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Herbal Tea Health Benefits

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Herbal Tea health benefits range from boosting your immunity, detoxifying and reducing anxiety in our caffeine-free tisane organic herbal tea blends.

Whether you prefer organic loose leaf herbal tea or the convenience of our non-GMO pyramidal tea bag, Fraser Tea has an herbal tea to suit your needs. In the following article we are going to:

  1. Define ‘herbal tea’ (formerly known as tisane /təˈzan/)
  2. Describe the different categories of herbal teas
  3. Review the health benefits of tisanes
  4. Outline where these benefits can be found in our herbal tea selection

What Are Herbal Teas (Tisanes)?

Herbal teas are brewed herbal infusions, also known as a botanical infusion. These infusions are NOT made from the tea leaf camellia sinensis. Sometimes, herbal teas are also referred to as a tisane, pronounced like “tuh·zan”. Our herbal teas are caffeine free, calorie free and are a delicious way to refresh yourself or hydrate any time of the day.

The difference between herbal tea vs regular tea is that regular tea is made from the tea plant called camellia sinensis. In contrast, herbal teas are made from flowers, spices, fruits, grains and leaves from plants other than the camellia sinensis plant. Tom Fraser, founder of Fraser Tea, master tea blender and tea sommelier, exquisitely balances the herbal tea ingredients and flavors to bring the therapeutic effects found in our organic herbal tea blends.

For many centuries, our ancestors have been using herbal mixtures or medicinal tisanes to relieve everyday ailments. Fruits, nuts, spices, herbs, roots, flowers, leaves, grains and beans have all been blended to cure common ailments.

Herbal Tea Health Benefits

Herbal Tea Ingredients

Herbal teas usually include one or more of these five ingredient categories:

  • Fruits and Nuts
  • Flowers
  • Spices, Herbs and Roots
  • Grains and Beans
  • Leaves

Examples of Organic Herbal Tea Categories

These five main categories include a wide variety of ingredients. At Fraser Tea, we have created a portfolio of blended herbal teas to meet different customer needs linked to activity level, mood, flavor profile, or health & wellness goals.

Fruits and Nuts

Dried fruits have a delicate sweetness and provide a natural health benefit for herbal teas. Our teas that include dried fruit tea are packed with vitamins and antioxidants to keep your immune system going strong. Examples of fruits we use in our herbal blends include fresh berries, cherries, citrus rinds, papayas, pineapples, mangos, apple, goji berries, etc.

Did you know that we use only organic fruits in our herbal natural tea blends? Fraser Tea and all the components in our blends are organic. Using exclusively organic ingredients is a proud hallmark of all Fraser Tea products. Please read our article, What is Organic Tea?, if you would like to learn more about our organic tea. 

Local Sourcing: Fraser Tea uses fresh Michigan blueberries and Schisandra berries (also known as Mongolian Berry or 5 Flavored Fruit) in our Organic Honeybunch Organic Dandelion Tea. Schisandra berries are purple red in color. A very interesting property (as the name “5 Flavor Fruit” implies) is that Schisandra berries are simultaneously sweet, salty, bitter, pungent, and slightly sour.  The complex flavor of this berry provides an excellent balance to the tea blend. We love the fresh organic Michigan cherries and berries in our Rainbow Rooibos Organic Tea.  Need to beat the heat? This herbal tea blend makes fabulous Rainbow Berry Rooibos Ice Pops.

Did you know that a coconut can be categorized as a fruit, a nut and a seed? Actually, the coconut is classified as a “drupe” or stone fruit. Coconut adds a refreshing hydrating tropical flavor that we use in our Chocolate Coconut Organic Herbal Tea and Mango Tango Organic Rooibos Tea.

Flowers

Chamomile, Osmanthus, lavender, hibiscus, cornflower, calendula, safflower flowers add a soothing and gentle aroma to herbal tea blends. Rose hips are actually the fruits from the rose flower and are often grouped in their own unique category. Our Sweet Dreams Organic Herbal Tea has an essence of chamomile, lavender, hibiscus and Osmanthus mixed with peppermint leaves, lemongrass and orange peel. This makes for a relaxing and restful herbal tea.

We all know that flowers are known primarily for their beauty and smell. The aroma from many flowers creates a tranquil feeling and promotes relaxation. We love it when our customers post about minutes of quiet meditation while sipping our herbal tea – a mind cleansing benefit all in its own.

