Did you know that herbal teas contain powerful antioxidants called polyphenols and have been used for hundreds of years as remedies for various illnesses? In fact, after water, herbal tea is the most commonly consumed beverage in the world.

These teas are made from ripe fruit, dried leaves, flowers, grass, tree bark, seeds or other botanicals. Steeping the tea in hot water leaches out the flavor and health-promoting ingredients of each particular tea into the drink itself… and the hot water calms the mind and digestive tract.

And what herbal teas can do for your health is truly amazing! Numerous studies have shown that the polyphenols in herbal teas have powerful anti-cancer properties… can reduce “thick blood”… may lower cholesterol levels… and can even help lower blood sugar. Researchers reported in the Journal of Food Science that black tea was not only the most effective tea at slowing blood sugar absorption, but was also the best defense against free radical damage.

The list of beneficial effects of herbal teas goes on and on…

• Fresh ginger and Echinacea can help boost your immune system.
• Peppermint, chamomile or fennel can help soothe your stomach.
• Fresh ginger slices boiled in two cups water, then cooled, can aid in calming your nausea.
• Black tea and green tea can help ramp up your energy levels.
• Valerian root, chamomile, lemon, tilia, spearmint, hawthorne or rosebuds can help in promoting relaxation.