Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Types of Tea's and their benefits

GREEN TEA
Rich in fluoride, so drink after meals to help guard against tooth decay. Use as a poultice by placing damp green tea leaves on insect bites to reduce itching and inflammation. Or soak a pad with weak green tea to make an emergency first aid treatment to ease bleeding from cuts. Boosts the immune system.

OOLONG TEA
Some types,  are effective at reducing
cholesterol levels, so drink after a fatty meal. Helps reduce high blood pressure.

BLACK TEA
Take a strong infusion of tea (2 tsp per cup of boiling water, without milk or sugar) for diarrhea, food poisoning, dysentery, or hangover. Reuse tea bags as a poultice and place on tired eyes. Damp tea leaves can soothe insect bites. Use a weak infusion as a cooling wash for sunburn.

PEPPERMINT TEA
Drink one to three cups as strong as you like to relieve headache pain. Put a few leaves in boiling water and inhale to ease nasal congestion. Children may prefer Spearmint tea for its milder taste.

CHAMOMILE TEA
Drink a cup at night for insomnia, anxiety and stress. Add to a baby's bath water at night to encourage sleep. Add 2 teaspoons flowers to boiling water and inhale for hay fever, asthma, or bronchitis.

Do You Know?

That the three types of tea; green, oolong and black are made from the leaves of the same species? Young, fresh leaves and leaf buds are pan-fried, then rolled or dried to make green tea. For Oolong tea the fresh leaves are wilted in sunlight, bruised slightly, then partly fermented. Black tea is a fully fermented variety.

That one cup of coffee contains about 100 to 150 milligrams of caffeine? A cup of Black tea contains about 60 to 70 milligrams of caffeine. Some mild teas may yield as little as 30 or 40 milligrams of caffeine.
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Teas From Plants Around You And Their Benefits

All teas unless specified are brewed with 1 teaspoon dry material or 2 teaspoons fresh material to 1 cup of water.

Always steep. This means pouring hot water over material and letting set for 5 - 15 minutes. Always dry leaves and roots out of the sun, in dark airy places. Then store in airtight containers.

Persimmon Tea: The leaves when dried and crushed make a fine strong tea. Can be used all year round. Rich in vitamin C. Used as a healthful tonic.

Sassafras Tea: Boil fresh roots after washing, until water turns reddish brown. Can be sliced and dried for later use. Claimed by some to be a blood thinner, a blood purifier, to help bronchitis, a stimulating spring tonic. Mostly it is used for pure enjoyment.

Birch Tea (Wintergreen): Black, yellow and white birch. Dried leaves can be used year round. A large handful of fresh leaves steeped in hot water was drunk 1 to 2 cups a day for rheumatism and headaches. Said to reduce pain of passing kidney stones, and a fever reducer. Cold it was used as a mouthwash.

Blackberry/Raspberry Tea: The dried mature leaves of these brambles make a good tea. Used to help control diarrhea, as a blood purifier and tonic. Use all year round.

Blueberry Tea: The dried mature leaves are steeped until cool and drunk 1 to 2 cups per day as a blood purifier and tonic. Also used to help inflamed kidneys and increase the flow of urine. Somewhat bitter. Use all year round.

Alfalfa Tea: The dried and powdered leaves and flower heads make a very nutritious tea, but it is somewhat bland. We suggest mixing them with normal teas to stretch them and add nutrition. Its vitamin content was the reason it was used. Used all year round.

Wild Strawberry Tea: Use dried leaves normally. Pour several cups
boiling water over a handful of fresh leaves in the evening. Cover and let steep overnight. Strain water and reheat in the morning. Believed to help with a multitude of things, from stomach troubles, eczema,
diarrhea, etc. According to experts, it is much more healthful than
purchased coffee or teas. Use all year round.

Wild Rose-Hip Tea: A handful of these steeped for 10 minutes, then strained, make a healthful tea. Can be used dried or fresh in season.
Instead of boiling, place a handful in cool water overnight, then stain
and reheat in the morning. Use all year round. Strong Vitamin C content. Helps with Colds and the flu. Also for sore throat.

