Herbal Teas for Health

Adam Pike
Jan 13
5 min read

Benefits of Herbal Teas & Avoiding Common Mistakes

Alongside Coffee and Black Tea, Herbal Teas now enjoy a permanent place in many of our homes, having continued to grow in popularity year after year. We obviously enjoy drinking them, and there’s a good reason people have been drinking herbal teas for over 5,000 years, with herbal teas being such an easy and enjoyable way to access nature’s medicines. As an English Herbalist, it’s fair to say I know a thing or two about teas, and I’d like to take a moment to share some of the benefits and a few things to watch out for.

The Role of Herbal Teas in Promoting General Well-being

If we choose the right teas to drink at the right times, they can offer us a wealth of benefits in any situation we might find ourselves in.

Energising Herbal Teas

Whether that's providing a burst of energy in the moment or increasing our baseline energy levels throughout our days.

Caffeinated Teas, such as Green, Black, and Matcha.

Herbs including Ginger, Yerba Mate, Rooibos, Peppermint, and Lemon Balm.

Eliminating Brain Fog and Improving Focus

Herbal teas can give us mental clarity and enhance our ability to focus on tasks.

A few examples of Nootropic herbs are Calamus Root, Ashwagandha, Rosemary, and Ginseng.

Some herbs are loosely defined as Adaptogens, which refers to their ability to help you adapt to your environment.

coffee - a herbal tea — Coffee - though not strictly a 'herbal tea'

Assisting Digestion

Without thoroughly and efficiently digesting what we eat, we won't absorb all the minerals and nutrients available to us.

We can improve this vital process with herbal teas made from Lemon, Ginger, Dandelion, Fennel and Mint.

Coffee is known primarily as a stimulant; however, cultures all around the world drink it as a digestive aid following a meal.

Peace & Relaxation

Dealing with the constant stresses of modern living is easier said than done. With herbal teas, we can help ourselves to deal with stressful situations, or to simply unwind after day's work.

Some notable herbs to encourage a sense of peace and relaxation include Blue Lotus, Passionflower, Lavender, and Damiana.

Promoting a Deep & Peaceful Sleep

We spend a third of our lives sleeping, it's the time we recover both physically and mentally from our daily activities.

As such, herbs have a long history of being used to support us in our efforts to sleep deeply and peacefully. What better way is there to prepare for sleep than with a nice warm cup of herbal tea?

I often treat myself to a mug of Hops, Chamomile, Valerian, or even a hot Cacao (yes, I do consider a real hot chocolate to be a herbal tea!)

Mental Health

We can sometimes focus too much on our physical health and forget something equally important - the health of our emotional and mental self.

By using herbal teas to assist us in our daily lives, we're already going to be feeling better, but what about herbal teas specifically for improving our mental health?

St. John’s Wort, for example, has proven to be at least as effective as SSRIs when treating mild to moderate depression. I'm also a big fan of Rhodiola Rosea, Kava Kava, and Turmeric.

Too Many to Mention

This really is the tip of the iceberg, but it’s an excellent place to start improving our daily lives. Through these supportive roles, herbal teas can be a regular go-to tool in our efforts to live happier and healthier.

Don't Randomly Drink or Mix Herbal Teas

Now for a word of caution, as there may be the temptation to believe the effects of herbals teas are too mild to be of consequence, that there’s nothing to worry about combining them at random. While their effects can indeed be mild and well-tolerated, I see no reason to actively work against your best interests when you can be helping instead.

Better to avoid some rather annoying or outright dangerous situations, like drinking a stimulating tea before going to bed, or enjoying a nice warm cup of sedative before driving to work in the morning. Before preparing your next herbal tea, take a moment to think beyond the flavour and be mindful of the herbal remedy you're consuming.

Herbs Can Pose Serious Health Risks

Comfrey / Chaparral / Coltsfoot – Can increase the burden on the liver
Ginseng / Meadowsweet– Can combine dangerously with blood thinners
St. John’s Wort / Goldenseal – Can reduce the effects of various drugs
Liquorice – Can increase blood pressure

Practically anything can become harmful if consumed in sufficient quantities over a period of time. Moderation and self-observation are both important - pay attention to how you respond to different teas. Mixing teas together or drinking ready-made herbal blends can prevent you from understanding how individual herbs are affecting you. There's nothing wrong or boring about a single herb tea!

Modern research on herbs tends to focus on their interactions with medications, and this is definitely something to pay attention to if you’re taking any doctor-prescribed or over-the-counter drugs. With limited research available on the benefits of herbal medicines, these warnings help to prove how these herbal teas are indeed having an array of effects within the body. They may appear to be mild, but they’re certainly working, so don't be fooled into thinking there's zero risk.

Herbal Teas as Preventive Care

One of the greatest aspects of drinking herbal teas is the ability to joyfully consume them multiple times every day. These aren’t pills you have to set reminders to swallow, or a bad-tasting concoction you struggle to force down. By choosing the right teas and drinking them consistently over time, you’ll have constant support in everything you do. A daily supply of quercetin (Elderberry Tea) for the immune system, a potent caffeine + theanine combo (Green Tea) for sustainable energy, or a post-meal digestive aid (Fennel Tea).

These will help to alleviate the many stresses on the body and its various systems, helping you to prevent the onset of illness, keeping energy levels up and ensuring both your mind and body remain in a healthy state.

Daily tea drinking reflects the way our ancestors regularly consumed these herbs as part of their daily lives whilst foraging for foods. Animals are often seen deliberately searching out specific plants depending on what they need at the time. We modern humans can continue to do the same, but now that we’re so civilised, the obvious way to do so is simply with a nice warm cup of tea.

Disclaimer

I’m a herbalist, not a doctor, therefore nothing in this article constitutes medical advice. I must advise you to go to a qualified institutional health professional for advice before making any changes regarding your personal health. As always, conduct your own research, learn all you possibly can about your body, be an expert on yourself and become your own doctor.