Herbal Teas for Health

The Chinese have long honored black and green teas as sources of vitality and well-being. Europeans, after their first visits to China, brought back the wonderful herb and popularized its use throughout the Western world. Other herbs were noted and known in every locale across the globe for their own unique healing properties. A few of these botanical gems should be in the kitchen cabinets of anyone interested in holistic health.

Chamomile

This well-known tea is processed from a fragrant flower and is a soothing herb for the whole body. It helps alleviate tension and is a fantastic evening tea since it helps lull a person to sleep. It is a gentle treatment for insomnia. It also calms stomachaches and intestinal distress, and it can also fight E. coli bacteria.

Dandelion

This tea, made from either the roots or leaves of the common yard plant, removes toxins from the body and tones the liver. As a diuretic, it flushes excess water from the body, but its potassium content helps ensure proper electrolyte balance. This abundant herb also lessens mood swings and is an anti-rheumatic.

Eyebright

This herb, which is useful in all of its parts above the root, is great for all ailments of the eyes. Eyestrain, eye infections, and tired eyes can all be treated with eye washed made of eyebright. It also protects the mucus linings of the eyes, nose and throat, making it a wonderfully protective tea for people who are exposed to cigarette smoke. Eyebright is a boon for computer addicts, who will find their tired eyes relieved and their heds cleared by this pleasant tea.

Peppermint

This leaf tea offers pep while reducing stress, making it a great morning tea. It also freshens the breath, helps control body odor, clears congestion, soothes laryngitis, and relieves tooth-, stomach- and headaches. It's no wonder that this herb is considered a cure-all.

Plantain

Another leaf tea that acts as a miracle herb, this plain-tasting plant offers antibacterial and antifungal healing. It also effectively treats colds and congestion, poison ivy, skin infections, hemorrhoids, prostrate enlargement, and colitis. As a detoxifier, it can help clean the blood and even slow the effects of poison and snake venom while medical treatment is sought. This herb is great to have on hand for a variety of ailments.

Yerba Mate

Yerba mate is a South American leaf tea that is a wonderful tonic for the whole body. Rich with A, B, C and E vitamins, along with a host of other nutrients and healthful complexes, this tea gives incredible energy without caffeine, boosts the metabolism for weight loss and vitality, and soothes the nerves for stress-free activity.

To make a simple tea with any of these herbs, steep a teaspoonful of the loose herb in one cup of hot water. Strain the plant material with a piece of cheesecloth or use a spoon infuser, which will keep the leaves or roots together neatly in the cup for easy removal. Steep the herbs for five to ten minutes, strain, and enjoy.