Sweet Goldenrod Tea (Anise): Can use dried or fresh leaves or flowers. Makes a very flavorful tea. Pure enjoyment only!! Used all year round.



Ulcer Healing Herbal TeaSource: community.livejournal.com 1 part Marshmallow root (ground)
1 part Licorice root (ground)
1 part Slippery Elm
1/2 part Echinacea angustafolia
1/2 part Geranium
Sage Honey to taste (below)

Mix the above tea in a bowl. Pour 1 cup boiling water to 1 tsp. of herb. Let steep for 15 minutes. Drink on an empty stomach, 2 or 3 cups daily.

These herbs have been traditionally used for healing stomach ulcers and decreasing stomach acids, as well as for binding proteins. The sage honey & geranium are recommended for their astringent properties in preventing bleeding.

Other herbs known to be effective in healing ulcers are goldenseal, catnip, meadowsweet, ginger root and peppermint.
SAGE HONEY
1 1/2 cups raw honey
1/4 cup fresh sage leaves (salvia officinalis)
Heat honey over low heat. Add sage leaves and heat gently, taking care not to boil (excessive heat destroys the beneficial qualities of the honey). Heat until the sage leaves become dry. Now the herbal qualities and essential oils have been extracted from the sage herb and are contained in the honey. Strain with a slotted spoon or sieve. Pour aromatic honey into a clear glass jar and label.




Chai - Digestive Tea

Chai is a wonderful, spicy tea used commonly in the Middle East to settle the stomach and promote digestion after a meal.

1 cup water
1 tbsp. grated ginger, fresh
1 Cinnamon stick
2 whole peppercorns
4-5 cardamom pods
¼ cup milk
pinch nutmeg (optional)
honey to taste (optional)

In a saucepan, combine water and herbs. Cover and allow to simmer on low heat for eight to ten minutes. Add the milk, and return to simmering point for a further eight to ten minutes. Pour into mug and sweeten with honey; garnish with nutmeg.

Source: bellaonline.com



Herbal tea for respiratory troubles

This an herbal mixture that is wonderful for a sore throat, stuffy nose, congestion in the chest, and so on.

You don't need to use ALL of the herbs listed here; mix it up individually depending on what the problem is. If it's mainly a sore throat, use herbs for soothing the throat and helping to fight the infection; if it's congestion use herbs to loosen the mucous and make sneezes and coughs more productive and so on. Please research the effects of these herbs.

Eucalyptus to loosen mucous and help to open and soothe membranes
Comfrey is a natural analgesic, helps with sore throat
Lavender helps open nasal passages, relaxes muscles and can help with headaches
Rosehips are a good source of vitamin C
Juniper berries are a mild expectorant
Elecampane is an expectorant, and an excellent remedy for bronchitis, as it helps with cough
Angelica is good for cough and colds
Catnip is a good cold and flu remedy, as it is an expectorant, eases stomach upset, and fever reducer
Anise is an expectorant
Peppermint is an antibiotic, and soothes nausea, upset stomach, and headaches
Sage is an immune stimulant
Alfalfa is an immune stimulant
Horehound is very good to use when there is severe congestion, as it promotes mucous production and soothes the muscles of the bronchus

The following herbs can be added as needed.
Goldenseal is an antibiotic
Hyssop is good for sore throats
Lobelias is powerful against respiratory infections, such as earache, or of the lymph nodes, so could be very useful for those with mono
Wild cherry bark is a cough suppressant, most useful when taken at night so as to inhibit coughing while trying to sleep
Blood root is an expectorant and can help to relax the bronchial muscles
Boneset is good for upper respiratory infections and can also relieve mild aches and pains associated with influenza
Cloves can stimulate and disinfect the bronchial membrane
Elder flowers are good for upper respiratory ailments
Eyebright is an anti-inflammatory that can help with sinus headaches
Poppy is a painkiller
Feverfew is an anti-pyretic
Lemon balm is high in vitamin C, also for taste

