I clearly remember my first drink of tea. When I was a little girl, we were having a family dinner at my grandmother’s place and after dinner when my great-grandmother was pouring tea she asked my mother if “Lynda drinks tea?”. “Oh no,” my mother replied. “She’s only five.” When I protested that I was old enough, my great-grandmother splashed a few drops into my glass of milk and a lifelong love affair with tea was launched. So, when Erin Young, a fellow tea aficionado asked if she could write a guest post for BOOMERBROADcast about the benefits of drinking tea, I was happy to accommodate her on my blog.

Erin is a tea blogger based in the United States and offers some great suggestions on how we can use tea to improve our health:

5 Herbal Teas That Will Make You Healthier

Herbal tea and remedies have long been used to treat a variety of ailments. With the busy lives we are living, more people are incorporating medicinal plants and herbs into their diet to stay healthy. From boosting energy, alleviating inflammation and reducing stress; here are five herbs and plants that can help to make you healthier.

1. Common Sage:

Sage comes from the Latin word ‘salvere’, which means to be saved. Its healing powers have been known for thousands of years. Sage is an antiseptic and has anti-inflammatory properties. Sage can be used to treat sore throats. In fact, a 2009 study showed that an echinacea/sage throat spray is just as effective as a typical chemical-based treatment.(1)

Sage can be bought in tea bag form, or you can simply add fresh or dried sage to a cup of boiling water, letting the herb steep for 5-7 minutes before drinking.

2.  Matcha Green Tea:

Matcha is a form of green tea and is produced by taking the leaves and grinding them into a fine powder. Matcha boosts energy for 4-6 hours so it is a fantastic alternative to coffee.

Matcha also contains 137 X the antioxidants of standard green tea which protects your body against diseases. Matcha is also known to help boost the metabolism and therefore is a great drink for weight-loss.

Matcha is simple to make. You just need to add ½ a teaspoon of the powder to hot water. There are many other ways to enjoy matcha also, such as making iced tea, a matcha latte or adding it to your favourite recipes. Just ensure you buy high quality matcha so you receive the full health benefits.

3. Lavender Tea:

Lavender tea is made from the purple buds of the flowering plant. Lavender has a high concentration of vitamin A, as well as calcium and iron.

Drinking lavender tea can help to relieve inflamed tissues and provide relief from headaches and insomnia. Lavender oil can be added to a warm bath, to help relieve stress and tired muscles.

To make lavender tea, place 4 teaspoons of lavender bud into a tea ball. Place the tea ball into a cup of boiling water. Let it steep for 10 minutes and then it is ready to enjoy.

4. Cardamom tea:

Cardamon belongs to the ginger family and is native to India. Cardamom has long been used for medicinal purposes and is used to treat upset stomachs and the common cold. Cardamom can often be found in chai tea mixes.

To make cardamom tea, first, boil some water. Remove from the heat and add the tea leaves. Heat it again until the water starts boiling. Turn off the heat and let the tea steep for around 5 minutes before drinking.

5. Peppermint tea:

Peppermint is a delicious, fragrant herb where the main base ingredient, menthol, is used in many products such as toothpaste and breath mints. Drinking peppermint tea can help to relieve a headache. Headaches are often caused by constricted blood vessels to the brain, and drinking peppermint tea can open up these vessels and help to ease the pain.(5)  

Peppermint tea has also been shown to provide relief from irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).(6) Menthol can act as a sedative, so it can be beneficial to drink before sleeping.

Peppermint tea can be made from dry or fresh leaves. First, boil some water. Add the peppermint to the boiling water. Let it steep for about 5 minutes. Pour the tea through a strainer. You can also add honey for some extra sweetness.

In Summary;

Adding herbal tea into your daily routine can benefit your health whether you have had a stressful day at work, or are looking for natural ways to prevent and cure ailments. For energy and antioxidants we can recommend matcha green tea, for relaxation we advise lavender and for sore throats or tummies, peppermint and sage are wonderful. Why not also combine these herbal elements and make your own delicious mixes!

AUTHOR BIO

Erin Young is a health food writer and a tea expert. She owns two tea companies; Evergreen Matcha in the USA and Zen Green Tea Matcha in Australia. She partners with sustainable tea farms in Kyoto, Japan to source her premium matcha green tea powder. Want a free Matcha Recipe book with over 30 healthy recipes delivered to your inbox? Click here.  

References

1. Echinacea/sage or chlorhexidine/lidocaine for treating acute sore throats: a randomized double-blind trial
2. Evaluation of anti-inflammatory effects of green tea and black tea: A comparative in vitro study
3. Antioxidant effects of green tea
4. Ingestion of a tea rich in catechins leads to a reduction in body fat and malondialdehyde-modified LDL in men
5. Peppermint Tea May Help Relieve Headaches
6. How peppermint helps to relieve irritable bowel syndrome