Health Benefits of Herbal Tea

Spices, Herbs and Roots

Ginger and Turmeric add a boost of spicy warmth to herbal infusions. Lemongrass is actually a type of herb coming from the grass family. The lemongrass stalk adds a delightful fragrant lemony tang to our Tropical Night Organic Herbal Tea.

Sweet Cinnamon, cloves, white pepper and ginger make our Coconut Chai Organic Rooibos Tea a delicious caffeine free calorie free cozy beverage. Balancing spices, herbs and roots in our herbal infusions promotes the health benefits of herbal tea.

Grains and Beans

In Asia, grains like barley and rice are sometimes added to tea. Currently, we do not have grains in our herbal tisane teas.

Although we haven’t yet offered a herbal tea including grains, we have not shunned grains all together. If you like green tea, we recommend you try our Genmaicha Organic Matcha Tea that has toasted rice in the blend. Though not classified among our herbal teas, we love the earthy and grassy flavor of this Matcha blend.

Finally, rounding out the grains and beans: cocao.  Cacao nibs are crushed cacao (cocoa) beans with a delicious chocolate flavor that add a rich taste with a tremendous depth.  We have several blends using this popular ingredient. Customers love our Organic Rooibos Chocolate Cream.

Leaves

Leaves from the peppermint and spearmint plants make our Peppermint Stick Organic Herbal Tea bright, delicious and refreshing. We use lemon balm to add a burst of fresh flavor to our Ginger Lemonade Organic Herbal Tea.

Plain yerba maté is made from the leaves of a South American holly tree. Plain yerba maté is both a type of herbal tea in its own right, and also used as an ingredient in other blends. Yerba maté is one of the only caffeinated herbal teas.

Fraser Tea does not offer any plain yerba maté.  Rather we blend yerba maté with green teas, and typically do not group this with our herbal teas. If you like maté and green teas, be sure to try our Yerba Mate Mint Organic Green Tea, Super Energized Organic Green Tea and Pure Energy Organic Green Tea.

Needle like leaves from Aspalathus linearis plant become the rich, earthy and delicately sweet organic rooibos tea from South Africa that we love so much. Honeybush tea is made from the honey bush plant. More on these differences in the next section.

Rainbow Rooibos Organic Herbal Tea

What is the Difference Between Honeybush and Rooibos Tea?

We make our Rainbow Rooibos Organic Herbal Tea from both the honeybush leaves and rooibos.

Honeybush is made from the leaves of the Cyclopia plant, also known as the "honeybush plant" that is native to Eastern part of South Africa. Honeybush has these beautiful flowers that smell like honey. It's close cousin, rooibos (also known as red bush tea), comes from the Aspalathus linearis plant and is native to the Western Cape of South Africa.

Honeybush is a little sweeter than rooibos. We think it tastes a little bit like honey and dried apricots. Complimenting nicely, rooibos tastes a little nutty, earthy and slightly sweet. Together a perfect match. We love the depth of flavor that is created in this refreshing herbal tea by blending both honeybush and rooibos. Wonderful either hot or over ice – creating a refreshing caffeine free beverage.

Does Herbal Tea have Caffeine?

The simple answer is generally no. The exception explained above is yerba maté which is one of the only caffeinated herbal leaves. Herbal teas or botanical infusions are usually made with flowers, fruits, grains, spices and roots and are caffeine free. Being free from caffeine and calories, makes drinking our organic herbal tisane teas a delightful beverage to drink any time of the day or evening.

Herbal Tea Health Benefits

A holistic approach to preventive care or medicine has never been more important. Preventing a health issue and caring for the body in a holistic manner is much easier than trying to recover after you are already sick. Moreover, there is a mind-body connection where your emotional health can affect your physical health.

Fraser Tea has numerous Organic Herbal Tea blends to choose from. In addition, each ingredient and combination of ingredients have a specific health benefit. Understanding the specific ingredient benefits can help you select the herbal tea that is be best for you. 

Many people post questions asking: “what is the best herbal tea for a cold?” With the higher antioxidant levels in green rooibos, warming ginger, anti-inflammatory turmeric and vitamin C packed goji berries, we might suggest our Go Go Goji Turmeric Organic Herbal Tea. This is our go-to during the cold and flu season in Michigan.