You should use approximately 2 teaspoons of herbs total for each mug of tea. Bring water to a boil then remove from heat. Add herbs and allow to steep for 5-10 minutes.
Source: bellaonline.com




Calming Tea

4 cups water
3 tsp linden flowers
3 tsp chamomile
3 tsp passionflower
3 tsp orange zest
½ tsp stevia (this is a sweetener, you could use sugar or honey as well)

Bring the water to a boil, then remove it from the heat. Add the herbs, and allow them to steep for 10-15 minutes.
Source: bellaonline.com



A Zinger for High Blood Pressure
Source: The Herb Companion

If you enjoy herbal tea, you’ve probably sipped Red Zinger™, the popular hibiscus tea introduced by Celestial Seasonings more than 30 years ago. A growing body of scientific research suggests hibiscus tea is more than a refreshing beverage: It also seems to lower blood pressure.

A tropical member of the mallow family, hibiscus (Hibiscus sabdariffa) imparts a deep red color and slightly tart flavor to teas, jams, jellies, syrups and other goods. Many countries also value hibiscus as a medicinal plant. In Egypt, the red calyx (seed pod covering) has been used as a diuretic, nerve tonic and treatment for heart problems; Iran and other countries use hibiscus tea to treat hypertension.

After a small clinical trial confirmed the tea’s ability to lower blood pressure, researchers in Mexico conducted a randomized controlled clinical trial, comparing hibiscus tea with captopril, an antihypertensive drug. As reported in a 2004 issue of Phytomedicine, 39 patients in the hibiscus group and 36 patients in the control group completed the study. After four weeks, both groups experienced a significant drop in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure.

In 2007, the same researchers in Mexico conducted a larger controlled clinical study involving 193 patients. Again, after four weeks, the hibiscus reduced both systolic and diastolic blood pressure, this time by about12 percent.

Researchers believe the herb’s ability to lower blood pressure stems from its diuretic effect and inhibition of an enzyme that can cause hypertension. More studies are needed to determine the optimum dose, but it is likely to be more than an occasional cup of tea.—Steven Foster


A Cup of Black Tea Each Day Reduces Risk of Parkinson's Disease by Astonishing 71 Percent
by David Gutierrez

(NaturalNews) Drinking as little as three-quarters of a cup of this one tea each day may cut the risk of developing Parkinson's disease by as much as 71 percent, according to a new study conducted by researchers from the National Neuroscience Institute in Singapore and published in the American Journal of Epidemiology.

Parkinson's disease is a degenerative disorder that disrupts movement and balance.

Researchers examined the incidence of Parkinson's disease in 63,257 Chinese women and men, and compared it to their intake of various beverages as determined by in-person questionnaires. The researchers found that higher caffeine intake was associated with a 45 percent lower risk of Parkinson's disease.

Even after they adjusted for this effect, however, the researchers found that those who drank 23 or more cups of black tea each month (less than one per day) still had a 71 percent lower risk of Parkinson's disease than those who drank less.

"Black tea, a caffeine-containing beverage, showed an inverse association with Parkinson's disease risk that was not confounded by total caffeine intake or tobacco smoking," the authors wrote. "[This suggests that] ingredients of black tea other than caffeine appear to be responsible for the beverage's inverse association with Parkinson's disease."

In contrast to prior studies, the current research found no protective effect from green tea, only black.

Much prior research has focused on the health benefits of green tea, which is believed to derive from the tea's high content of the polyphenols epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), epigallocatechin (EGC), epicatechin gallate (ECG), and epicatechin (EC).

Ann Walker of the Tea Advisory Panel welcomed the recent research into black tea, noting that prior studies on Parkinson's disease failed to differentiate between green and black tea consumption.

"A key difference between black tea and green tea lies in the types and amounts of flavonoids," Walker said. "Green teas contain more of the simple flavonoids called catechins. But when black tea is made, the catechins undergo oxidation resulting in the generation of more complex varieties, called thearubigins and theaflavins."

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