Healing Benefits of Herbal Teas

In addition to having the healing benefits of herbal teas, they taste good and when you are sick, the warm comfort of tea can make you feel much better. Regular drinking of herbal tea can improve your health as well. Here are a few teas and things to look for when selecting your favorite tea!

First, make sure that you select a tea that is organic or grown without pesticides. You don’t want to undo all of those health benefits by drinking warmed up toxic chemicals! Also make sure that when you are allowing your tea to steep that you cover the pot or cup so that you keep all of the natural oils in the cup and not floating out into the air. Teas that contain caffeine will produce mental alertness, but herbal teas tend to be decaffeinated. This makes them appropriate for drinking any time of day without worry that you will be up all night.

Green tea is full of antioxidants and studies have shown that those compounds help to counteract the growth of tumors. Black tea is caffeinated, but also appears to reduce the effects of smoking on the lungs as well as reducing stroke risk. White tea also has potent antioxidants and may be the most effective of all processed teas.

Here are few ingredients to look for in herbal teas and how they can help you:

Mint – Reduces congestion in someone who has a cold; reduces discomfort and bloating from gas; lessens cramping from diarrhea and stomach upset; relieves nausea.

Ginger – Anti-viral; relieves nausea; warming effect to someone who might have fever and chills; soothing effect on sore throat; reduces the effects of motion sickness.

Chamomile – Sleep inducing; soothes anxiety; reduces nausea and stomach upset; soothes a cough from an irritated throat. Some studies appear to show that chamomile can help reduce the complications caused by diabetes. Chamomile also has antiseptic and anti-bacterial properties.

Cinnamon – Improves circulation; reduces nausea; reduces gas and stomach discomfort; reduces symptoms of a cold and warms the body if someone is experiencing chills.

Lemongrass – Calms anxiety; said to reduce blood pressure with daily use; improves circulation and reduces fluid retention. Lemongrass has anti-inflammatory properties.

Clove – Fights infections and eases pain in sore throats; reduces body aches that come from illness. Clove has both antiviral and antifungal properties.

Rooibos (red) tea – This is a South African herb that most often is fermented. This tea also contains compounds that appear to make it a cancer-fighter.

As you can see, herbal teas have the ability to help you not only when you are under the weather, but all year long. You can benefit from these healthy properties with your next cup, it’s just a matter of choosing your favorite ingredients.