Herbal drinks are natural remedies that can solve many health problems. They will improve well-being, give vigor, or, conversely, calm you down. They are allowed to be consumed daily, instead of the usual tea or coffee. To get the desired effect, you need to be able to choose the right ingredients and brew them correctly.

What herbs are good to brew

Healthy herbal teas are made from various ingredients. The following mixtures are most popular:

1. Rose hips, peppermint, Chinese schizandra;
2. Raspberry and currant foliage, linden inflorescences and rowan fruits;
3. cardamom, lemon balm;
4. Dried apples, green blueberries and cherries, chamomile inflorescences;
5. Rose hips, blackcurrant;
6. Raspberry leaves, cinnamon powder, orange peel.

Fruit drinks have a pleasant taste. Some useful plants are not recommended to be added to herbal teas. For example, wormwood and tansy give unpleasant bitterness.

Depending on the individual characteristics of the body, there are some restrictions on the use of herbal teas. These include:

1. When preparing for pregnancy, you should not drink formulations containing peppermint. It prevents conception;
2. During gestation, oregano, thyme, nettle are contraindicated;
3. With increased pressure and problems with potency - St. John's wort and licorice;
4. With kidney disease, thyme and birch buds can aggravate the situation;
5. With inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract, the use of fees with chokeberry is strictly prohibited.

People suffering from chronic ailments should consult with a specialist before taking any herbal drinks. If there are side effects in the form of headaches or stomach pains, allergies, then drinking should be stopped immediately.

Many herbs have strong medicinal properties. Therefore, you need to prepare drinks only in strict accordance with the specified recipe and do not exceed the allowable dosage. In order for them to produce a positive effect, they must be properly prepared and stored.

What is good to drink every day

Useful herbal teas for every day are prepared from different ingredients. Different parts of plants are used - roots, stems, flowers and leaves. You can use different recipes to find the one that best suits the person's taste preferences.

The most common and effective plants are:

1. Rosehip (wild rose). All parts of the plant have medicinal properties - foliage, rhizome, inflorescences and berries. It is famous for its high concentration of ascorbic acid. In dry fruits, the content of this substance is 2 times higher than in black currant. Therefore, the drink strengthens the immune system, fights colds, and suppresses inflammation.

Rosehip tea is indicated for various ailments - disorders of the gastrointestinal tract, jumps in blood pressure, diseases of the genitourinary system, the appearance of a capillary network. It increases the elasticity of blood vessels, accelerates metabolism, and has a positive effect on the functioning of the liver and gallbladder.

To prepare 1 tbsp. pour a spoonful of crushed raw materials into a thermos, pour 0.5 liters of hot water and insist for 12 hours. Then filtered and consumed 100 ml half an hour before a meal.

1. Pharmaceutical camomile. It relieves headaches, flatulence, increased nervous excitability and inflammation of the respiratory tract. Tea is recommended to drink with high blood sugar, diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and liver. It has a beneficial effect on women's health. It can be taken during pregnancy and given to young children. The main thing is to comply with the permitted norm. To treat colds, it is mixed with linden blossoms.

Due to its diuretic action and ability to reduce appetite, it is often taken as an aid during a diet.

To prepare 1.5 teaspoons of dried flowers, brew 0.2 liters of hot water, leave for 10-15 minutes, filter and drink immediately.

1. Peppermint. It has versatile effects. When used in the morning, it invigorates and gives a boost of energy, after dinner it facilitates the process of digestion, before going to bed it helps to relax and relieve nervousness. Herbal tea is especially useful for women because it contains plant estrogens. The male half of humanity should not use it in excessive quantities.

It is recommended to use it for increased gas formation, colds, disorders of the reproductive and urinary systems. To get a sedative effect, it must be brewed with lemon balm.

To prepare 0.5 teaspoons of crushed raw materials, brew 0.3 liters of hot water and leave for 15 minutes. It is necessary to drink the drink immediately, otherwise it will lose some valuable qualities.

1. Linden flowers. This plant helps with poisoning, colds, improves the process of digestion of food and blood flow, speeds up metabolism, strengthens the immune system. It is recommended to take it to cleanse the vessels and relieve swelling. When used at night, it solves problems with falling asleep.

Due to the strong therapeutic effect, lime drinks should not be consumed on an ongoing basis. A course should be taken. The plant goes well with other herbs, so it is often included in a variety of fees.

To prepare 1.5 tbsp. spoons of raw materials are brewed with 0.3 hot water and infused for 20 minutes.

