What You Should Know about These Specific Herbal Teas

Herbal Tea: Benefits and Ingredients to Look Out For... and Avoid.

New Zealand and Australia are ranked number 6 and 13 respectively when it comes to average annual tea consumption per country in 2014. The tea drinkers from Turkey lead the pack at number 1.

Australians and New Zealanders now want more from their herbal teas - more variety and more flavour. In 2014, Australians looking for premium tea have also escalated, while in New Zealand tea flavour developments continued in 2013. Though when it comes to herbal tea, it helps to know what to look for and what to avoid so that you’ll get the best possible health benefits.

Let’s have a quick look at the wonderful health benefits of these common herbal teas:

Red bush/rooibos tea (from the plant Aspalathus linearis). South Africa sure does have a lot of hidden wonders. Fresh from the jungles of South Africa, this broom-like plant has leaves that are rich in flavonoids and make a popular tea. Extracts from this plant possess free radical scavenging activity. One study found that this herb helped to prevent development or further progression of diabetes mellitus type 2 and cancer. Both of these conditions are associated with oxidative damage from free radicals. Another study suggested that the anti-oxidative properties of Red Bush tea also target inflammation caused by free radical damage. Since it’s caffeine-free, children can enjoy it too without worrisome side effects.

Antioxidant protection
Diabetes

Chamomile tea (from the plant Matricaria recutita). There are two kinds of chamomile, the German chamomile and Roman or English chamomile. Between the two, the German variety is more popular in New Zealand and Australia. Interestingly, both varieties are used for the same conditions.

Sore throat
Gingivitis or gum inflammation
Digestive problems such as cramps, indigestion, diarrhea, gas, colic
Anxiety and insomnia

Green tea (from the plant Camellia sinensis). Perhaps the best known benefits of green tea include improvement in thinking, memory and mental alertness, increased thermogenesis (fat burning) and optimal physical performance. The good news is it contains less caffeine than your regular coffee fix.

Weight-loss regimes
Antioxidant protection
Improve brain function

Black tea (from the plant Camellia sinensis). Yes, this comes from the same plant as green tea does, it’s just more oxidised (exposed to oxygen) and also contains the greatest amount of caffeine in all the teas.

Mental stimulant
Antioxidant protection

Peppermint tea (from the plant Mentha piperita). This caffeine-free tea is also called mint tea. Peppermint tea has a calming effect on the digestive system and is well recognised as a great after dinner drink to soothe digestive discomfort.

Intestinal gas
Indigestion

Liquorice tea (from the plant Glycyrrhiza glabra). Its natural sweetness makes this tea a favourite, particularly with children. Used in both Western and Eastern medicine, liquorice has several healing applications.

Calming and healing to the digestive system, eg indigestion, stomach ulcers
Soothing effect on sore throats
Constipation - mild laxative effect
Naturally energising

Rose hip tea (from the plant Rosa rubiginosa). Do you want your vitamin C with a twist? Try getting it in the form of Rose hip tea. Rose hip’s naturally high vitamin-C content made this common garden fruit an alternative to scarce citrus fruits during World War II. Rosehip has a pleasant slightly sweet n sour taste!

Common cold or flu - support immunity during the winter ills and chills
Antioxidant protection

Ingredients to Look Out for…and Avoid

Sweeteners. Look out for sweeteners in your tea such as added table sugar and artificial sweeteners. Stevia is the best option if you want sweetened tea or better still, add your own honey or natural sweetener when brewing it.
Nature Identical Flavouring. Natural flavours are produced in a laboratory just as other flavours are, therefore could contain exactly the same chemicals as identical flavours and artificial flavours. How is it possible to distinguish between them? How do we as consumers really know what’s in these natural flavours we so often see on food packages? Our advice would be to avoid them as best you can.
Colours. Do you like those fancy berry teas which look like pink cordial? Have you ever checked their ingredients? Check them out next time you go shopping. Synthetic food colourings have been linked to altered behaviour among children and are best avoided.
Preservatives. Preservatives such as sulphites are used to preserve dried fruits. So these can also end up in your gourmet fruity loose tea blends. If in doubt ask before you purchase them. Sulphites can cause allergic-type reactions in susceptible individuals.

To play it safe when it comes to additives, preservatives and colours in your tea, is simply go organic. Organic shops also have the best selection of caffeine-free herbal teas. Just remember to steep your tea for a good 5 minutes to get the most benefits from each cup! Enjoy!