All tea comes from the camellia sinensis bush. Therefore, “herbal tea” is a misnomer because it is not a tea at all. Instead, these mixtures of botanicals are called tisanes. Tisanes are usually a combination of dried leaves, pieces of ripe fruit, flowers, grasses, nuts, leaves, bark, and/or seeds.
It’s fall and the weather is cooling down, especially here in Minnesota. This time of year, I enjoy sipping hot drinks throughout the day: coffee, tea/tisane, or cocoa. It’s probably not a good idea to have too much coffee or cocoa (everything in moderation). Sipping a hot cup of tisane is a wonderful way to warm you from the inside and may have some wonderful health benefits as well.
Here are a few common examples of “herbal tea” ingredients and their health benefits:
Chamomile: This flower is known to relieve skin infections, increase appetite, accelerate the healing of wounds, reduce fever, and decrease inflammation of the stomach and liver.
Ginger: This root soothes the stomach and lungs, helps treat colds and cough, and aids in relieving digestive problems.
Ginseng: This root increases concentration and clarity with ginsenoids.
Peppermint: These leaves increase appetite, decrease fever and sore throat, helps fight a cold, and helps relieve skin infections.
This is only a small sampling of ingredients found in tisanes. There are thousands to try. Have a look at this website:
They sell tea and tisanes. This link takes you straight to the herbals. For $10 you can buy an herbal sampler with six tins to try. It’s a great introduction to “herbal tea”.
Tags: beverages, herbal tea, tisane