1. Melissa. It has a pleasant lemon aroma. It is valued for its strong sedative effect. Traditional healers often prepare potions from it that save them from the blues. They are recommended to drink with increased nervousness, sleep disorders, depressive states. The drink stimulates appetite, improves digestion and gives energy. It also helps fight diseases of the female reproductive system.

To prepare 1 teaspoon of fresh or dried raw materials, brew 200 ml of hot water and leave for half an hour. Drink only fresh tea. It is forbidden to warm it up.

Depending on the presence of specific diseases or the desired effect, several types of herbs are mixed in different proportions.

Tonic drinks

You can get rid of drowsiness not only with the help of coffee. Have a tonic effect:

1. ginger rhizome;
2. Fireweed;
3. Peppermint.

But drinks consisting of these components should not be consumed on an ongoing basis. The body needs regular and proper rest, and teas cannot replace it.

soothing

To calm your nerves and relax in a difficult life situation, you should take drinks that contain:

1. Melissa and peppermint;
2. Valerian rhizome;
3. Motherwort;
4. Chamomile;
5. Thyme.

To obtain a more pronounced effect, the drink is consumed every day shortly before going to bed. But it should be borne in mind that valerian decoction should not be drunk for a long time.

To normalize pressure

Hypertension will help:

1. Berries of mountain ash chokeberry;
2. Inflorescences and foliage of strawberries;
3. Barberry;
4. succession;
5. Knotweed.

The permitted dosage is 1 glass per day.

Cleansing

As a result of vital activity, toxic compounds and slags accumulate in the body. Therefore, you need to regularly clean it. These properties are:

1. Plantain leaves, fennel berries and elderberry - remove mucus;
2. Calendula, dandelion rhizome, stigmas of corn, wormwood, chamomile inflorescences - have a pronounced choleretic effect;
3. Rhubarb rhizome, buckthorn, joster - have a mild laxative effect;
4. Violet and oregano - have a beneficial effect on the respiratory system, cleanse the lungs;
5. Nettle, burdock and dandelion - remove toxic substances from the digestive tract;
6. Blackcurrant fruits and leaves, white mistletoe, Japanese Sophora - heal the cardiovascular system, relieve cholesterol plaques.

When taken systematically, herbal teas help to solve many health problems.

For weight loss

A mixture of immortelle, birch buds, chamomile inflorescences, St. John's wort and strawberries has unique properties. It helps to lose extra pounds, removes toxic compounds and toxins, reduces the level of "bad" cholesterol in the blood. All components are combined in equal parts. Herbal tea is consumed for a long time without the addition of artificial sweeteners.

During pregnancy

During early pregnancy, chamomile tea can reduce the symptoms of toxicosis. It has a beneficial effect on the digestive system, eliminates inflammation in the mouth, which often occurs in women in position.

The drink is saturated with vitamins and minerals, has a positive effect on the central nervous system, stimulates the functioning of the immune system. But before starting any treatment, one should not forget about the consultation of the attending physician.

Anti-cold

To prepare a tonic and anti-cold tea, you need to prepare 3 tbsp. l. green strawberries, blackberries, currants. Add to the mixture 1 tbsp. l. thyme, finely ground rose hips and dandelion rhizomes. 1 teaspoon of the resulting composition is poured into 200 ml of boiling water and insisted for 20 minutes. To improve the taste characteristics and enhance the effect, it can be drunk with honey.

Useful mixtures

Herbal mixtures can be purchased at specialized stores, or you can start preparing the collection yourself. It is made up on the basis of any one plant, or several components are mixed. But experts do not recommend combining more than 5 ingredients at the same time.

All components are divided into 3 types:

• The main one is selected depending on the desired action. Should be approximately half of the total volume of raw materials;
• Additional - enhances the action of the main and softens possible side effects;
• Auxiliary - responsible for the absorption of valuable elements and their movement to the organs and tissues of the body.

If you know about the therapeutic properties of herbs, then making a collection with your own hands is not difficult. In the absence of such skills, it is better to first consult with a specialist in this field or buy ready-made raw materials.

How to brew herbal teas

Properly prepared herbal tea has a rich taste and bright aroma. Components should be selected so that they complement each other favorably. It is important that all the valuable substances contained in herbs pass into the liquid. To do this, you must follow certain cooking rules.

If fresh raw materials are used for brewing, then it is pre-crushed. Then they are mixed, based on the proportion of 1 teaspoon per 250 ml of liquid. It is desirable that the teapot be made of glass or porcelain. First, it is doused with boiling water, then herbs are placed in it, poured with hot water (about 90 °, not boiling water) and infused for about 30 minutes. It is advisable to wrap the kettle with a towel. During this time, all valuable elements will pass from raw materials to the drink. Another cooking method is in a water bath.

