herbal tea

{{Short description|Beverage made from infusing or decocting plant material in hot water}}

File:Hibiscus Delight tisane.jpg]]

File:Butterfly-pea flower tea 3.jpg. The one on the right has had lime juice added, making it turn purple.]]

Herbal teas, technically known as herbal infusions, and less commonly{{cite web|url=https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=herb+teas%2Cherbal+teas%2Ctisanes&year_start=1800&year_end=2000&corpus=15&smoothing=3&share=&direct_url=t1%3B%2Cherb%20teas%3B%2Cc0%3B.t1%3B%2Cherbal%20teas%3B%2Cc0%3B.t1%3B%2Ctisanes%3B%2Cc0 |title=Google Ngram Viewer |access-date=2018-05-29}} called tisanes (UK and US {{IPAc-en|t|ɪ|ˈ|z|æ|n}}, US also {{IPAc-en|t|ɪ|ˈ|z|ɑː|n}}),{{cite web|url=http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/tisane?a=british |title=tisane |website=Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary |date=2018-05-23 |access-date=2018-05-29}} are beverages made from the infusion or decoction of herbs, spices, or other plant material in hot water. Often herb tea, or the plain term tea, is used as a reference to all sorts of herbal teas. Many herbs used in teas/tisanes are also used in herbal medicine and in folk medicine.

These "teas" do not usually contain any true tea (Camellia sinensis), but some herbal blends do contain true tea (e.g., the Indian classic masala chai). The term "herbal" tea is often used to distinguish these beverages from "true" teas (e.g., black, green, white, yellow, oolong), which are prepared from the cured leaves of the tea plant, Camellia sinensis. Unlike true teas, most tisanes do not naturally contain caffeine (though tea can be decaffeinated, i.e., processed to remove caffeine).{{cite web|url=https://www.dictionary.com/browse/herbal-tea |title=Herbal tea |publisher=Dictionary.reference.com |access-date=2019-09-25}}{{Cite web|last=Center|first=Garfield Medical|title=Different Types of Tea and Caffeine Content|url=https://www.garfieldmedicalcenter.com/GMC-Blog/2016/October/Different-Types-of-Tea-and-Caffeine-Content.aspx|access-date=2021-01-29|website=Garfield Medical Center}}

A number of plants, however, do contain psychoactive compounds, such as caffeine or another stimulant, like theobromine, cocaine or ephedrine. Some have the opposite effect, acting as a sedative. Some common infusions have specific names such as mate (yerba mate) and rooibos (red bush). Hibiscus tea is one type of herbal infusion, but many described as some other plant have hibiscus as the main ingredient, or a major one.{{cite web | title=Blackberry & Blueberry infusion| publisher=Sainsbury's | url=https://www.sainsburys.co.uk/gol-ui/product/sainsburys-blackberry--blueberry---acai-berry-tea-bags-x20 | access-date=6 March 2024}} A typical example, described as Blackberry & Blueberry, but has hibiscus as main ingredient, and 0.5% of the named ingredients.

Etymology

file:Paul Berthon - Tisane Gauloise.jpg]]

Some feel{{clarify|date=December 2021}} that the term tisane is more correct than herbal tea or that the latter is even misleading, but most dictionaries record that the word tea is also used to refer to other plants beside the tea plant and to beverages made from these other plants.{{cite dictionary |url=https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tea |title=tea |dictionary=Merriam-Webster |access-date=2018-05-29}}{{cite dictionary|url=https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/tea|title=tea|dictionary=Lexico|access-date=31 May 2022|archive-date=19 November 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171119112348/https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/tea|url-status=dead}} In any case, the term herbal tea is very well established and much more common than tisane.

Furthermore, in the Etymology of tea, the most ancient term for tea was (pronounced tu) which originally referred to various plants such as sow thistle, chicory, or smartweed, and was later used to exclusively refer to Camellia sinensis (true "tea").{{cite book |author=Albert E. Dien |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0zp6iMZoqt0C&pg=PA362 |title=Six Dynasties Civilization |publisher=Yale University Press |year=2007 |isbn=978-0-300-07404-8 |page=362}}{{cite book |author=Bret Hinsch |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BdWpWha_0EsC&pg=PT14 |title=The ultimate guide to Chinese tea |publisher=Bret Hinsch |year=2011 |isbn=978-974-480-129-6}}

The word tisane was rare in its modern sense before the 20th century, when it was borrowed in the modern sense from French. This is why some people feel it should be pronounced {{IPAc-en|t|ɪ|ˈ|z|ɑː|n}} as in French, but the original English pronunciation {{IPAc-en|t|ɪ|ˈ|z|æ|n}} continues to be more common in US English and especially in UK English.

