Herbal Teas

If you want to get hold of a particular tea and can't find it, then it is fine to use a combination tea, which contains the ingredient you want along with a few others.

Some Health Benefits from Particular Herbal Teas:

Heart and Circulation: Hawthorn berry.

Stomach and Intestines: Meadowsweet, Chamomile, Peppermint, Aniseed, Caraway, Slippery Elm, Licorice, Ginger.

Nerves: Motherwort, Clover Blossoms.

General: Clover Blossoms, Motherwort, Green Tea, Chickweed, Nettle.

Women: Raspberry Leaf, Motherwort, Clover Blossoms.

Immune System: Pau d'Arco.

Kidneys: Parsley, Buchu.

SOME TEAS EFFECT:

Hawthorn Berry or flowers - Hawthorn has a very strong reputation as a safe remedy for the heart. It also tends to normalise blood pressure. It is ironic that when scientists made a heart drug based on a plant, they chose the poisonous Foxglove (digitalis) as a starting point, rather than the benign Hawthorn. However, if you do have heart problems for which you are taking drugs, before taking Hawthorn, I would advise you to consult a practitioner who understand the actions of both drugs and herbs.

Chamomile - Chamomile has a reputation for soothing the digestion. This is through its action as a muscle relaxant - it lessens tension in the gastro-intestinal tract. Chamomile tea is a good one if it is used after a meal.

Peppermint - Peppermint can be a stronger muscle relaxant than Chamomile, so again it is useful to drink after a meal. It is also 'anti-emetic', which means that if you have nausea for any reason, it tends to calm this. If you find the taste too strong, then make it very, very weak - and you may then find it pleasant.

Meadowsweet - Meadowsweet is great for helping the stomach to digest food. Drink it half an hour before or after a meal. It has the reputation of balancing stomach acid. The feeling we interpret as 'too much acid' may, in fact, be caused by 'not enough acid - at the right time'. So Meadowsweet is a good tea to help here, as it is 'amphoteric' - it increases where there is too little, and decreases where there is too much.

Licorice - Licorice is soothing and healing for the lining of the stomach and intestines. It is a good tea if you have a tendency to get ulcers in these places; it is not a complete treatment, though - see a natural healthcare practitioner for this.

Slippery Elm - Another great soothing herb for the gut (gastro-intestinal tract). If you have wounds (ulcers), spasm or inflammation anywhere in the gut, drink lots of Slippery Elm Tea (actually - it's more of a 'gruel' - like thin porridge). Slippery Elm is very benign - that is, very safe. You can even make your 'porridge' thick - and use it externally to help healing. Slippery Elm has a reputation for being nourishing and easy to digest - hence its use to assist recovery from a long illness, and for the elderly.

Clover Blossom - This is known for its 'blood purifying' effects - in other words, it is good for general health. It also contains some 'phytoestrogens' - which make it beneficial for women - take it to help periods or menopause.

Nettle - Nettles have a reputation of being nutritious and also detoxifying. Nettle Tea is thus a good general tea to use every day.

Ginger - Ginger Tea is usually made by simmering a few slices of fresh ginger for a couple of minutes in water. Ginger, again, relaxes spasms, with the added property that it has an affinity for the abdominal area. So use it if you want to influence the abdomen.

Parsley - A great general aid for the kidneys. If you have kidney problems - consult a practitioner; but if you just want to give the kidneys a helping hand to keep them working well, regular Parsley Tea is a great idea. Use fresh Parsley if you have it; or dried is easily available. Tastes great!

Buchu - Has antiseptic properties - and it smells like it too! Women with cystitis know they need to drink lots of water; they know they have to wait and suffer until the problem goes. Buchu offers an antiseptic tea which can be drunk, and which makes its way through the kidneys and bladder. A safe remedy which your doctor would probably approve of. If in doubt - check with him.

www.ucheepines.org/cystitis.htm

Raspberry leaf - Has a long-standing reputation of assisting childbirth if taken frequently during pregnancy. I don't know of any proof... but it certainly won't do any harm. It will often assist periods, so take it if you have pre menstrual tension or other menstrual symptoms; or during menopause. Also used to make a tea to gargle with for sore throat (Thyme is useful for a sore throat gargle too. Or mix the two. Store the excess in the fridge and it will keep for a couple of days. Probably best to warm to room temperature before use.)

Motherwort - Motherwort used to be used much more widely than it is today. It's common name suggests its use for women - for whom it is beneficial. Its Latin name suggests its use for the heart - Leonurus cardiaca - a valuable tonic for the heart and circulation. But I remember its reputed benefit for the whole body and a long life; one ancient herbal says; "Drink Motherwort Tea and live to be a source of grief to waiting heirs". 'Nuff said!

Chickweed - This 'weed' may be growing wild just outside your house; here is a good web page to aid identification - Chickweed Tea is found to be good externally for many skin complaints. It will often reduce itching, and promote healing. It is often mentioned as helping weight loss - I am not sure of the mechanism here - but, again, if it replaces tea and coffee it's all to the good. It has a general benefit for the body, helping with rheumatism and arthritis.

For more information visit

http://www.starherb.com
http://www.starherb.com/sp/artindex.asp