Do not add sugar to the teapot, otherwise it will quickly become unusable. And the use of healing drinks with honey or your favorite jam will benefit your health.

If the collection contains components that have a dense structure - bark, rhizome or branches, then they are carefully crushed and boiled for 10 minutes. Only after that they can be placed in the teapot. Only fresh drinks have a beneficial effect. Therefore, they should be drunk immediately after preparation.

Herbal teas are a natural remedy that helps to improve health and solve many problems. With reasonable use, they have a pronounced positive effect. This is a good replacement for the usual drinks.

Venedikt Dadykin, agronomist. Photo by Natalia Mologina.

It would be more correct to call herbal teas not teas, but herbal drinks, since they either do not have a tea leaf at all, or there is very little of it.

Science and life // Illustrations

Science and life // Illustrations

Lungwort.

St. John's wort.

Cuff.

Rosehip flowers.

snakehead.

Raspberry leaves.

Lemongrass.

What do centenarians drink?

More than once I had to drink a delicious drink from a mixture of thyme, lime blossom and lungwort with Ivan Manokhin, a long-liver of the village of Yasnaya Polyana. He was 103 years old! Yes, and the eminent owner of the Yasnaya Polyana estate, Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy, until a very old age, preferred a drink from chicory roots grown and crushed with his own hands.

In mountainous Dagestan, I once met elderly bearded aksakal shepherds (the eldest was 105!), who used fresh rosehip roots as tea brewing. I remember a dark pink, rich color and an unusual aroma, much more pleasant than the one that the fruits give. No less original tea from heather, prepared according to an old recipe, was once given to me by the foresters of the Bryansk region.

However, even in Ancient Russia, drinks from herbs and roots were consumed long before the advent of overseas tea (it was brought to us less than 300 years ago). And right up to the beginning of the last century, “explosions” from blackcurrant and raspberry shoots, and also Ivan-tea (fireweed) were drunk when they wanted to avoid a cold and restore strength after hard work. And, as follows from the biographies of those years, herbal preparations were used not as an "ambulance", but constantly, day after day, which was already a habit. And only with the introduction to imported long leaf tea, many recipes and the herbal preparations themselves were gradually forgotten.

According to the recipes of the ancestors

Interest in the search and collection of fragrant herbs originated in me in my early childhood. I remember for the rest of my life how with grandfather Ivan, a native of the Tula hinterland, we spent hours wandering through the tall forbs in search of perfumed "miracle herbs", indescribably rejoicing at every find that replenished our bouquets. Then grandfather lovingly laid out everything he got on special shelves and dried it for a long time. And it filled the house with an incomparable aroma, when all the surrounding air became flower-spicy for a long time.

Since then, the aroma of healing herbs has been associated with the half-forgotten world of childhood and family roots. I returned to them only many years later, when I began to collect bit by bit valuable information about useful stems and roots in reference books and authoritative scientific books.

Here is a list of the most popular medicinal plants for the most common ailments.

Strengthen the cardiovascular system: hawthorn (along with fruits - flowers and leaves), St. John's wort, nettle, lovage, coltsfoot (flowers and leaves), calendula, buckwheat (flowering stems), lemon balm, borage, motherwort, meadowsweet , yarrow, chicory (roots and stems).

Reduce pressure: barberry, initial letter, strawberries (flowers and leaves), sweet clover, chokeberry (fruits and leaves), knotweed, succession.

Increase pressure: lemongrass, golden root, rosemary.

Normalize the function of the gastrointestinal tract: anise (seeds and leaves), bergenia, young birch, currant, apple tree leaves, as well as hyssop, fireweed, chamomile, gout, lingonberry (leaves), oregano, blackberry (leaves), cuff, mint , knotweed, thyme, cumin (seeds and leaves), yarrow, chaga, nettle (deaf nettle).

They have a high-vitamin, general strengthening effect: young leaves of birch, maple, sea buckthorn, black currant, raspberry, lingonberry, blackberry, as well as nettle, sour, primrose, gout, sea buckthorn berries, viburnum, red mountain ash, actinidia, rose hips and leaves.

Noticeably tone up: eleutherococcus, aralia, leuzea, lemongrass.

They soothe and eliminate insomnia: valerian roots, cyanosis, heather, oregano, St. John's wort, catnip, lemon balm, eryngium, hops, Baikal skullcap.

Eliminate headache: fireweed, clover, primrose, lavender, verbena.

Increase immunity, resistance to disease: ginseng, aralia, eleutherococcus, leuzea, chicory, wild rose, viburnum, hazel, sea buckthorn, dandelion, strawberries.

On the eve of the season

It is important not to miss the moment of the richest accumulation of nutrients in plants. So, in currant, hawthorn, birch, it occurs only during the blooming of leaves (in late April - early May), and, for example, in sea buckthorn - in August. Moreover, freshly picked leaves and flowers are usually richer than dried ones, especially those that have been stored for a long time.

I usually brew the first vitamin teas that increase the overall tone on April 13-15 from the flowers of the coltsfoot golden in the sun, although they are with obvious bitterness. The second collection - April 23-25 ​​- from a blooming lungwort, the third - from catkins dusting with yellow pollen willow bredina, and the fifth - from a mixture of young, just blossoming leaves of currant, birch, maple, nettle.

The main collections of herbs fall at the beginning of summer, when they bloom, or rather, begin to bloom. In the forbs thickening before our eyes - in the forest, in the meadow and in the gardens - you can collect tea leaves for every taste.

In June, the leaves and flowers of wild strawberries, fireweed, raspberries, hawthorn, blackberries, blueberries, lingonberries are harvested, and in July - blooming shoots of thyme, oregano, mint, cuff, catnip.

"Tea brew" grows not only in the field, but also in the garden, on trees and shrubs. Gather and taste the leaves and flowers of cherry, apple, pear, and rose hips. By the way, at rose hips they are no less tasty than fruits, only with a peculiar astringency.

Favorite brew

Over the years, I have tried at least 100 different herbs, leaves and flowers as tea leaves. Both individually and in mixtures in various combinations. Most of all, I am not indifferent to meadowsweet meadowsweet (another name is meadowsweet, although people often call it honey cake - for its honey aroma). In France, the meadowsweet is considered the queen of the meadows and is brewed in the treatment of almost all diseases.

The favorite habitats of meadowsweet are water meadows, damp sunny and sometimes shaded copses, clearings, banks of rivers and streams. From mid-June until almost the end of summer, tall meadowsweet bushes bloom wildly, releasing large creamy-white panicles from small five-petalled flowers that exude an incomparable fragrance. It is better to collect its incompletely blossomed inflorescences in early July. And immediately after collection, lay out in a thin layer in the shade, in a well-ventilated place, on a sheet of cardboard or plywood. It is best to store the herb in tightly closed jars.

Tea from a mixture of equal parts of meadowsweet and ordinary black tea is good to drink all year round - this, as a rule, allows you not to catch a cold and normalizes blood pressure.

Often I also drink other flower-herbal teas, which consist of leaves of apple mint, barberry, lemongrass, sage, rose hips, linden, as well as rose hips and red mountain ash. And at the end of June, during the flowering of mock orange (we usually call it jasmine), I do not miss the chance to make an extremely fragrant tea with a delicate unusual taste from its fresh flowers.

It is clear that most plants are not a fast-acting pill, but rather a delayed, cumulative prophylactic.

Especially - about the taste of healing teas. Most often they are "herbal" and, frankly, not very tasty. However, it is always possible to improve them by adding to any collection herbs with a pleasant aroma, such as peppermint or apple mint, lemon balm, catnip, linden flowers, mock orange, as well as hyssop, snakehead, oregano, lemongrass, fruits, rosehip flowers and root, cherry leaves . You can add to herbal tea and a little freshly brewed long leaf tea, a slice of lemon or a spoonful of honey.

A bed of useful herbs

Many of the plants that are needed for tea often grow in the nearest meadow or right outside the garden fence. Just usually in different places. In order not to waste time and effort searching for them, it makes sense to allocate a separate bed in the garden for planting. For example, St. John's wort, wild strawberries, oregano, apple mint and meadowsweet grow in my garden.

I allocated a separate place for valuable perennials from the Far East and North America, which you will not find in Russia either in the forest or in the field: Manchurian aralia, eleutherococcus, lemongrass, actinidia and beautifully blooming echinacea.

Planting material for most plants is now quite realistic to purchase: it is often sold in stores and garden centers that sell seeds and seedlings.

