On account of the growing consumer interest in wellness, the popularity of herbal teas has greatly increased. Herbal teas are available in a wide variety of tastes and flavors. Passed through ancient history as a key to good health, they contain various antioxidants and vitamins.
They come with a myriad of health benefits including weight loss, low cholesterol, pain relief, improving digestion, and stimulating brain function. It is very popular for the calming effects it produces, that helps you relax and rejuvenate. Read on to learn about a few healing herbs you can use to make tea.
Healing herbs used in teas:
1) Cannabis:
Cannabis is a drug derived from the Indian hemp plants such as Cannabis Sativa. Cannabidiol and Delta-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) are the two primary active components present in it. Cannabis tea can be an excellent way to consume this drug without smoking or vaping it. There are numerous ways of making it, using different ingredients in accordance to your personal preference. From alleviating chronic pain and anxiety to aiding the treatment of autoimmune conditions, cannabis has remarkable health benefits.
Alternatively, CBD is available in numerous forms in the market, capsules being one of the most convenient. You can buy CBD edibles from a local or online cannabis store.
2) Chamomile:
Chamomile is a flowering herb with two distinct varieties, German and English. You need to put dried chamomile flowers into boiling water to prepare chamomile tea. People usually drink this tea to calm their nerves before they go to sleep. It can help reduce moderate to severe symptoms of a generalized anxiety disorder (GAD).
In some cases, extreme stress and worry may result in insomnia and other sleep disorders. Chamomile tea can work wonders here.
3) Ashwagandha:
Earning the reputation of ‘the king of medicinal herbs,’ Ashwagandha has garnered a lot of spotlight as a potential remedy for anxiety and stress. One of the easiest ways of having Ashwagandha roots is in the form of tea.
Classified as an adaptogen, this popular herb of Ayurveda can help in regulating the physiological processes, hence stabilizing the body’s response to stress. It contains chemicals that may help calm your brain and lower your blood pressure. Moreover, this miraculous herb is popular even in the beauty and skincare industry as it enables you to sleep better, and look younger.
4) Hibiscus:
Hibiscus tea is a herbal beverage made by steeping dried hibiscus flowers into boiling water. It has a pinkish-red colour with a tangy flavour similar to that of cranberries. Associated with a healthy heart and lower cholesterol levels, it is an ideal choice for a refreshing morning tea.
5) Peppermint:
Peppermint is a hybrid mint that’s a crossbreed between watermint and spearmint. Many people drink peppermint tea because of its delicious taste, not knowing that it offers several health benefits as well. This is on account of the oils and compounds such as menthone and limonene that its leaves contain.
It is most popularly used to help improve your digestive health. However, it also exhibits antioxidant, antibacterial, and anticancer properties.
6) Ginger:
With a long history of being used as traditional medicine, the aromatic herb Ginger can do wonders for your body. It contains gingerol, which is an active antioxidant known for counteracting harmful chemicals that the body produces in stressful situations.
Ginger tea is a spicy, refreshing beverage that exhibits anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. It can help treat a host of ailments ranging from motion sickness to cancer. It is an easy, delicious, and organic way to promote good health.
7) Rooibos:
Rooibos tea, also known as red bush tea, is made using the long needle-shaped leaves, which are green at first and then turn red during the fermentation process. It comes from a South African shrub and is rich in antioxidants. It has skyrocketed to popularity owing to its array of health benefits, the primary one being fighting cancer by preventing tumour growth.
8) Lemon Balm:
Lemon Balm is a lemon-scented herb that is a part of the mint family. Popularly known as the ‘bringer of gladness’, it is native to North Africa, Europe, and West Asia, but grown around the world. The broad leaves with a mild lemon aroma have the potential to treat conditions such as Alzheimer’s, stress, cold sores, and insomnia. It contains rosmarinic acid that increases the availability of neurotransmitters in the brain. It can thus soothe your nerves and calm the mind and body.
9) Lavender:
Lavender is a popular herb used historically for mental health purposes, primarily for stress and anxiety. Studies suggest that lavender acts as a mood stabilizer and has anti-anxiolytic properties.
Lavender tea, made by brewing its fresh or dried purple buds with hot water, can improve your overall well being. Its delicate flavor and aromatic fragrance have a calming effect over your whole body, therefore used as a sleeping aid.
10) Passionflower:
The passionflower tea, made from the leaves, flowers, and stems of the plant is native to the South-Eastern United States. Today, it has gained an international reputation. Native Americans used passionflower to treat a variety of conditions, especially anxiety and insomnia.
Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid (GABA) is a brain chemical responsible for calming your mood. Passionflower boosts the level of GABA in your brain, thereby lowering your brain activity and allowing you to sleep better.
Final thoughts:
You can simply sit back with a warm mug, breathe in, sip slowly, and enjoy the variety of health benefits that herbal teas offer. Keep in mind that you should never use herbal teas as a substitute for standard care in the treatment of a health condition, but rather as a supplement.
