The Top Ten Stress Relieving Herbal Teas

Are you feeling stressed out, irritable, or anxious? Are you suffering from insomnia, tension headaches, or indigestion? Soothing and relaxing herbal teas may provide just the help you are looking for. Herbal teas, which are more correctly referred to as tisanes, are "perfect for relaxing after a hectic day or when sleep eludes you," says Beth Johnston, Owner Teas Etc.

Caffeine laden teas and coffees should be avoided before going to bed as they may add to ones stress levels, nervousness, irritability, and anxiety. Traditional green and black teas contain varying amounts of caffeine and come from the plant Camellia sinensis. The advantages of consuming herbal teas are that they are all caffeine free and unless you choose to add honey, sugar, milk or cream to them they are also fat free and low in calories. "Being naturally caffeine free, herbal teas are non-stimulating. The wonderful benefit is that while enjoying a delicious beverage, you are drinking all the healthful benefits of both tea and herbs," says Lori Bigelow, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Bigelow Teas.

The herbs mentioned in this article have been proven to help alleviate a variety of stress related symptoms. These herbs work best when taken as a tea approximately 30 minutes prior to retiring for the evening and can be used to promote a restful sleep by helping to relax your mind and body. These herbs can be used either singly or in blends both of which are available from many commercial tea suppliers.

The Herbs

Mints (Mentha spp.)
Herbs in the mint family, especially spearmint and peppermint, add a refreshing flavor and mild sedative action to herbal teas. They are especially soothing to an upset stomach.

Mountain Rose Herbs produces a Peace Blend tea blend which includes spearmint along with other relaxing, calming, and stress relieving herbs such as chamomile, passionflower, and lavender. Another commercially available blend that you might want to try is Sweet Dreams herbal tea by Bigelow Teas which contains chamomile, peppermint leaves, spearmint leaves and hibiscus flowers.

German chamomile (Matricaria recutita)
The delicate apple-like scented flowers of chamomile are useful for people suffering from hyperactivity, indigestion, insomnia, and nausea. One of the benefits of chamomile tea is that "The whole flower infuses to create an aromatic brew that is soothing for mind, body, and spirit" mentions Johnston. And Scott Graham, Director of Tea Product Development at Celestial Seasonings, mentions that "Chamomile is one of our top ten sellers in the herbal tea category. A cup of chamomile tea is especially calming in the evening, when you are settling down for a good night's sleep."

One of my favorite herbal teas is Celestial Seasonings Honey Vanilla Chamomile which blends together chamomile, lemon grass and orange peel among other ingredients. One note of caution when using this herb, chamomile tea is made from the whole flower head and may occasionally cause an allergic reaction in persons susceptible to pollen allergies.

Ginseng (Panax ginseng)
The dried roots of ginseng are used in cases of insomnia, nervous exhaustion, and stress. Siberian ginseng (Eleutherococcus senticosus) exhibits properties similar to authentic ginseng. This bitter tasting herb tastes best when blended with some of the more palatable herbs.

You may want to try one of the commercially available ginseng tea blends such as Satori Teas Ginseng Power+ Stress T'Eze which incorporates appetizing ingredients such as hibiscus flowers, orange peel and logan fruit along with the ginseng to make a delicious beverage. And Mountain Rose Herbs makes a Winter Spice Tea which is a stress reducing blend of Siberian ginseng, cinnamon, orange peel and ginger.

Skullcap (Scutellaria lateriflora)
The whole plant can be used as tea to help relieve a variety of symptoms. "Skullcap is a relaxing herb that you can use for insomnia, headache, nervous exhaustion, muscle spasms, and the nervous tension and irritability associated with premenstrual syndrome," says Christopher Hobbs, herbalist and author of Herbal Remedies for Dummies.

Lavender (Lavendula angustifolia)
The leaves and flowers of lavender are utilized and provide a slight flowery taste to herbal teas. The symptoms that are alleviated by lavender include anxiety, indigestion, irritability, nervous exhaustion and tension headaches.

Lemon verbena (Aloysia triphylla)
The lemon flavored leaves and stems of this herb make a delightful addition to herbal teas. Lemon verbena is used to help alleviate indigestion, insomnia, and nausea. Bigelow Tea manufactures the I Love Lemon & C Herb Tea which includes lemon verbena along with lemon grass, lemon peel, rose hips, hibiscus flowers, and peppermint leaves plus added vitamin C.

Catnip (Nepeta cataria)
According to Deni Bown in her book The Herb Society of America New Encyclopedia of Herbs and Their Uses catnip has a variety of medicinal uses including insomnia, excitability, palpitations, nervous indigestion, stomach upsets, and digestion-related headaches. The following comment regarding catnip can be found on the Celestial Seasonings website; "Interestingly, although catnip causes quite a bit of excitement in cats, it is believed to have exactly the opposite effect on humans. Catnip tea has a long history of use as a calming brew, to soothe your stomach and quiet your mind."

Linden (Tilia spp.)
The aromatic flowers of this herb help relieve anxiety, headaches, indigestion, and nervous tension. Celestial Seasonings Sleepytime Herb Tea, which can be used to both calm your nerves and relax your body, includes Mexican tilia flowers (Tilia estrella) in addition to chamomile flowers, spearmint leaves, lemon grass and other tasty ingredients.