The word had already existed in late Middle English in the sense of "medicinal drink" and had already been borrowed from French (Old French). The Old French word came from the Latin word {{lang|la|ptisana}}, which came from the Ancient Greek word {{lang|grc|πτισάνη}} ({{lang|grc-Latn|ptisánē}}), which meant "peeled" barley, in other words pearl barley, and a drink made from this that is similar to modern barley water.{{Cite dictionary|url=https://www.lexico.com/definition/tisane|title=tisane|dictionary=Lexico|access-date=31 May 2022|archive-date=27 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210927014241/https://www.lexico.com/definition/tisane|url-status=dead}}

Composition and usage

{{See also|List of plants used in herbalism|List of culinary herbs and spices}}

File:LE POINT DE VUE11n4000.jpg and cup]]

Herbal teas can be made with any part of a plant, including fresh or dried flowers, fruit, leaves, stems, seeds or roots. These parts may be steeped fully raw (as picked) or processed in some way (such as drying, roasting, crushing, tearing / cutting, steaming, etc.).

file:Herbal tisanes for several ailments on sale at the Central Market, Port Louis, Mauritius.jpg as medicines for various diseases]]

Herbal infusions may be made by pouring hot or boiling water over the plant parts and letting them steep for a period of time. The infusion temperature and time can vary depending on the type of plant part used and their properties. For example, some plant parts are covered in oils which may take some time to separate. Brewing with cold water will take much longer as well, usually several hours.

An herbal tea may be strained or not (as with mate where a special straw called a bombilla is used for drinking).

Some herbal teas are blends which include various different herbs or plant parts. Herbal infusions may also be sweetened, spiced, salted, or combined with other additives, like milk or lemon juice.

Some herbal teas are also infused in alcohol, either for medicinal purposes or to make an herbal liquor.

Herbal teas are commonly used in Herbal medicine and in traditional medical cultures, like Indian Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese medicine. Many ancient and medieval Herbal texts contain evidence for the use of various herb infusions throughout human history. Various herbal teas have been promoted throughout history as folk remedies for various diseases and in some cultures they retain their status as local folk cures.

Many companies produce herbal tea bags for such infusions or sell bottled herbal teas.

File:Zingiber Ginger Coconut Rooibos - Teavana tisane.jpg|This retail mixture contains rooibos, coconut, ginger, cinnamon, apple, cardamom, black pepper and almond.

File:Elderberries.jpeg|Dried elderberries ready to be steeped into tea

File:2016 1212 Coffee blossom tea.jpg|Coffee blossom tea

File:Mr. Ollivanders Magic Potion fruit tisane.jpg|Apple, rose hips, orange zest, papaya, peppermint, liquorice root, lemon grass, cinnamon, blackcurrants, rose and mallow blossoms

Varieties

file:Erva mate chimarrao in big cuia.jpg infusion, popular in South America]]

{{more citations needed section|date=November 2018}}

Herbal teas can be made from any edible plant material, below is a list of common herbal infusions. Some herbal teas are made from plants which contain caffeine, and other herbal infusions may contain other psychoactive compounds. However, many other common herbal teas have not been shown psychoactive properties when compared to placebos, though they may still have some physical effects.

Many herbal teas on the market may also be blends which include various herbs or plant parts. These blends may also include additives, like flavorings.

= Caffeinated infusions =

File:Lemoy011.jpg and his warriors drinking yaupon tea before battle, 16th century Florida, by Jacques le Moyne.]]

File:Fijian_kava_ceremony.jpg ceremony]]

