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Review on Herbal Teas
Chandini Ravikumar
BDS Student, Savitha Dental College, Chennai
Abstract:
Herbal tea is essentially an herbal mixture made from leaves, seeds and/ or roots of various plants. As per popular misconception, they
are not derived from the usual tea plants, but rather from what are called as ‘tisanes’. There are several kinds of tisanes (herbal teas) that
have been used for their medicinal properties. Some of them being consumed for its energizing properties to help induce relaxation, to
curb stomach or digestive problems and also strengthen the immune system. Some of the popular herbal teas are Black tea, Green tea,
Chamomile tea, Ginger tea, Ginseng tea, Peppermint tea, Cinnamon tea etc. Some of these herbal teas possess extremely strong
medicinal benefits such as, Astragalus tea, a Chinese native herb that is used for its anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties;
which in many cases helps people living with HIV and AIDS. Demonstrating very few demerits, researchers continue to examine and
vouch for the health benefits of drinking herbal teas.
Key words:Camellia Sinensis, tisanes, types, medical benefits, ability to cure various ailments, advantages, disadvantages.
INTRODUCTION:
Herbal tea, according to many, look like tea and is brewed
as the same way as tea, but in reality it is not considered a
tea at all. This is due to the fact that they do not originate
from the Camellia Sinensis bush, the plant from which all
teas are made [1]. Herbal teas are actually mixtures of
several ingredients, and are more accurately known
as‘tisanes.’ Tisanes are made from combinations of dried
leaves, seeds, grasses, nuts, barks, fruits, flowers, or other
botanical elements that give them their taste and provide
the benefits of herbal teas [2].
Unlike most other forms of tea, herbal teas do not contain
caffeine. They also taste great and are easy to drink. Most
herbal teas may consist of one main herbal ingredient or a
blend of herbal ingredients, intended to bring about a
specific purpose, such as relaxation, rejuvenation, relief
from a specific condition, amongst other things [3].
It is also important to understand that there are a huge
variety of herbal teas available in the market, each of which
is designed to have a specific therapeutic or medicinal
benefit. However, there are some general benefits that can
be obtained from most herbal teas, and these are as follows:
achieving a more calm and relaxed state of mind
supporting heart health
aiding with stomach and digestive problems
providing cleansing properties for the body
promoting energy and wellness
nourishing the nervous system
strengthening the immune system
providing antioxidants to the body
boosting energy levels and invigorating the body
relieving stress
helping to avoid colds
stimulating the internal organs
promoting a good night’s sleep
caffeine free and tastes great [4].
Image 1: Green tea
So what are the ingredients a cup of herbal tea usually
contains?
The thing is, there are many different herbs that can be
found in herbal tea, each with a different use and purpose.
Some common ones include:
Chamomile – is renowned for its calming properties
and is also said to be anti-inflammatory and anti-
spasmodic
Chrysanthemum – is sweet-tasting and is able to
reduce body heat resulting from fever. It also helps
protect against liver damage and neutralises toxins.
Cinnamon – is calming and helps to support healthy
circulation and digestion.
Ginseng – stimulates vitality and helps the body stay
healthy.
Ginger root – is excellent for improving circulation,
and is one of the best herbs for improving digestion,
nausea, lung congestion, and arthritis.
Parsley – is a diuretic and helps with kidney function.
Peppermint – is good for stress relief. It also helps
with stomachs and digestive issues and helps to
freshen the breath.
Red Clover - use as a medicine for menopausal
symptoms, cancer, mastitis, joint disorders, asthma,
bronchitis, psoriasis and eczema. It is not
recommended for children, pregnant or breastfeeding
women.
Rose hips – are a natural source of vitamin C and
bioflavonoids. They are a liver, kidney, and blood
tonic, and are a good remedy for fatigue, colds, and
cough.
Chandini Ravikumar /J. Pharm. Sci. & Res. Vol. 6(5), 2014, 236-238
236
Sarsaparilla – promotes energy and healthy skin.
Slippery elm – helps to relieve stomach cramps and
other gastrointestinal problems [5].
Image 2: Black tea and its plant
The following explains the advantages and disadvantages
of the consumption of herbal teas.
ADVANTAGES:
Herbal Teas are commonly consumed for its therapeutic
and energizing properties, since it can help to induce
relaxation. Being able to aid with stomach or digestive
problems, herbal teas can help provide cleansing properties
to the body, and strengthens the immune system as well. It
is important to note that different herbs might have
different medicinal properties, which thus allows us to
make our own herbal infusions according to how we want
the cup of tea to benefit us [6]. The following are some of
the different types of herbal teas and their benefits:
Green tea is one of the healthiest herbal teas to drink. It
offers a whole lot of goodness such as: helping in
prevention of certain types of cancers, fighting tooth
decay and gum diseases, aids in weight loss, and so on.
Green tea is also available in ‘matcha’ form, which is
the ground up form of green tea leaves. Drinking of
green ‘matcha’ tea, is actually the consumption of
whole tea leaf as it is ground up into a fine powder
giving the person drinking it a whole list of good tea
side effects .
Bit of nettle and dandelion is added to a peppermint-
red raspberry leaf tea if you want to up your milk
production while breastfeeding [7].
Black tea which is very low in its sodium, fat and
calorie content, is known to be bountiful in
antioxidants. It also helps cure Parkinson’s disease and
cardiovascular problems.
Oolong tea, a famous Asian tea is known to cure Type
2 Diabetes when consumed on a daily basis. Further, it
also helps in weight loss when taken regularly.
Another good tea to drink is yerba matte tea. Yerba
matte good tea side effects include: reducing the risk of
certain cancers and heart disease. It is full of vitamin
A, B1, B2, C, and the minerals magnesium, potassium,
calcium, iron, and riboflavin that many adults lack in
their daily diets [8].
Chamomile is one of the most common herbal teas
people drink. It has a mild sedative effect, so it’s
perfect to use as a sleep aid. It also soothes stomach
pains and acts as a gentle laxative. It helps alleviate
menstrual cramps: research indicates that chamomile
raises levels of glycine, a substance that calms muscle
spasms [9].
Red raspberry leaf tea is good for women who are
pregnant or trying to conceive. It’s said to reduce
labour pains. It tones the uterus and pelvic muscles, but
does not stimulate contractions, so it won’t induce
labour or miscarriage.
Astragalus tea is known to cure HIV and AIDS [10].
Ginger tea is also good for nausea of any kind, from
morning sickness to motion sickness and anything in
between.
Cardamom tea helps treat indigestion, prevents
stomach pain, and relieves flatulence. It’s also helpful
to drink a glass of cardamom tea if you are feeling
nauseous. Cardamom tea fights pulmonary disease
where lots of phlegm is present. It also works to relieve
coughs. Drinking a cup of cardamom tea is helpful for
women who experience mood swings during their
menstrual period.
Ginger is an energizer and a stimulator. Drinking
ginger tea both stimulates and soothes the digestive
system. Ginger has been known to aid people
experiencing nausea. Arthritic people have found
ginger tea helpful since it has anti-inflammatory
properties.
Peppermint tea is goodto treat an upset stomach,
especially when it’s combined with chamomile [11].
Herbal teas are generally known to cause soothing to
the stomach and lower blood pressure and chances of
cancer [12].
DISADVANTAGES:
Some of the disadvantages of consuming certain herbal teas
are as follows:
Some of these teas are prone to contain potential
toxic chemicals like dyes, adhesive, flavour enhancers,
either from their area of growth or during manufacture [13].
Effects of green tea are as follows:
Even though quite unusual and rare, allergic reactions
due to consumption of green tea are possible. Some of
them include difficulty in breathing and other
respiratory or throat affecting issues; swelling around
lips, tongue or face. In such cases, one should stop the
consumption of green tea and seek emergency medical
care [14].
Consumption of green tea for extremely long periods
of time (in heavy quantities), have also proven to
beconnectedwith oesophageal cancer.
Green tea are known to also cause other less serious
side effects (although rarely), such as:
1. Heartburn
2. upset stomach
3. loss of appetite
4. constipation or diarrhoea
Chandini Ravikumar /J. Pharm. Sci. & Res. Vol. 6(5), 2014, 236-238
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5. nervousness, irritability, or anxiety
6. sleeplessness
7. irregular heartbeats
8. headache .
Such cases must be reported to the doctor at once, to check
for further discomfort of the patient [15].
Black tea is often a source of caffeine, hence, causes the
following reactions:
Caffeine being a stimulant of the central nervous
system, sometimes causes insomnia in adults, children,
and infants. It also acts on the kidneys as a diuretic
(increasing urine and urine sodium/potassium levels,
and potentially decreasing blood sodium/potassium
levels), and may deteriorate urge incontinence. Black
tea, although not much, but its due to its presence of
slight levels of caffeine, can (very rarely) cause these
conditions when consumed.
It is known to cause erosion of the dental enamel if
taken continuously [16].
According to , ‘an increase in blood sugar levels may
occur after drinking black tea containing the equivalent
of 200 milligrams of caffeine (4 to 5 cups, depending
on tea strength and cup size). Caffeine-containing
beverages such as black tea should be used cautiously
in patients with diabetes.’
Animal study reports that tannin fractions from tea
plants may increase the risk of cancer, although it is
not clear that the tannin present in black tea has
significant carcinogenic effects in humans [17].
SIDE EFFECTS OF CHAMOMILE TEA:
A person suffering from allergic reactions to plants of
the Composite family (a large group including such
flowers as daisies, ragweed, asters and
chrysanthemums), one should be cautious about using
chamomile. While there have been isolated reports of
allergies caused such as, skin rashes and bronchial
constriction; most people can use this herb with no
problem.
Pregnant individuals are advised not to consume
chamomile tea as it can stimulate uterine contractions.
Also, chamomile has a blood-thinning effect, so if one
is already taking blood thinners, they are advised not to
drink this tea [18].
Other types of tea:
Sassafras tea contains close to about 80% of a toxic
compound called safrole. Studies have revealed that
large amounts of safrole intake can increase the risk of
liver toxicity. If one is pregnant or breastfeeding, it is
advised not to consume sassafras tea. Consumption of
the sassafras tea by healthy non-pregnant individuals
should be used sparingly [19].
Recent studies reveal that peppermint tea might lower
testosterone, especially for men and affect fertility
[20].
Also, it may be noted that not all herbal teas pose risks on
consumption. Some of them do, that too very mildly and
rarely, which are explained above.
Image 3: Chamomile tea with the plant
CONCLUSION:
From this article, it can be concluded that scientific
evidence of the health and medical effects of herbal tea on
consumption provides digestion, mind relaxation and
prevention of cancer, amongst its other benefits. Although,
there isno clear-cut evidence for the effects of its
consumption, it is still believed that an overdose of herbal
tea may cause slight and rare medical issues. However,
before the consumption of herbal teas or its ingredients, it
is advisable to talk to a professional who is knowledgeable
about tea and its side effects, good and bad. Also, one can
always do his/ her own research if in doubt too [20].
In the meantime, an increase in the consumption of tea,
with a negligible calorie load, should be encouraged.
REFERENCES:
[1] A. Kumar, A.G.C. Nair, A.V.R. Reddy, A.N. Garg 2005. Analysis of
essential elements in Pragya-peya—A herbal drink and its
constituents by neutron activation. Journal of Pharmaceutical and
Biomedical Analysis. 37 (4): 631–828.
[2] Lindsay Goodwin, n.da. What are Herbal Teas / Tisanes / Herbal
Infusions?
[3] Aoshima, H; Hirata, S; Ayabe, S., 2007. Anti-oxidative and anti-
hydrogen peroxide activities of various herbal teas. Food Chemistry
103 (2): 617–622.
[4] Anonymous, 2008. Herbal tea benefits.
[5] Anonymous, 2011b. 10 Most Popular Herbal Tea Types and Their
Benefits
[6] Anonymous, 2011a. Introduction to Herbal Teas.
[7] Kate. W. Seldman, 2011. Herbal Teas: Perfect Introduction to
World of Natural Medicine
[8] Naithani, V; Nair, S; Kakkar, P., 2006. Decline in antioxidant
capacity of Indian herbal teas during storage and its relation to
phenolic content. Food Research International. 39 (2)181.
[9] Serafini, M. et al., 2011. Herbal Medicine: Bimolecular and Clinical
Aspects. Chapter 12. 2nd edition. Boca Raton (FL): CRC Press.
[10] Baba et al., 2009. Studies of anti-inflammatory effects of Rooibos
tea in rats. Paediatrics International, 51(5), pp.700–4
[11] Anonymous, 2012. An Introduction to Herbal Tea.
[12] Nelson. D, 2012. Two Separate Studies Find Herbal Teas Really
Are Good For You
[13] Anonymous, 2007. Advantages and disadvantages of drinking tea
(green, oolong, black etc.) … why drink tea?
[14] Koch et al., 2012. Impact of steam pasteurization on the sensory
profile and phenolic composition of rooibos (Aspalathus linearis)
herbal tea infusions. Food Research International.
[15] Monson, K. et al., 2013. Green tea side effects.
[16] Mary. R., 2008. Between the Leaves.
[17] Brunton, P.A. and Hussain, A., 2001. The erosive effect of herbal tea
on dental enamel.
[18] Gary Whittaker, n. da. Side Effects of Herbal Tea.
[19] Parker.K.T., 2011. WHAT IS SASSAFRAS TEA GOOD FOR?
[20] Annette Phillips, 2011. Herbal Teas Everyone Should Avoid.
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