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By David Stewart


Technically, 'tea' comes from the Camillia sinensis plant and is either white, green, oolong, or black. However, the popular name has come to mean any infusion of plant leaves chosen for flavor, aroma, and health benefits. Many herbal blends loose leaf tea products are commercially available today, and, of course, you can make your own right out of the garden.

Many drink an herbal blend to avoid the caffeine in regular teas. Only the fermented black varieties have much of the stimulant that people also find in their coffee. If you need to avoid caffeine (which has health benefits of its own) or choose not to drink it at night, you might love chamomile, passionflower, or one of the other calming herbs.

Leaves, roots, and flowers are all used to make tisanes. Master tea crafters create blends just as vintners combine the juice of grapes. Teas have beneficial properties as well as flavor and aroma, and a lot of care goes into making unique combinations that give desired results. For example, ginger or licorice combined with mint make a healthy and delicious brew.

There are combinations of true teas and other plants, if you want the benefits of both. Lemon added to iced black or black teas may boost the antioxidant value, as vitamin C has been proved to make these nutrients more bioavailable. Black tea, orange, and cinnamon are great together. Green with lemon or mint is helpful when you're slimming.

At night, stimulation may be the last thing you want. Calming herbs include chamomile, passionflower, valerian, lemon balm, and kava kava. Add ginger to help you digest dinner or to warm you up nicely before bed.

Are you accustomed to buying your herbs in tea bags? Many tea lovers prefer the loose leaves. They say that loose leaf blends are fresher, are made of larger pieces of leaf, root, and blossom to retain more of the valuable nutrients, and are more aromatic and full of taste. More of the essential oils are retained, while the antioxidants and polyphenols that boost our health retain their potency.

There are cost savings, too. Compare the weight on a box of teabags with the amount listed on a container of loose-leaf and you will see that the latter is a much better value. Online posts also say that if you make a cup of loose-leaf tea and drain the dregs thoroughly, you can re-use them, maybe more than once, for more enjoyment. Teabags, which experts say confine the leaves too much and impede the flow of hot water to the contents, will not be as reusable.

There is a whole science of teas. Go online to learn the mystique which has developed over centuries. Virtually every culture and society has brewed teas for pleasure and for health. There are many companies with teamasters working hard to create blends that you will love. You will also find a wealth of information on the health benefits of herbs.




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