The Plen-Tea-Ful Tea Benefits of Herbal Tisanes
The Plen-Tea-Ful Tea Benefits of Herbal Tisanes
Author Aly Dort / Category Lifestyle / Published: July 2019
Tea Without Tea
An Herbal Tisane is what we commonly refer to as an herbal tea. Interestingly, herbal teas aren’t actually teas at all. All true tea is made from an infusion containing the plant Camellia Sinensis, otherwise known as the tea plant. Herbal Tisanes (or, herbal teas) are infusions made from one or more berries, leaves, petals and spices, among other things. True tea is caffeinated, as Camellia Sinensis is one of the only plants that contains caffeine naturally, and herbal teas are caffeine free.
So... Herbal tea is tea, but without the tea? Yes, essentially!
You’ve likely been enjoying herbal tisanes for years without even knowing it.
The word “Tisane” is argued to have originated from the Greek work “ptisane”, which is a drink made from barley.
Tisanes date way back to as far as 2737 BC where Chinese Legend speaks of the Divine Farmer (Shen Nong, 2737-2697 BC) who created and drank herbal blends for their valuable tea benefits. He is credited with discovering and classifying a whopping 365 different kinds of herbs. The story is fascinating and you can read more about it here.
Still today, herbal tisanes are used in modern day medicine and Herbal Medicine is a practice that is thriving worldwide. It is the most widely practiced form of medicine used across the globe, according to the Canadian Herbalists Association. This is unsurprising, seeing as many herbal remedies are prescribed by modern day physicians.
Whether consumed for enjoyment or to promote wellness, there are a plethora of well-documented tea benefits that accompany herbal tisanes.
Quali-Tea Benefits
By far one of the most well known advantages of drinking tisanes is that they are flush with antioxidants, vitamins and minerals.
Today, we’re going to highlight some of the most common herbal tea benefits, whether research has shown great promise.
-Relieving Stress & Anxiety
It isn’t only the warmth and comfort of a hot cup of tea that helps to calm the mind. Drinking herbal tea before bed has shown to help those who suffer from insomnia. Chamomile tea has shown the most promise for helping you get some quality z’s.
This tea has also shown to help reduce menstrual pain, relieve cold symptoms and treat mild skin conditions. In fact, chamomile is often used topically to relieve irritated skin, as it contains soothing properties. A tea that you can drink, bathe in and also apply to your skin? Yes, please!
-Reducing Inflammation
Herbal teas containing ginger and turmeric like our Turmeric Tonic have demonstrated reduced pain and swelling for those living with arthritis. Research shows the best results for inflammation happen when these teas are consumed 1-2 times per day, consistently.
We recently wrote about our favourite ways to add more turmeric to your diet this summer, and you can read all about that here.
-Improving Digestion and Boosting Immune System
Ginger and turmeric have also demonstrated benefits for your digestive health, helping to relieve nausea, heartburn, bloating and indigestion. The antioxidants found in ginger has been shown to help fight infections, which is why we often find ginger as an ingredient in teas meant to combat flu symptoms.
Aly Dort is a freelance illustrator and stationery designer living in Halifax, N.S. She is passionate about mental health, social sustainability and empowering those around her.