When choosing a place for planting useful herbs, proceed from the fact that their rapid growth with regular “cutting” is possible on medium-fertile soil, but with constant replenishment of nutrients through regular top dressing. However, "those from the wild" always prefer organic fertilizers. In the bed between the rows in spring and autumn, it is advisable to add compost or well-rotted manure, and in their absence, ready-made organic granules. Weak aqueous solutions of organics are also useful. And of course, from time to time, plants require weeding, and in case of drought - abundant watering. However, all the worries about healthy herbs will be more than compensated by a noticeable improvement in your health!

delicious teas

Herbal tea recipes offered by pharmacist Natalia Zamyatina

● Badan leaf - 3 parts, raspberry leaves, black currant and oregano grass - 1 part each. Fortifying tea.

● Melissa or catnip, St. John's wort, hawthorn flowers or fruits, linden flowers, mint leaves - in equal parts. The tea has a mild sedative effect.

● Lemon balm or catnip leaves, chamomile flowers, yarrow herb, thyme herb - in equal parts. Fortifying tea.

● Black elderberries - 2 parts, linden flowers and thyme grass - 1 part each. Tea is not only tasty, but also helps with back pain and neuralgia.

● Chamomile, thyme herb, peppermint leaf - in equal parts. Fragrant tea that improves digestion, relieves bloating, soothes.

● Leaves of blackberry, raspberry, nettle, wild strawberry and apple peel - in equal parts. Vitamin tea that improves digestion.

● St. John's wort, mint leaf, sage leaf - 2 parts each, chamomile, bergenia leaf, thyme grass - 1 part each. Tea reduces the acidity of gastric juice. Recommended for gastritis with high acidity and stomach ulcers (2-3 cups a day).

● Rose hips, black currant, mountain ash and nettle leaf - in equal parts. Vitamin tea is also used for gout, rheumatism and arthritis.

● Leaves of raspberries, blackberries, black currants, white acacia flowers - in equal parts. Tea is not only tasty, but also regulates metabolism, "purifies the blood."

● Nettle, rose hips and black currant, dried carrot root - in equal amounts. Tea has a vitamin effect.

Collect "tea" herbs on a sunny day after the dew dries. Herbs with strong stems are tied into loose bundles and hung to dry in a ventilated dark place. In tender plants, the leaves are torn off the stems and scattered on a frame covered with gauze, or a sheet of cardboard.

Raspberry, blackberry, fireweed and strawberry leaves are best fermented beforehand. To do this, they are kneaded before drying until juice appears and allowed to lie down in a warm place so that they darken. Dry on low heat.

St. John's wort is used for tea only dried, fresh it has no taste and smell.

It's been almost 2 years now. Since then, I have been repeatedly asked and asked what herbal tea recipes I personally use.

In fact, I make a variety of mixtures, depending on the desired effect, on the time of day, on the desired taste and just on the mood.

But there are a few more or less established herbal tea recipes that I make more often than others. I will tell about them.

Let me remind you that herbs and fruits marked (AB) have a strong Aroma and Taste. And it is they who form the final taste of a tea drink. When composing herbal tea, you should not mix several of these herbs in equal proportions, you will get a too complex, not pronounced bouquet.

If you mix, one herb should be singled out as a base and its percentage relative to others should be significantly increased in order to get the prevailing taste and aroma.

So, let's move on to the promised recipes.

Herbal tea recipes

1. Only one wild rose

I brew it in a thermos. This infusion, by the way, is one of the few that women can drink during pregnancy and lactation. For a greater effect, I recommend grinding the wild rose before brewing.

2. Fruit tea

Rosehip + Boyarka + Rowan

You need to add quite a bit of rowan, it is very bitter, but very useful!

3. Vitamin tea

Rosehip + boyarka + lemongrass + tea rose + mint + oregano + nettle

This tea very well replenishes all the necessary vitamins and minerals. I highly recommend drinking it in the spring, with beriberi.

4. Tea for eyes and liver

Eyebright + milk thistle + hillwort + any herb or fruit AB

The liver is connected with the eyes, so the herbs used are the same. You can add some more ground oats to this tea. Rinse and dry oats before grinding.

5. Energy Tea

Rhodiola + lemongrass + St. John's wort + some wild rose

This tea is a real energy drink, and useful. No "Burn" was standing nearby :). It is recommended to drink in the morning. Good for active work, as well as for a significant increase in productivity.

Can be added to this tea thyme.

6. Soothing and relaxing tea

Mint + lemon balm + calendula

This tea is good to drink in the evening no later than an hour before bedtime. You can also drink tea during the day if you are very overexcited and need to calm down.

Can you add more to this tea? camomile.

7. Russian tea

Ivan tea (fireweed) + any herb or AB fruits

Very useful tea with one pronounced aroma. I am very glad that the old Russian tea tradition is being revived and, for example, in our city you can buy a variety of teas based on this herb.

