Five Great Reasons to Drink Tea

Herbal tea has been used by many cultures as an herbal remedy since anciant times. Several recent studies have found a wide range of health benefits from green tea.

According to Chinese legend, tea was discovered accidentally by an emperor 4,000 years ago. Since then, Traditional Chinese Medicine has recommended green tea for headaches, body aches and pains, digestion, depression, immune enhancement, detoxification, as an energizer, and to prolong life.

All teas (green, black, and oolong) are derived from the same plant, Camellia sinensis. The difference is in how the plucked leaves are prepared. Herbal tea—technically not “tea” at all—uses a blend of dried plant flowers, stems, roots, or leaves for a hot brew.

Here are five health concerns and some herbal teas to try for them

1: Stress: chamomile, kava, lavender, passionflower
2: Energy: yerba mate, ginseng
3: Colds and Flu: astragalus, ginger, echinacea, rose hips
4: Indigestion: cardamon,fennel,peppermint
5: Insomnia: chamomile, lemon balm, lavender, valerian, hops

Tea preparation is an art. For the best tea, start with a ceramic teapot with a lid. Rinse the teapot with hot water to warm it, then add one teaspoon of tea or one tea bag for each cup of water. In a tea kettle, bring water to a full boil—water at a bubbling boil agitates the tea leaves and causes them to open, for the full extraction of flavor. Pour boiling water over the tea bags or tea leaves in the teapot, and steep for a full three to five minutes.