Let’s review the health benefit of these basic and popular tisane ingredients: chamomile, honeybush, rooibos, peppermint, gingerroot, hibiscus, rosehips and hibiscus.

Chamomile

Chamomile flowers act as a mild and natural sedative, helping to promote sleep in our Chamomile Dream Organic Herbal Tea. Sedative effects may be due to the flavonoid called apigenin.  Apigenin binds to benzodiazepine receptors in the brain, according to Srivastava et al 1. Chamomile has antispasmodic effects which can help with stomach upset, colic and gas. The chamomile can help dispel gas and soothe the stomach, according to research done by McKay and Blumberg 2. We find even that even the ceremonial act of pouring loose leaf chamomile tea into your cup is soothing, relaxing and aromatic. If you have difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep at night, a cup of chamomile tea before bed may be good for you.

If you suffer from gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), our plain Organic Chamomile Herbal Tea might be a better option. It does not contain any peppermint or spearmint leaves that can sometimes irritate heartburn and other GERD symptoms. In a study done by Jarosz and Taraszewska 3, 513 patients with GERD were evaluated for actions that caused increase in symptoms. They found the largest factor that improved GERD symptoms was to eat frequent but smaller meals each day and avoid eating the largest meal before bedtime. Nonetheless, some patients had increase GERD symptoms with drinking peppermint tea every day. More research is required.

Health Benefits of Herbal Tea

Honeybush

Honeybush has three important polyphenols called (1) xanthones mangiferin, (2) isomangiferin and (3) the flavanone hesperidin, Joubert et al 4. These polyphenols are antioxidants that help prevent cellular damage from oxidative stress. In a review performed by Tejada et al 5, the polyphenol, hesperidin, may have anti-inflammatory and cancer-fighting effects.

The polyphenols of honeybush tea were evaluated via spectrometric analysis
for their effectiveness against colds, influenza, tuberculosis, and even relieving menopausal symptoms in women by Kamara et al 6, with positive results. Imagine: increasing your immunity at home might be as simple as adding a delicious cup of herbal tea to your daily routine.

 

Rooibos

A very interesting review by Wyganowska-Swiatkowska et al 7, looked at how Aspalathin and nothofagin (polyphenols) extracted from Rooibos have been shown to effectively inhibit LPS-induced release of HMGB1, and suppressed HMGB1-mediated septic responses in SARS-CoV-2. When a patient gets sick with a virus, usually the body responds by releasing immune chemicals into the blood to combat the infection. Sometimes unfortunately, those chemicals can trigger widespread inflammation. This inflammation can lead to blood clots and leaky blood vessels. When the blood is not flowing to the main organs to provide oxygen and nutrients, organ failure can start to occur. This widespread inflammation is commonly referred to as sepsis 7. The specific polyphenols in rooibos may help to prevent this septic response from occurring.

Rooibos, especially in our unfermented Organic Green Rooibos Tea, are higher in rare polyphenols such as dihydrochalcones, aspalathin and nothofagin. In a study done by Dludla et al 9, they observed diabetic mice after they were given the polyphenol aspalathin, comparing these to a control group of mice that did not receive the aspalathin.  It was found that in the group that received aspalathin, the hearts of the mice were protected from the oxidative stress. Additionally, the diabetic mice had reduced need for glucose reducing agents.

Because there are many health attributes for Rooibos tea, we decided to investigate and then write a specific health and wellness update just for this South African red bush tea. Check out our post, Health Benefits of Rooibos Tea, to learn more.

Health Benefits of Herbal Tea

Peppermint

Drinking a delicious refreshing cup of Peppermint Stick Organic Herbal Tea not only invigorates and freshens your breath, but it may help with cognitive function.

Kennedy et al 10, performed a double – blinded study with 24 participants with the average age of about 25 years old.  They performed psychological functioning with cognitively demanding tasks after taking different dosages of menthol essential oil.  The study concluded that peppermint with the highest amount of menthol helped the performance for demanding cognitive tasks. The main ingredient of peppermint, menthol, decreased the mental fatigue associated with extended cognitive task performance in healthy adults.