In Russia, such tea was called "koporsky tea", or "koporka". The name came from the name of the village of Koporye in the St. Petersburg province, where this tea was produced for sale. Sold, by the way, primarily in Europe. And all of Europe until the 19th century drank just such tea.

8. Cold Tea

Whitehead + wild rose + chamomile + thyme + raspberry leaf + linden + sage

Very effective anti-cold and anti-inflammatory tea. It is recommended to drink as a preventive measure, especially during the peaks of colds. And also immediately after you feel that you are getting sick.

9. Cleansing tea

Blackcurrant leaf + calendula flowers + chamomile

Tea for cleansing the body. Removes waste and toxins, cleanses the walls of blood vessels.

And finally...

10. Carrot tea!

Yes, yes :) Once I found such a recipe, I tried it, I liked it. The recipe for this tea is also from Russian traditions.

You need to take sweet varieties of carrots, rinse, peel, cut into small pieces (cubes or straws), dry for 3 hours, pour it on a newspaper and then dry in the oven at a temperature not exceeding 50 degrees.

Carrot tea contains a lot of useful substances for the body: amino acids, iodine, iron, calcium, magnesium, copper, cobalt, silicon, phosphorus, etc.

The taste is pleasant, sweetish.

I wish you success in understanding the magical world of herbal teas!

© Sergey Borodin, 2015

This and other topics are covered in more detail in my books in the Phoenix Code. Life-Changing Technologies series.

Herbal tea was once the main tea drink. Only since then, when black and other varieties of tea were brought to Russia, did it give way. Now that the fashion for a healthy lifestyle has reappeared, herbal tea is once again becoming very popular. The benefits of herbal tea are undeniable and are confirmed today by many scientific studies. Indeed, what could be better than drinking a cup of healthy herbal tea on cold winter days? So what are the benefits of herbal tea and is there any harm?

Herbal tea is tea obtained by brewing herbs, flowers, and plant roots. You can make this tea with any herb. We need to calm down after a hard day at work, relieve the first signs of a cold, relieve nausea or bloating - we resort to herbal teas.

In winter, this tea will warm, raise our immunity. In summer, it is an excellent cooling and healthy drink. After all, all herbs have healing properties. And in addition to simply quenching thirst, herbal tea can solve a number of health problems.

Benefits of herbal tea

Herbal tea has many health benefits. It can be drunk hot or cold. At all times and all over the world, such tea is valued as a drink that gives the key to health and longevity and is the most ancient drink. How can I benefit from drinking herbal tea?

The main benefit of such tea is that when brewing any part of the plant, we get a healing drink with all the beneficial properties inherent in this plant in an easily digestible form. In addition, herbal tea is:

excellent source of vitamins and minerals;

flavonoids;

antioxidants;

tannins;

ether compounds.

Herbal teas are simple, inexpensive, and effective. This is one way to drink a delicious drink without caffeine and non-drug prevention and treatment of certain diseases.

Flavonoids and antioxidants contained in the tea drink help to remove toxins and heavy metal compounds from the body, have a beneficial effect on the cardiovascular and digestive systems, capillaries and connective tissues, and promote faster healing. Flavonoids, as scientists believe, can have an antitumor effect, slow down the aging process.

Tannins also help the body fight many diseases, have astringent properties, and relieve inflammation.

Depending on the herb or several types of herbs being brewed, herbal tea may have the following properties:

Anti-inflammatory;

Antibacterial;

Immuno-strengthening and immunostimulating;

Tonic;

Relaxing and soothing;

As a rule, herbal tea is drunk without sugar. But you can add sweetener if you like. It is better if it is natural honey or stevia.

Harm of herbal tea

It is hard to imagine that herbal tea can do any harm. However, certain requirements must be met.

First of all, this applies to the herbs from which you will prepare tea. Their collection should be carried out in an ecologically clean area so that they do not contain harmful substances from industrial enterprises or highways and roads.

Never buy herbs from the market until you know exactly where they were collected. It is better to buy at a pharmacy or a store.

Some herbs are only for healing. Drinking them in the form of tea is not recommended. These are herbs such as comfrey, ephedra, willow bark, celandine, dubrovnik, lobelia and the like, which contain poisonous and toxic substances. They are taken strictly in a certain dose and strictly regulated time.

There may be individual intolerance to some herbs, which can manifest itself in the form of a rash, irritation of the skin and mucous membranes, coughing, sneezing, and so on.

The main purpose of herbal tea is prevention. Therefore, do not brew too strong tea.

Be sure to consult your doctor or specialist, especially if you are currently undergoing treatment and taking medication, pregnant or breastfeeding.