= Other psychoactive infusions =

  • Cannabis tea, which contains the psychoactive THC. It is a common drink in India, where it is known as bhang.
  • Coca tea, infusion made from coca leaves. Contains trace amounts of cocaine and similar alkaloids.{{cite journal |vauthors=Jenkins AJ, Llosa T, Montoya I, Cone EJ |year=1996 |title=Identification and quantitation of alkaloids in coca tea |journal=Forensic Science International |volume=77 |issue=3 |pages=179–89 |doi=10.1016/0379-0738(95)01860-3 |pmc=2705900 |pmid=8819993}} In some countries where coca is illegal, products marketed as "coca tea" are supposed to be decocainized, i.e., the pharmacologically active components have been removed from the leaf using the same chemicals as manufacturing cocaine.
  • Kava root tea, common in Pacific island cultures (Polynesia, Melanesia, Micronesia), which has sedative effects and anesthetic effects caused by compounds called kavalactones.{{cite journal |last1=Wang |first1=J |last2=Qu |first2=W |last3=Bittenbender |first3=H. C |last4=Li |first4=Q. X |year=2013 |title=Kavalactone content and chemotype of kava beverages prepared from roots and rhizomes of Isa and Mahakea varieties and extraction efficiency of kavalactones using different solvents |journal=Journal of Food Science and Technology |volume=52 |issue=2 |pages=1164–1169 |doi=10.1007/s13197-013-1047-2 |pmc=4325077 |pmid=25694734}} The traditional form is a water-based suspension of kava roots.
  • Kratom tea made from the dried leaves of the kratom tree. It has opioid-like properties and some stimulant-like effects.{{cite web |author=Gottlieb, Scott |date=6 February 2018 |title=Statement from FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, M.D., on the agency's scientific evidence on the presence of opioid compounds in kratom, underscoring its potential for abuse |url=https://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm595622.htm |access-date=6 February 2018 |publisher=US Food and Drug Administration}}{{cite journal |last1=Cinosi |first1=E |last2=Martinotti |first2=G |last3=Simonato |first3=P |last4=Singh |first4=D |last5=Demetrovics |first5=Z |last6=Roman-Urrestarazu |first6=A |last7=Bersani |first7=F. S |last8=Vicknasingam |first8=B |last9=Piazzon |first9=G |last10=Li |first10=J. H |last11=Yu |first11=W. J |last12=Kapitány-Fövény |first12=M |last13=Farkas |first13=J |last14=Di Giannantonio |first14=M |last15=Corazza |first15=O |year=2015 |title=Following "the Roots" of Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa): The Evolution of an Enhancer from a Traditional Use to Increase Work and Productivity in Southeast Asia to a Recreational Psychoactive Drug in Western Countries |journal=BioMed Research International |volume=2015 |pages=1–11 |doi=10.1155/2015/968786 |pmc=4657101 |pmid=26640804 |doi-access=free}}
  • St. John's wort tea, the plant has been shown to have antidepressant properties according to a 2017 meta-analysis.{{cite journal |last1=Ng |first1=Qin Xiang |last2=Venkatanarayanan |first2=Nandini |last3=Ho |first3=Collin Yih Xian |date=March 2017 |title=Clinical use of Hypericum perforatum (St John's wort) in depression: A meta-analysis |journal=Journal of Affective Disorders |volume=210 |pages=211–221 |doi=10.1016/j.jad.2016.12.048 |pmid=28064110}}
  • Ephedra tea, mainly from the plant Ephedra sinica.{{cite journal |vauthors=Gurley B, Wang P, Gardner S |year=1998 |title=Ephedrine-type alkaloid content of nutritional supplements containing Ephedra sinica (Ma-huang) as determined by high performance liquid chromatography |journal=J Pharm Sci |volume=87 |issue=12 |pages=1547–53 |citeseerx=10.1.1.460.7810 |doi=10.1021/js9801844 |pmid=10189265}} It contains the stimulant ephedrine. It has been used in traditional Chinese medicine, where it is called máhuáng, for more than 2,000 years.{{cite journal |vauthors=Abourashed E, El-Alfy A, Khan I, Walker L |year=2003 |title=Ephedra in perspective--a current review |journal=Phytother Res |volume=17 |issue=7 |pages=703–12 |doi=10.1002/ptr.1337 |pmid=12916063 |s2cid=41083359}}{{cite book |author=Kee C. Huang |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xKGxTcF8u-sC&pg=PR3 |title=The Pharmacology of Chinese Herbs, Second Edition |date=12 December 2010 |publisher=CRC Press |isbn=978-1-4200-4826-1 |page=9}} Ephedra tea was also used by Native Americans and Mormons, hence the name "Mormon tea" and "Indian tea".
  • Poppy tea, brewed from the poppy straw or seeds of several species of poppy (most commonly Papaver somniferum). Since it contains opium, it is consumed for its narcotic, sedative and analgesic properties.
  • Salvia divinorum ("Sage of the diviners") tea which contains salvinorin A, a compound that induces a dissociative state and hallucinations.{{cite journal |last1=Butelman |first1=Eduardo R |last2=Kreek |first2=Mary Jeanne |year=2015 |title=Salvinorin A, a kappa-opioid receptor agonist hallucinogen: Pharmacology and potential template for novel pharmacotherapeutic agents in neuropsychiatric disorders |journal=Frontiers in Pharmacology |volume=6 |pages=190 |doi=10.3389/fphar.2015.00190 |pmc=4561799 |pmid=26441647 |doi-access=free}}
  • Dream herb (Calea ternifolia) an oneirogen (dream inducing herb) native to the Americas made into a tea by Mexican peoples.{{Cite journal |last1=Sałaga |first1=Maciej |last2=Fichna |first2=Jakub |last3=Socała |first3=Katarzyna |last4=Nieoczym |first4=Dorota |last5=Pieróg |first5=Mateusz |last6=Zielińska |first6=Marta |last7=Kowalczuk |first7=Anna |last8=Wlaź |first8=Piotr |date=2016 |title=Neuropharmacological characterization of the oneirogenic Mexican plant Calea zacatechichi aqueous extract in mice |journal=Metabolic Brain Disease |volume=31 |issue=3 |pages=631–641 |doi=10.1007/s11011-016-9794-1 |issn=0885-7490 |pmc=4863909 |pmid=26821073}}
  • African dream root (Silene undulata) which is an oneirogen used by the Xhosa people as a sacred plant.{{cite journal |author=J. F. Sobiecki |date=2008 |title=A review of plants used in divination in southern Africa and their psychoactive effects |journal=Southern African Humanities |volume=20 |pages=333–351 |s2cid=37305695}}{{cite journal |last1=Sanz |first1=Camila |last2=Zamberlan |first2=Federico |last3=Erowid |first3=Earth |last4=Erowid |first4=Fire |last5=Tagliazucchi |first5=Enzo |date=2018 |title=The Experience Elicited by Hallucinogens Presents the Highest Similarity to Dreaming within a Large Database of Psychoactive Substance Reports |journal=Frontiers in Neuroscience |volume=12 |page=7 |doi=10.3389/fnins.2018.00007 |issn=1662-453X |pmc=5786560 |pmid=29403350 |doi-access=free}}
  • Ayahuasca, a highly psychoactive and hallucinogenic infusion brewed from the Banisteriopsis caapi vine and the leaves of the Psychotria viridis shrub. It is prepared and drunk by native peoples of the Amazon basin as a healing drug and as a spiritual shamanic brew.
  • Tabernanthe iboga, which can be made into an infusion, is traditionally used by the peoples of Central Africa and in African traditional medicine as a stimulant (in low doses) or as a powerful ritual hallucinogen (in larger quantities).{{cite web |date=January 23, 2019 |title=Iboga |url=https://www.drugs.com/npp/iboga.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080601024047/https://www.drugs.com/npp/iboga.html |archive-date=June 1, 2008 |access-date=October 28, 2019 |publisher=Drugs.com}}{{cite journal |last1=Koenig |first1=Xaver |last2=Hilber |first2=Karlheinz |date=January 29, 2015 |title=The Anti-Addiction Drug Ibogaine and the Heart: A Delicate Relation |journal=Molecules |volume=20 |issue=2 |pages=2208–2228 |doi=10.3390/molecules20022208 |issn=1420-3049 |pmc=4382526 |pmid=26807959 |doi-access=free}}Aubry-Lecomte, Charles Eugène, "Note sur quelque poisons de la côte occidentale d'Afrique", Revue Maritime et Coloniale, vol. XII, 1864.
  • Tobacco tea, which contains nicotine and is traditionally used by the indigenous peoples of the Americas as a medicine for various ills (dizziness, headaches), as a laxative, as an emetic and as an expectorant.{{Cite web |title=Tobacco |url=https://www.utep.edu/herbal-safety/herbal-facts/herbal%20facts%20sheet/tobacco.html |access-date=2024-06-19 |website=www.utep.edu |language=en}}

