Are you familiar with some of the numerous health benefits of herbal tea? If not, this is the article for you. Aside from being a cultural pastime in places like Britain, China and India, tea is also an invaluable asset when it comes to public health. For all intended purposes you can think of it as an available lifeline for the public at large, and those who choose to make it a regular part of their lives can attest to its beneficial properties. And there are lots!
Depending on the type of tea, drinkers can improve their complexion, loose excess weight, reduce the severity and duration of infections, detox the body, and experience a whole lot of other benefits that can significantly improve the quality of their life. Furthermore, each herbal tea has its own specific properties that make it unique and, therefore, beneficial in a certain way. To bring out each tea’s individual properties, you can adjust harvest time and brewing methods depending on your needs.
Although there’s been a lot of tea-to-coffee comparison in the media, it’s important to understand that both beverages have numerous health benefits when taken in moderation. And, much like with everything else in life, drinking too much tea or coffee can have negative side effects as they can exacerbate underlying health issues that can be unique to the individual, which of course could also be made worse if the person is not aware of them to begin with. Fortunately, incidents like this tend to be very rare.
So, let’s learn about the health benefits of herbal tea!
Herbal Tea is Low in Caffeine
One of the most obvious health benefits of herbal tea is its low dosage or lack of caffeine. Those who are hyperactive, suffer from insomnia or have digestive issues made worse by caffeine greatly benefit from the soothing properties of many herbal teas. Yet, it would be wrong to assume that all herbal teas are caffeine free as many green and white teas still have pretty decent concentrations of it. When applicable, we suggest adjusting brewing time to control the concentration of caffeine.
Herbal Tea Helps Prevent Heart Disease
Another one of the numerous health benefits of herbal tea is its ability to protect against heart disease. Recent data suggests that drinking at least 3 cups of tea per day was strongly associated with a reduction in coronary heart disease, cardiac death, stroke, total mortality, cerebral infarction, and intracerebral hemorrhage. Black teas have also been associated with improved heart health, despite having a higher concentration of caffeine.
Herbal Tea Reduces Stress
When life gets to be too stressful, you may want to indulge in a hot bath with a delicious cup of herbal tea to unwind. Most of us tend to opt for chamomile or peppermint tea, both of which are known for their numerous health benefits, but there are many others to choose from. For example, check out teas featuring ginseng and valerian root, as well as the unique blends created by Merkaela’s experts.
It turns out that tea is incredibly useful for lowering spikes of cortisol that occur when a person’s fight or flight instinct is activated. Cortisol is referred to as a “stress” hormone, which is very important for maintaining homeostasis. Normally, our levels of cortisol fluctuate throughout the day, peaking at around 8 am and crashing at around 4 am since they are affected by our circadian rhythm.
When we’re stressed, however, additional cortisol floods our bodies to properly respond to the “threat”. Although it usually returns to normal once the threat is eliminated, there’s often no chance for this to adequately happen in our overly active culture. This causes cortisol levels to remain spiked. Drinking tea for 6 weeks has been effectively shown to counterbalance this effect.
Herbal Tea Helps Fight Cancer
One of the more notable health benefits of herbal tea is its ability to aid in the fight against cancer. Tea has a large concentration of what is called polyphenols, which are micronutrients (antioxidants) that are thought to be responsible for the health benefits attributed to tea, and especially green tea. According to the National Cancer Institute:
“Tea polyphenols have also been shown to inhibit tumor cell proliferation and induce apoptosis in laboratory and animal studies. In other laboratory and animal studies, tea catechins have been shown to inhibit angiogenesis and tumor cell invasiveness. In addition, tea polyphenols may protect against damage caused by ultraviolet (UV) B radiation, and they may modulate immune system function. Furthermore, green teas have been shown to activate detoxification enzymes, such as glutathione S-transferase and quinone reductase, that may help protect against tumor development.”
Herbal Tea Improves Cognitive Function
One of the ways you can keep cognitively sharp well into old age is by regularly indulging your tea habit. Turns out that those who drink tea several times a day can lower their risk of dementia. A 2011 study showed that tea could impact theta waves in the brain resulting in improved memory and an increased attention span. So, if you already have a passion for tea, keep on keeping on for the sake of your mind and body.
Final Thoughts
Our world is full of pharmaceutical marvels. We have found cures for many of the diseases and widespread epidemics that were previously capable of wiping out entire civilizations, and there’s no arguing just how far science has come. But, in recent years, science has begun to uncover what ancient healers have known for millennia; the astounding impact natural medicines could have on our wellbeing. Herbal teas are one of these.
As emerging research shows us every day the incredible health benefits of herbal tea should not be underestimated, so order yours at Merkaela today!
References
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/06/upshot/what-the-evidence-tells-us-about-tea.html?_r=0
http://naturalsociety.com/9-amazing-health-benefits-of-chamomile-tea/
http://www.organicauthority.com/health/5-fantastic-health-benefits-of-peppermint-tea.html
http://www.livestrong.com/article/28853-herbs-lower-cortisol/
https://adrenalfatigue.org/cortisol-adrenal-function/
http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/79/5/727.full
http://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/diet/tea-fact-sheet
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21303262
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