How to brew herbal tea

Herbal tea is essentially a decoction or infusion made from the herb, leaves, bark, seeds, or flowers. It does not contain caffeine and is drunk, as a rule, for the sake of prevention and for their own pleasure due to the beneficial properties of the herb or herbal collection.

As noted by many scientists, herbal tea is much better than vitamins in tablets. Therefore, in order to retain all the healing properties, herbal tea must be properly brewed.

One of the main requirements is brewing tea in a sealed container. To do this, you can use a teapot, in a mug or a glass with a lid. When brewed, the herb releases essential oils.

When brewing some herbs, they must be kept in a water bath after brewing with hot water. It is allowed to brew in a thermos.

It is better to pour some herbs first with warm boiled water and then bring to a boil over a fire and boil for several minutes. As a rule, bark or fruits are brewed in this way.

How to choose herbal tea

When it comes to choosing herbal tea, the first thing you need to know is for what purpose you will be drinking it. Now you can buy ready-made herbal preparations intended for specific purposes. These are vitamin, to strengthen the immune system, for children, especially for women or men and compiled by specialists in a clear proportion.

Herbal tea should contain nothing but the herb itself, no artificial flavors or colors.

When harvesting herbs on your own, you need to dry them in the shade or under a canopy, spreading them out in one layer or tying them in small bunches. Drying herbs in the oven is allowed, while the temperature should not exceed 35 degrees. Can be dried in the electric dryer for fruits and vegetables.

Herbs are stored in tightly closed paper bags, cardboard boxes or cotton bags. The shelf life depends on the particular herb. Usually it's one or two years.

The most useful herbal teas for every day

For many centuries, people have passed on information about the healing powers of herbs from generation to generation. With so many herbal teas to choose from today, it can be difficult to know which tea to choose. Here are just some of the healthy herbal teas you can drink every day. In fact, there are many more.

Chamomile tea

Chamomile tea is the most famous tea. It has calming properties, helps lower blood sugar levels, and improves digestion. They also drink tea for colds, coughs, bronchitis, and use it to gargle the throat and mouth. Studies have shown that chamomile tea can reduce death rates by almost 29 percent.

Elderflower tea

Elderberry flowers are traditionally used in the treatment of colds. This tea is an effective decongestant, helps to clear the nasal passages of mucus.

It also has diaphoretic properties, cleanses the lymph nodes, strengthens the immune system. Elderflower tea is drunk for allergies, asthma, in the treatment of fungal infections, urinary tract infections, and toothache.

Melissa tea

Melissa is a member of the mint family. These herbs have soothing, anti-inflammatory properties that reduce pain. The plant is rich in antioxidants and contains the powerful compound eugenol.

Lemon balm tea can be drunk with digestive problems, with sleep, with stress and anxiety.

Fennel tea

This is the most famous tea, which is drunk with bloating and increased gas formation. It has anti-inflammatory and diuretic properties, relieves spasms, removes bad breath.

Mint tea

Traditional tea for nausea and vomiting. Tea stimulates the production of bile, improves digestion, soothes and promotes sound sleep.

Tea with lemongrass

Lemongrass has a positive effect on digestion, calms the nerves and lowers blood pressure. It will also help with insomnia, acne, colds.

Tea with lavender

Lavender is known for its relaxing properties. Lavender tea is most often drunk to relieve stress and calm the nerves. It will also help with stomach problems, relieve pain associated with arthritis or other bone diseases, headache.

Echinacea tea

Echinacea has excellent tonic properties. They also drink this tea to boost immunity, for colds, to relieve pain in the joints and muscles.

nettle tea

Nettle is rich in minerals. It is a good source of iron, calcium, silicon. Nettle tea is a good anti-inflammatory agent, improves skin condition, fights allergies, improves blood composition.

thyme tea

Thyme tea can be drunk during a cold. Thyme contains essential oils that protect the body from viruses and infections. It also helps with coughing as an expectorant. It will help with pain in the stomach, throat, with menstrual pain.

Tea with red clover flowers

This tea is especially well known for its ability to reduce symptoms and ailments during menopause. If you suffer from frequent hot flashes, disturbed sleep - brew a cup of tea with red clover.

rosemary tea

The aroma of rosemary, according to scientists, helps improve cognitive performance, help prevent brain aging.

Tea with ginger

Ginger tea is a good remedy in the early stages of infections. They drink it for rheumatic pains, it dilates blood vessels and stimulates blood circulation, promotes weight loss.