We all suffer from tummy woes now and then. However, individuals with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) may not need to suffer, as much, with a little peppermint tea. In a review by Khanna et al 11, which included 9 studies that evaluated 726 patients, peppermint oil was found to be significantly superior to placebo for global improvement of IBS symptoms and improvement in abdominal pain.

Ginger Root

Ginger root adds warmth and spice to many of our organic herbal tea blends. In addition, ginger is one of our favorite herbal tea health benefits to help with nausea and vomiting.

Delayed gastric emptying can cause many gastrointestinal discomforts and complications. In the review of many studies by Bodagh et al 12, it was found that ginger may be an important dietary agent. The compiled data showed there was decreased pressure on the lower esophageal sphincter, reduced intestinal cramping, less stomach upset, nausea, flatulence, and bloating with patients that were given ginger.

The rhizome, or ginger root, has been used for centuries in recipes and in Eastern medicine to treat common ailments. Ginger root adds a delightful flavor, aroma and therapeutic effect in our Ginger Lemonade Organic Herbal Tea and many other blends.

 Hibiscus

Hibiscus roselles (flowers) turn a beautiful crimson, pink-red color when brewed as a tea.  They give a delightful cranberry like tartness to many of our tea blends such as our Blueberry Organic Rooibos Tea  and Berry Blue Organic Herbal Tea.

Hibiscus may help in the treatment of hypertension and hyperlipidemia. Daily consumption of hibiscus tea in a review of randomized clinical trials by Hopkins et al 13, resulted in lowered blood pressure and reduced total cholesterol.  The health benefits of hibiscus are possibly due to the antioxidant effects of the anthocyanin’s inhibition of LDL-C oxidation that could be impeding atherosclerosis. However, more research is required.

Rose Hips

Rose Hips (Rosehips) are a red orange accessory fruit on the rose plant. Even though the word rose is in their name, rose hips do not taste like roses. Instead, they taste sour and have a light citrus flavor note. These accessory fruits to the rose plant bring a delicious freshness to many of our herbal teas like in our Tropical Night Organic Herbal Tea.

The health benefits of rose hips includes anti-inflammatory action, anti-diabetic and anticancer effects, in a review by Mármol et al 14. They proposed that because rosehips are high in polyphenols, vitamins C, E, B and carotenoids that these compounds may have synergistic effects.

Osmanthus

Osmanthus is a very small fragrant yellow flower also called sweet Osmanthus, sweet olive, tea olive, fragrant olive and “gui hua” in Asia. The flower is mildly bitter and mildly sweet. Osmanthus has fruity-floral apricot aroma and is a beautiful addition to our Chamomile Bouquet Organic Herbal Tea.

There are many health benefits to Osmanthus herbal tea, including possible weight loss. The aroma from Osmanthus has a mild sedative effect which may decrease one’s motivation to eat. The data results from Yamamoto et al 15, suggest that these effects are due to suppression of appetite stimulate neuropeptides and activation of loss of appetite neuropeptides in the hypothalamus from the aroma of Osmanthus.

Health Benefits of Herbal Tea

The Best Herbal Tea?

You may ask, “What is the best tasting herbal tea?”. That is a very difficult question to answer. Everyone’s taste palate is different. In addition, everyone has different health needs. To address the diversity of tastes and preferences, we have created a wide portfolio of herbal tea blends to choose from – including an Herbal Tea Sampler that has an assortment of herbals for you to try. 

Come and explore the tantalizing flavors of our organic herbal tea selection and enjoy the herbal tea health benefits. What are you waiting for? Our herbal teas are caffeine-free and can be enjoyed either hot or chilled for a relaxing anytime beverage.

Please Note: Before starting any change to your diet and routine, you should always discuss this with your primary care physician first and make sure that it does not interfere with any health conditions or your current medications.

Disclaimer: This website is not intended for the purpose of medical advice. All information, content, and material of this website is for informational purposes only and are not intended to serve as a substitute for the consultation, diagnosis, and/or medical treatment of a qualified physician or healthcare provider. If you have a medical emergency, call your doctor or 911 immediately.