= Non-caffeinated and non-psychoactive infusions =

File:Matricaria_chamomilla_flowers.jpg flower heads separated from stems.]]

file:Rooibos tea in a glass with dry rooibos.jpg]]

File:Bebida de ginseng.jpg from Korea]]

Health risks

{{See also|List of herbs with known adverse effects|Tea bag#Plastics}}

While most herbal teas are safe for regular consumption, some herbs have toxic or allergenic effects. Among the greatest causes of concern are:

  • Comfrey, which contains alkaloids which may be harmful to the liver from chronic use, and particularly is not recommended during pregnancy or when prescription drugs are used; comfrey is not recommended for oral use.{{cite web|title=Comfrey|url=https://www.drugs.com/mtm/comfrey.html|publisher=Drugs.com|access-date=5 January 2018|date=3 January 2018}}
  • Lobelia, which contains alkaloids and has traditional medicine uses for smoking cessation, may cause nausea, vomiting, or dizziness at high doses.{{cite web|title=Lobelia|url=https://www.drugs.com/npp/lobelia.html|publisher=Drugs.com|access-date=5 January 2018|date=3 January 2018}}

Herbal teas can also have different effects from person to person, and this is further compounded by the problem of potential misidentification. The deadly foxglove, for example, can be mistaken for the much more benign (but still relatively toxic to the liver) comfrey. Care must be taken not to use any poisonous plants.