Hibiscus tea

Red hibiscus tea is a very versatile tea. It can be drunk hot or cold. It perfectly quenches thirst, improves appetite, fights colds. This tea is also good as a laxative and diuretic.

This particular type of green tea is very rich in antioxidants. It contains 17 times more antioxidants than blueberries and 7 times more than dark chocolate.

Oolong tea promotes weight loss. With a large amount of antioxidants, it can reduce bad cholesterol, good prevention of cardiovascular disease, improve skin condition.

Pu-erh tea is the only tea that can mature and improve with age. Studies have shown that it can reduce fat deposits, lower cholesterol levels, and prevent the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases.

Rooibos tea

Rooibos tea can help with headaches, insomnia, eczema, high blood pressure, and allergies.

The use of this tea can improve the condition of the skin, clear it of acne, promotes the strengthening and growth of hair.

This tea can also be attributed to herbal teas. It is rich in antioxidants, contains vitamins and valuable minerals that have a beneficial effect on the heart, liver, DNA cells.

This is not a complete list of the best herbal teas. In the summer, collect the leaves of strawberries, currants, raspberries, stock up on rose hips and other berries. all this is perfect for brewing delicious and healthy herbal tea.

Herbal medicinal teas, tinctures, uzvars and decoctions came to us from ancient times. People have long used the magical power of medicinal plants to prevent and treat ailments, improve immunity and improve health. Each housewife was a bit of a witch and knew how to properly use the generous natural gifts: herbs, berries, flowers, leaves and roots. Ancient recipes of fragrant herbal teas are still used by people with pleasure.

Delicious and healthy herbal teas can be prepared at home. The ability to properly select and combine natural ingredients will help you get the full benefit and pleasure of a fragrant drink.

A selection of the best herbal teas according to old recipes:

1. Healing chamomile tea. Sunny chamomile flowers contain salicylic, nicotinic acid, vitamin C, essential oils, pectins, carotene, gum, proteins and flavonoids. Chamomile tea has a calming, diaphoretic, anti-inflammatory, analgesic and sedative effect. Warm chamomile infusion will help to cope with insomnia, stress, overwork and depression. Mix two tablespoons of dried crushed chamomile flowers with a teaspoon of mint and lemon balm. Pour in boiling water and cover tightly. Add a teaspoon of honey to the finished drink.

2. Vitamin herbal tea. Grind a handful of dried wild rose hips. Add a teaspoon of thyme and strawberry leaves, 1-2 leaves of black or red currant. Pour the healing collection with boiled water.

3. Winter warming herbal tea. It will help cure a cold, increase immunity, ease breathing and coughing. To prepare it, mix equal parts sage, chamomile, linden, thyme, coltsfoot, oregano and rosemary. Add raspberry leaves, currants, lemon or orange zest. Brew medicinal herbal collection in a thermos.

4. Herbal tonic drink. Mix equal amounts of rosemary, Chinese magnolia vine, lingonberry and blackcurrant leaves, wild rose flowers, and red clover in a glass bowl. Pour 500 ml of hot boiled water into a spoon with a slide of the mixture and leave for a third of an hour.

5. Unique eucalyptus tea has strong antibacterial properties. Helps with diseases of the oral cavity, bronchitis and asthma. This is an excellent lifesaver drink for diabetics. Pour a cup of boiling water over a teaspoon of eucalyptus leaves. You can add flower honey to taste.

6. Anti-inflammatory herbal tea. Combine a dessert spoon each of dry sage, lime blossom, chamomile and nettle. Brew in a ceramic or glass teapot. Strain after 15 minutes. Add honey and a pinch of cinnamon to the finished drink.

7. Exquisite rose petal tea. Dry fresh rose petals on a thick paper sheet. Then grind them and mix with green or black tea. Brew in the usual way. The drink will acquire an original taste and a divinely delicate aroma.

8. Herbal tea with thyme invigorate, increase efficiency, give strength and energy, relieve pain. Pour boiling water over a glass or porcelain teapot. Then pour a spoonful of dry or fresh thyme, a currant leaf and raspberries. The time for brewing tea should not exceed 20 minutes.

9. Ginger tea for weight loss. Finely grate a piece of ginger root. Add half a fresh lemon and a spoonful of coltsfoot. Fill with filtered boiled water. Strain after a quarter of an hour.

10. Calming herbal tea Helps with insomnia, depression and nervous tension. Mix and brew in a thermos a teaspoon of mint, fennel, chamomile, lemon balm, hops, strawberry leaves and valerian.

Prepare and drink fragrant herbal teas with pleasure and be healthy!