart health, digestion, bone health (due to its calcium content), allergy and histamine support, and even has an anti-aging effect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dandelion root tea<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Looking for a way to detox your liver and rid of stubborn bloating after consuming a little too much booze? Dandelion tea may be the answer you are searching for. This type of herbal tea aids in helping the liver process toxins such as alcohol, junk food, and everyday exposures to toxins. When the liver gets overloaded, it can become overwhelmed with filtering out all of these toxins. Dandelion root tea is a great essential element for keeping your liver working at its best, especially if you have a high toxic load (as many of us do). It also contains a fair amount of calcium, which is great for bone health. The antioxidant content of dandelion tea is another great reason to drink this powerful health elixir. As mentioned above, antioxidants play a huge role in the elimination of free radicals that cause damage to our cells. Dandelion tea’s benefits can be maximized by consuming before meals on an empty stomach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hibiscus tea<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Hibiscus tea is so powerful that it has earned a status of “therapeutic agent” for many different conditions according to an article in the Journal of Experimental Pharmacology<\/a> published in 2012. A 2010 meta\u2011analysis of hibiscus RCTs published in Journal of Nutrition<\/a><\/em> showed a significant blood pressure reductions (7.2 mmHg reduction for systolic and 3.1 mmHg for diastolic). Another wonderful benefit of hibiscus is its potential to contribute to apoptosis in some cancer cells, which is the “death” of these cells. While there needs to be more studies done on the effects of hibiscus on cancer cells, it does show positive anti-cancer results due to its high content of anthocyanins, according to a study<\/a>. Hibiscus tea can also be used as a natural anti-depressant. The tea contains high amounts of bioflavonoids that seem to have a positive effect on depression in animal studies<\/a>. While many of the health benefits of hibiscus tea are still being studied, these are still some great reasons to add this powerful herbal tea to your diet. It not only is health-promoting but tastes great too. Try it iced for even greater refreshment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Ginger tea<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Ginger is one of the most powerful anti-inflammatory spices on the planet, alongside turmeric. For people suffering with any number of chronic pain conditions, this is great news. From headaches, to arthritis, ginger tea can help alleviate pain from many different causes due to the high amounts gingerol it contains. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Gingerol is a phenolic phytochemical found in ginger that has been shown in many studies<\/a> to reduce inflammation in the body, thus reducing pain. Even though inflammation is a normal immune response, chronic inflammation is the root of most modern disease. Ginger tea is just one of the many ways to help lower chronic inflammation. Another great benefit of this herbal tea is its ability to reduce moderate to severe nausea. It has been shown in studies<\/a> to be especially helpful to pregnant women and cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. Other benefits of ginger tea include keeping blood sugar in check, aiding in weight loss, and offering protection from neurodegenerative disease like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One thing to keep in mind when preparing your herbal tea, is to make sure you steep them for the proper amount of time so that you reap all of the health benefits. Most boxes of tea will tell you the correct steep time somewhere on the package or container Purchasing loose leaf tea in bulk is the cheapest and healthiest way to consume herbal teas because the tea diffuser will help you get the oils from the plants, whereas a tea bag would not. However, if tea bags are the only thing available to you, the bountiful health benefits of herbal teas are still yours! Enjoy!<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Herbal teas have been around for centuries. Not to be confused with true “teas”, herbal teas often do not contain caffeine and are made from dried plants, herbs and spices. 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