Varieties of herbal teas are practically limitless, but we have listed some of the more popular ones below. Over time we hope to add all of these remedies to our database.
- Anise tea, made from either the seeds or the leaves.
- Artichoke tea, with purported health benefits .
- Roasted barley tea, known in Japanese as mugicha and Korean as bori cha. The roasted flavor can be reminiscent of coffee (without coffee's bitterness and caffeine). It is often drunk cold in the summer.
- Bee Balm. Brewed by the Cherokee to aid stomache problems and colds
- Boldo, used in South America to calm upset stomachs.
- Cannabis tea, used in the preparation of Bhang, a popular beverage in the Indian subcontinent.
- Catnip tea is used as a relaxant, sedative, and to calm.
- Che Dang, very bitter tea made from Ilex causue leaves.
- Cinnamon
- Coffee tea leaves and coffee cherry tea are herbal teas made using the leaves and cherries of the coffea plant; in coffee the coffee beans (seeds) are instead used.
- Cerasse, a bitter Jamaican herb
- Camomile tea is used as a sedative. In Beatrix Potter's The Tale of Peter Rabbit, Peter's mother gives him chamomile tea.
- Chrysanthemum tea, made from dried flowers, is popular with Chinese Dim sum.
- Citrus peel, including bergamot, lemon and orange peel.
- Dandelion coffee. An alternative to coffee.
- Dill tea, often consumed to ease upset stomach.
- Echinacea tea, often consumed to prevent or alleviate the cold or flu symptoms.
- Essiac tea, a blended herbal tea.
- Fennel Traditional weightloss herb, good for the relief of vision problems.
- Gentian
- Ginger root
- Ginseng, a popular tea in China and Korea, which helps the Immune system.
- Hawthorn , to reduce bloodstream's fatty levels like cholesterol .
- Hibiscus (often blended with rose hip), a popular tea alternative in the Middle East which is drunk hot or cold. Hibiscus tea is also consumed in Okinawa, where the natives associate Hibiscus tea with longevity. (See also Roselle below.)
- Honeybush is related to rooibos and grows in a similar area of South Africa, but tastes slightly sweeter.
- Horehound. for the respiratory system.
- Hydrangea tea, dried leaves of hydrangeas; considerable care must be taken because most species contain a toxin. The "safe" hydrangeas belong to the Hydrangea serrata Amacha ("sweet tea") Cultivar Group.
- Jiaogulan, (also known as xiancao or poor man's ginseng).
- Kapor tea, dried leaves of fireweed.
- Kava root, from the South Pacific, is popular for its effects in promoting talkativeness and relaxation.
- Ku Ding tea, a bitter tisane found in Chinese herbal medicine and used to thin blood and reduce blood pressure
- Labrador tea, made from the shrub by the same name, found in the northern part of North America.
- Lapacho (also known as Taheebo) is the inner-lining of the bark (or cambium) of the Red or Purple Lapacho Tree which grows in the Brazilian jungles. It is boiled to make an infusion with many and varied health benefits.
- Lemon Balm or Melissa is known for its anti-viral properties.
- Lemon grass has anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties
- Licorice root is often used to soothe an upset stomach and to treat stomach ulcers.
- Lime blossom, dried flowers of lime tree (Tilia in Latin).
- Mate (or yerba mate) is a shrub grown mainly Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil from which a caffeinated, tea-like brew is prepared.
- Mate de coca (sometimes called "coca tea"), made from coca leaves. Authentic mate de coca contains very small amounts of cocaine and similar alkaloids. In some countries where coca is illegal, products marketed as "coca tea" are supposed to be decocainized, i.e., the pharmacologically active components have been removed.
- Mint, especially peppermint (also mixed with green tea to make mint tea)
- European mistletoe (Viscum Album), (steep in cold water for 2–6 hours)
- Mountain Tea, a very popular tea in the Balkans and other areas of the Mediterranean region. Made from a variety of the Sideritis syriaca plant which grows in warm climates above 3000 feet. The tea (or more properly tisane) has a reputation as a cure-all, but is specifically used against colds. Records of its use date back 2000 years.
- Neem leaf use to treat malaria, infection, pneumonia, ulcers, gout, diabetes
- Nettle leaf is particularly effective as a diuretic.
- Oksusu cha traditional roasted corn tea found in Korea.
- Qishr, Yemeni drink with coffee husks and ginger.
- Asiatic pennywort leaf, in Southeast Asia
- Pennyroyal leaf, an abortifacient
- Pine tea, or tallstrunt, made from needles of pine trees is high in vitamins A and C
- Plantain Tea, is beneficial for inflamed mucous membranes in cystitis, diarrhea and infections of the lungs or respiratory tract.
- Red raspberry leaf is one of the safest and commonly used tonic herbs for women wanting to get pregnant.
- Scorched rice, known as hyeonmi cha in Korea
- Rooibos (Red Bush) is a reddish plant used to make an infusion and grown in South Africa. In the US it is sometimes called red tea. It has many of the antioxidant benefits of green tea, but because it does not come from tea leaves, it has no caffeine.
- Rose hip (often blended with hibiscus)
- Roselle petals (species of Hibiscus; aka Bissap, Dah, etc.), consumed in the Sahel and elsewhere.
- Rosemary Memory herb.
- Sage. In the first century C.E. Greek physician Dioscorides reported that the aqueous decoction of sage stopped bleeding of wounds and cleaned ulcers and sores.
- Sassafras roots were steeped to make tea and were used in the flavoring of root beer until being banned by the FDA.
- Skullcap. Herbal medicine practitioners in China have been using the extracts from the skullcap to treat various ailments for at least 2,000 years.
- Serendib (tea), an anti-diabetic tea from Sri Lanka
- Sobacha is a health-boosting, unusual but popular caffeine-free buckwheat infusion form the Japanese Alps.
- Spicebush (Lindera benzoin) leaves used to make a tea by some native peoples of eastern North America
- Spruce tea, made from needles of spruce trees is high in vitamin C
- Staghorn sumac fruit can made into a lemonade.
- Stevia can be used to make herbal tea, or as a sweetener in other tisanes.
- St. John's Wort can be used as an herbal anti-depressant.
- Sugarcane drink, in Asia
- Tan Ngan Lo Medicated Tea, a herbal concoction of a Chinese immigrant to Malaysia in the early 20th century. It was commercialized in 1963 by Foong Chow Hwey and was popular in the 1970-90s.
- Thyme Antiseptic, used in lysterine.
- Tulsi an herbal brew which originated in India thousands of years ago, is known for its rich antioxidant and adaptogenic properties
- Uncaria tomentosa, commonly known as Cats Claw
- Valerian Sedative.
- Verbena is believed to have digestive benefits and relaxing at the same time
- Vetiver. Farmers in Cameroon, use vetiver for toothache, and to kill rats, snakes, rodent and weevils in their maize and beans
- Roasted wheat is used in Postum, a coffee substitute.
- Wax gourd in East Asia and Southeast Asia.
- Wong Logat a medicinal tea with several herbs
- Woodruff is considered a tonic, along with being anti-spasmodic and diuretic.
- Yarrow. In Greek mythology, it was said that the warrior Achilles painted himself with a tincture of yarrow during the siege of Troy to make himself invulnerable to arrows, everywhere on his body except his heel. He also used yarrow to heal the wounds of his soldiers.
This contradicts the legend that he was dunked in the River Styx as child!
- Yerba Mate Popular in South America. Scientific name Ilex paraguariensis.
- Yuen Kut Lam Kam Wo Tea Composed of thirty Chinese herbs, made in Hong Kong.
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