Try an herbal tea for a change...

Herbal tea, also known as a tisane, is any herbal infusion which is made with plants other than those from the leaves of the tea bush, the Camellia sinensis.

This beverage can be made with fresh or dried flowers, leaves, seeds or roots. This is generally done by pouring boiling water over the plant parts and letting them steep for a few minutes. Seeds and roots can also be boiled on a stove. The brew is then strained, sweetened if so desired, and served. They have their own special and unique flavors, and some have medicinal properties as well.

Keep in mind that many blends of real tea are prepared by adding other plants to an actual tea (black, oolong, green, or white tea); for example, the popular Earl Grey tea is black tea with bergamot oil and Jasmine tea is Chinese tea with Jasmine. Such preparations are varieties of tea, not herbal teas or tisanes.

Herbal infusions are often used as a home remedy, and as an alternative to

tea and coffee. Some popular herbal teas include borage, chamomile, dandelion, elderflower, hibiscus, nettle, and various species of mint. Each herb has unique medicinal properties, and a range of secondary effects; and this is linked to its use as a casual drink. For instance, Borage can be used as an aid against depression. It may also be drunk more casually to lift the spirits. Secondary effects include use as an anti-inflammatory. Other herbs may have similar side-effects, but in different proportions and are used in different ways.

When you enter a shop, you'll sometimes find that they sell many, many different kinds of herbal teas. You might get confused at first, but it's easier to differentiate than you think.

You'll find the base herbs from which you can do your own mixing to obtain a delicious herbal tea. However, we do not recommend that you mix your own herbs.

You'll have the herbal blends where you'll find different flavors mixed together such as: Chamomile Mint, Hibiscus Lemon, Lemon Balm Chamomile, so on and so forth. These flavors are mixed by people who know which plants to mix together and which to stay away from. These are pretty safe for your personal consumption.

Let's not forget the remedy blends. These have different herbs put together in order to help your body in a certain way. Some help for when you're congested, some help with a body detoxification, others are so that you can sleep better at night while some are there to help sooth a stomach ache. Remember that these are not meant to cure any diseases.

Making Herbal tea:

There are two methods of making herbal teas, infusion and decoction. Infusion is steeping lighter parts of the plant (leaves, flowers, light stems) in boiled water for four to eight hours. Decoction is boiling tougher parts, such as roots or bark for a longer period of time.

Mixing Herbs.
To counteract the various complications and side-effects of an ailment, or to produce a more rounded taste, a number of herbs may be mixed. A well-known mixture used against a cold includes eucalyptus leaf, mint leaf and juniper berry. We must caution you not to mix your own herbs. Buy the already made blend from a store where the mixings of herbs have been approved to be on the market because they are considered safe for consumption.

Fresh or Dried?
Many flower and leaf herbs lose volatile compounds within a few hours, as the juices and oils evaporate, the scent leaks away, and the chemicals change their form. Drying concentrates other compounds as water is removed. Most herbal traditions use dried material and the reported effects for each herb tend to be based upon dried herbs unless otherwise specified.

If you are using fresh herbs, you will need more of them, and the tea will have a somewhat different taste. Finely chop the leaf immediately before using it.

Medicinal concerns:

Herbal teas are often consumed for their physical or medicinal effects, especially for their stimulant, relaxant or sedative properties. The medicinal benefits of specific herbs are often anecdotal or controversial, and in the United States and several other countries, makers of herbal teas are not allowed to make unsubstantiated claims about the medicinal effects of their products.

While most herbal teas are safe for regular consumption, some herbs have toxic or allergenic effects. Among the greatest causes of concern are:

Comfrey, which contains alkaloids that can cause permanent liver damage with chronic use. (However, scientific studies need to be done in order to prove, without question, that comfrey causes liver damage.) Meanwhile, err on the side of caution. Better to consult your doctor before you take an herbal tea that contains comfrey.

Lobelia, which contains toxins similar in effect to nicotine.

Pineapple weed, which is sometimes sold as chamomile, is closely related to ragweed and can cause violent allergic reactions in hay fever sufferers, up to and including anaphylactic shock and death.

Herbal teas can also have different effects in different people, and this is further compounded by the problem of potential misidentification. The deadly foxglove, for example, can be mistaken for the much more pleasant (but still relatively hepatotoxic) comfrey.

Disclaimer: Information on this site is provided for informational purposes and is not meant to substitute for the advice provided by your own physician or dietitian. Information and statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

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