Herbal Tea

Although not a real tea in the strictest sense of the word, herbal tea do have a lot good ness going for it as you can see form the rest of this article. Read on and see how it can be the tea that is the perfect choice for you!

An herbal tea (also known as tisane, or ptisan) is the term that is used to refer to an herbal infusion that is made from anything other than the leaves of the tea bush or Camellia sinensis plant. The English word "tisane" actually comes from the Greek word πτισάνη or ptisanē, which is itself a drink that is made primarily from pearl barley.

In the strictest sense of the word, the name 'herbal teas' is actually somewhat inaccurate, since these concoctions are not made of real tea or the Camellia sinensis plant, but rather formulated from the infusion of other plants. In many countries other than the United States, the use of the word “tea” is actually restricted to beverages that are made from infusions of the Camellia sinensis tea plant.

Most herbal teas are typically made with fresh or dried flowers, or some combination of leaves, seeds or roots. The process generally involves pouring boiling water over the parts of the plant, and then letting them steep for a few minutes. Alternately, the seeds and roots of the plants can also be boiled on a stove. The resulting tisane is then strained and sweetened if so wished, and served for drinking. To make things easier for the herbal tea drinker, many companies have begun to offer herbal tea that come in bags that have been specifically designed for such infusions procedures.

Far less commonly–and even less accurately–the term herbal tea is also used to refer to certain types of flavoured teas that are prepared with the addition of other plants to the actual tea. These types of teas are typically of the black, oolong, green, yellow, or white varieties. A popular example of this usage is the famous Earl Grey tea, which is simply black tea mixed with bergamot. Other common uses of the term herbal tea in this manner includes jasmine tea, which is Chinese tea mixed with jasmine flowers, and genmaicha, which is simply a type of Japanese green tea mixed with toasted rice.

Medicinal concerns with herbal teas

Many people the world over use herbal teas for their reputed physical or medicinal qualities, particularly those that have to do with their stimulating, relaxing or sedating effects. Many of the ingredients in herbal teas are in fact known to have medicinal effects, although the medical community has generally regarded these claims with a fair bit of skepticism and even outright disbelief. In any cases, many of the reported health giving benefits of these herbal teas remain largely anecdotal or controversial, and in countries such as the United States, the manufacturers of herbal teas are generally not allowed to make any type of unsubstantiated claim about the medicinal properties of their products.

Interestingly enough, while most herbal teas are generally regarded as being safe for regular use, some of these herbs have been known to produce toxic or allergenic effects. Some of the ingredients that are the biggest causes of concern are Comfrey, which contains alkaloids that may cause permanent liver damage with prolonged use; Lobelia, which contains toxins that have an effect similar to nicotine; and Chamomile and Pineapple weed (another species of Matricaria), which are related to ragweed and can actually cause violent allergic reactions in people who suffer from hay fever. In extreme cases, this reaction may even cause anaphylactic shock or even death.

Keep in mind that herbal teas can actually display different effects from person to person, and a further problem may arise with potential misidentification. Foxglove for example–which is a highly toxic substance–can easily be mistaken for comfrey.