Passionflower (Passiflora incarnata)
"Herbal teas for relaxation are made with valerian, hops, passion flowers, or chamomile," says Richard Craze, author of Herbal Teas. The leaves and stems of the passionflower vine are utilized in teas by persons suffering from anxiety, insomnia, irritability, nervous tension, PMS & menstrual problems, and tension headaches.

Valerian (Valeriana officinalis)
Valerian is a bitter and musky tasting herb that tastes best if it is blended with other more palatable herbs. The roots are useful in relieving anxiety, insomnia, and tension. "Actual clinical trials show that valerian can help users fall asleep faster and have a deeper, more refreshing night's sleep," mentions Hobbs.

Valerian is a potent herb which Celestial Seasonings recommends to promote an extra fast, restful, natural sleep.

"Celestial Seasonings Sleepytime Extra Wellness Tea contains valerian, an extra ingredient not included in our Sleepytime Herb Tea," explains Graham.

A few other herbs, not covered in this article, that can help to induce a restful nights sleep include hops (Humulus lupulus), lemon balm (Melissa officinalis), borage (Borago officinalis), Arabian jasmine (Jasminum sambac), and lemon grass (Cymbopogon citratus).

Brewing Methods
The ceremony of serving tea is very calming in itself. Don't rush the process of gulp down your tea or you are missing the whole point of this stress relieving ritual. "Just the mere ritual of preparing a pot of tea, sitting down and taking a few moments of quiet time away from a busy schedule in wonderfully relaxing," says Bigelow. Use your favorite teapot, cups and mugs to serve your tea in to further add to the soothing and relaxing mood.

For each serving of tea desired bring 1 cup of water to a boil in a non-metallic pan. An enameled or glass pan works well. Remove the pan from the heat and add 1 teaspoon of dried or 1 tablespoon of fresh herbs to the pan. Let this mixture steep for 10 to 15 minutes. For a lighter tasting tea, steep the ingredients for no longer than 5 minutes. This shorter infusion time yields a refreshing beverage that doesn't contain as many medicinal properties as the longer infusion method. Place a lid on top of your container while it steeps to prevent the volatile essential oils from escaping. It is these essential oils which contain the medicinal properties that you are exploiting for use in your herbal beverage. Strain the herbs from the water and pour the tea into your favorite mug or tea cup.

You could also use a French press or tea pot with a built in infuser basket when making larger amounts of tea. Just be sure to adjust the amount of herbs you use according to how many cups of tea you are making. Those little tea balls you find in some kitchen gadget stores don't have enough room for the herbs to move around freely. If the herbs can't move around freely in the water while they are steeping you will wind up with an inferior cup of tea.

If you prefer iced tea double the amount of herbs used. Don't double the amount of time you steep the herbs as the tea could end up developing a bitter taste. Use 2 teaspoons of dried or 2 tablespoons of fresh herbs for each cup of water you are using when making iced tea. The extra amount of herbs used allows for dilution by the melting of ice cubes that you have added to your iced tea.

Additions to Your Tea
You may add any of the following ingredients in moderation to help enhance the flavor of your herbal tea:

honey
white sugar
sugar cubes
peppermint candy pieces (kids love this idea)
brown sugar
lemon slices
orange slices
lime slices
Stevia (a naturally sweet, low calorie herb)

Safety Precautions
Please note; pregnant woman should exercise caution when using teas for medicinal purposes. The 2^nd edition of the PDR (Physicians Desk Reference) for Herbal Medicines lists over 100 herbs that should not be used during pregnancy. Certain herbs such as chamomile, ginseng and passionflower may exhibit properties that act as a uterine stimulant and should be avoided during pregnancy. Please contact your health care practitioner before using any herbs if you are nursing, pregnant, or taking medication of any type. Herbal teas used for medicinal purposes should be taken in moderation, don't consume more than 3-5 cups per day.

When growing your own herbs try to practice organic gardening techniques in order to avoid harmful chemicals and fertilizers. When purchasing herbs that you are going to use to brew into medicinal teas try to locate sources that label their products as being organically grown.

On-line Sources of Herb Teas
Bigelow - www.bigelowtea.com

Celestial Seasonings - www.celestialseasonings.com

Mountain Rose Herbs - www.mountainroseherbs.com

Satori Teas - www.satoritea.com

Stash Tea - www.stashtea.com

Teas Etc. - www.teasetc.com

Bigelow, Celestial Seasonings and Stash Tea products can also be found at most major grocery and health food stores. Teas Etc., which is based out of south Florida, can be purchased on-line or at farmer's markets held in Delray Beach, West Palm Beach and Royal Palm Beach during the months of October through April.

Sources
Bown, Deni. The Herb Society of America New Encyclopedia of Herbs and Their Uses. Dorling Kindersley Limited, 2001.

Craze, Richard. Herbal Teas. Chartwell Books, 2001.

Foster, Steve, "Get the Sleep you Need Naturally," Mother Earth News, February/March 2005, pp 134-140.

Hobbs, Christopher. Herbal Remedies for Dummies. IDG Books Worldwide, Inc., 1998.

The quotes mentioned in this article as attributed to Beth Johnston, Lori Bigelow and Scott Graham were obtained via email and phone interviews conducted by the author.