The US does not require herbal teas to have any evidence concerning their efficacy, but does treat them technically as food products and require that they be safe for consumption.

Fruit or fruit-flavored tea is usually acidic and thus may contribute to erosion of tooth enamel.{{cite journal |last1= O'Toole|first1= S.|last2= Mullan|first2= F.|title= The role of the diet in tooth wear|journal= British Dental Journal|volume= 224|issue= 5|pages= 379–383|year= 2018|doi= 10.1038/sj.bdj.2018.127|pmid= 29471309|s2cid= 3797429|url= https://kclpure.kcl.ac.uk/portal/en/publications/the-role-of-the-diet-in-tooth-wear(7a470d3f-b003-4383-831e-24f14fcdd600).html}}

= Adverse herb–drug interactions =

{{See also|Grapefruit–drug interactions|Cytochrome P450|label 2=Cytochrome P450 (CYP)}}

Some phytochemicals found in herbs and fruits can adversely interact with others and over the counter or prescription medications, among other ways by affecting their metabolism by the body. Herbs and fruits that inhibit or induce the body's Cytochrome P450 enzyme complex function can either cause the drug to be dangerously ineffective, or increase its effective absorbed dose to potentially toxic levels, respectively. Best known examples of adverse herb‑drug interactions are grapefruit or St John's wort, contraindicated for several medications including Paxlovid and oral contraceptives, but other herbs also affect the CYP enzyme family, showing herb‑drug interactions.{{Cite journal |last1=Zuo |first1=Hua-Li |last2=Huang |first2=Hsi-Yuan |last3=Lin |first3=Yang-Chi-Dung |last4=Cai |first4=Xiao-Xuan |last5=Kong |first5=Xiang-Jun |last6=Luo |first6=Dai-Lin |last7=Zhou |first7=Yu-Heng |last8=Huang |first8=Hsien-Da |date=2022-01-14 |title=Enzyme Activity of Natural Products on Cytochrome P450 |journal=Molecules |language=en |volume=27 |issue=2 |pages=515 |doi=10.3390/molecules27020515 |issn=1420-3049 |pmc=8779343 |pmid=35056827 |doi-access=free }}{{Cite journal |last1=Cho |first1=Hyun-Jong |last2=Yoon |first2=In-Soo |date=2015 |title=Pharmacokinetic Interactions of Herbs with Cytochrome P450 and P-Glycoprotein |journal=Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine |language=en |volume=2015 |pages=1–10 |doi=10.1155/2015/736431 |issn=1741-427X |pmc=4302358 |pmid=25632290 |doi-access=free }}{{Cite journal |last1=Smith |first1=Dallas J. |last2=Bi |first2=Huichang |last3=Hamman |first3=Josias |last4=Ma |first4=Xiaochao |last5=Mitchell |first5=Constance |last6=Nyirenda |first6=Kumbukani |last7=Monera-Penduka |first7=Tsitsi |last8=Oketch-Rabah |first8=Hellen |last9=Paine |first9=Mary F. |last10=Pettit |first10=Syril |last11=Pheiffer |first11=Wihan |last12=Van Breemen |first12=Richard B. |last13=Embry |first13=Michelle |date=2023-07-12 |title=Potential pharmacokinetic interactions with concurrent use of herbal medicines and a ritonavir-boosted COVID-19 protease inhibitor in low and middle-income countries |journal=Frontiers in Pharmacology |volume=14 |doi=10.3389/fphar.2023.1210579 |issn=1663-9812 |pmc=10368978 |pmid=37502215 |doi-access=free }}

= Contamination =

{{See also|Health effects of pesticides}}

Depending on the source of the herbal ingredients, herbal teas, like any crop, may be contaminated with pesticides or heavy metals.{{cite journal | pmid = 16228893 | year = 2005 | last1 = Naithani | first1 = V | last2 = Kakkar | first2 = P | title = Evaluation of heavy metals in Indian herbal teas | volume = 75 | issue = 1 | pages = 197–203 | doi = 10.1007/s00128-005-0738-4 | journal = