Herbal Teas
Herbal teas, also known as herbal infusions or tisanes, are beverages made from the infusion or decoction of herbs, spices, or other plant material in hot water.
Infusion is the process of extracting chemical compounds or flavors from plant material by allowing the material to remain suspended in the solvent over time - a process often called steeping.
Decoction is a method of extraction by boiling herbal or plant material (stems, roots, bark, rhizomes) to dissolve the chemicals of the material.
Decoction is the most common preparation method in herbal-medicine systems, and involves: drying the plant material; then mashing, slicing, or cutting the material to allow for maximum dissolution; and finally boiling in water to extract oils, volatile organic compounds and other chemical substances.
The term "herbal" tea often is used in contrast to “true teas” - traditionally caffeinated black, green, white, yellow and oolong teas, which are prepared from the cured leaves of the tea plant, Camellia sinensis.
Herbal teas can be made with fresh or dried flowers, fruit, leaves, seeds or roots. These beverages are made by pouring boiling water over the plant parts and letting them steep for a few minutes. The herbal tea then is strained, sweetened if desired, and served.
Most herbal teas are safe for regular consumption, although some herbs have toxic or allergenic effects. Among the greatest causes of concern are: Comfrey, which contains alkaloids that may be harmful to the liver with chronic use, and particularly is not recommended during pregnancy; and Lobelia, which also contains alkaloids and has traditional medicine uses, but may cause nausea, vomiting, or dizziness at high doses.
In the US, herbal teas are not required to have any evidence concerning their efficacy, but are treated as food products, and so they are required to be safe for consumption.
Herbal teas to avoid during pregnancy include: include those with such common ingredients as bitter melon, mace, nutmeg, papaya, pomegranate, saffron, slippery elm and verbena, as well as more obscure herbs, like blue cohosh, mugwort, pennyroyal, rue, savin, tansy and wild carrot.
Photo: Loose Leaf Herbal Tea by Yulia Chyzhevska / Almay
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