Sources

  1.  Molecular Medicine Reports 3(6): 895–901. Chamomile: A herbal medicine of the past with bright future, Publication Date 2010, November 1, Janmejai K Srivastava, Eswar Shankar, and Sanjay Gupta, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  2. Phytotherapy Research, A review of the bioactivity and potential health benefits of chamomile tea (Matricaria recutita L.). Publication Date: 2006 July 20, Diane L McKay, Jeffrey B Blumberg, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  3. Przeglad Gastroenterologiczny 9(5) 297–301. Published online 2014 Oct 19, Risk factors for gastroesophageal reflux disease: the role of diet, Mirosław Jarosz and Anna Taraszewska, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  4. Journal Agricultural Food Chemistry 56(3):954-63. Published online 2008 January 17, Effect of species variation and processing on phenolic composition and in vitro antioxidant activity of aqueous extracts of Cyclopia spp. (Honeybush Tea) Elizabeth Joubert, E Siân Richards, J Debora Van der Merwe, Dalene De Beer, Marena Manley, Wentzel C A Gelderblom, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  5. Current Medicinal Chemistry. 2018;25(37):4929-4945.Published in 2018 Potential Anti-inflammatory Effects of Hesperidin from the Genus Citrus Silvia Tejada, Samuel Pinya, Miquel Martorell, Xavier Capó, Josep A Tur, Antoni Pons, Antoni Sureda,  https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  6. Journal Agricultural Food Chemistry;52(17):5391-5. Published online: 2004 August 25, Phenolic metabolites from honeybush tea (Cyclopia subternata) B Irene Kamara, D Jacobus Brand, E Vincent Brandt, Elizabeth Joubert, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  7. International Journal Molecular Science. 2020, 21(13), 4639; Published online: 2020 June 30, Influence of Herbal Medicines on HMGB1 Release, SARS-CoV-2 Viral Attachment, Acute Respiratory Failure, and Sepsis. A Literature Review, Marzena Wyganowska-Swiatkowska, Michal Nohawica, Katarzyna Grocholewicz, Gerard Nowak, https://www.mdpi.com
  8. NIH Fact Sheet: Sepsis https://www.nigms.nih.gov
  9. 2017 Jan 14;22(1):129. Published 2017 January 14, Aspalathin Protects the Heart against Hyperglycemia-Induced Oxidative Damage by Up-Regulating Nrf2 Expression, Phiwayinkosi V Dludla, Christo J F Muller, Elizabeth Joubert, Johan Louw, M Faadiel Essop, Kwazi B Gabuza, Samira Ghoor, Barbara Huisamen, Rabia Johnson, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  10. 2018 Aug; 10(8): 1029. Published online 2018 Aug 7, Volatile Terpenes and Brain Function: Investigation of the Cognitive and Mood Effects of Mentha × Piperita L. Essential Oil with In Vitro Properties Relevant to Central Nervous System Function, David Kennedy, Edward Okello, Paul Chazot, Melanie-Jayne Howes, Samuel Ohiomokhare, Philippa Jackson, Crystal Haskell-Ramsay, Julie Khan, Joanne Forster, and Emma Wightman https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  11. Journal of Clinical Gastroenterology. 2014 Jul;48(6):505-12. Published online 2014 July Peppermint oil for the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis, Reena Khanna 1, John K MacDonald, Barrett G Levesque https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  12. Food Science Nutrition. 2019 Jan; 7(1): 96–108. Published online 2018 Nov 5. Ginger in gastrointestinal disorders: A systematic review of clinical trials Mehrnaz Nikkhah Bodagh, Iradj Maleki, and Azita Hekmatdoost https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  13. 2013 Mar; 85:84-94. Published online 2013 Jan 17. Hibiscus sabdariffa L. in the treatment of hypertension and hyperlipidemia: a comprehensive review of animal and human studies Allison L Hopkins, Marnie G Lamm, Janet L Funk, Cheryl Ritenbaug https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  14. International Journal Molecular Science. 2017 Jun; 18(6): 1137. Published online 2017 May 25. Therapeutic Applications of Rose Hips from Different Rosa Species Inés Mármol, Cristina Sánchez-de-Diego, Nerea Jiménez-Moreno, Carmen Ancín-Azpilicueta, and María Jesús Rodríguez-Yoldi https://www.mdpi.com
  15.  Scientific Reports. 2013; 3:1518. Published Online: 2013, March 22. The odor of Osmanthus fragrants attenuates food intake Takashi Yamamoto, Tadashi Inui, Tadataka Tsuji https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov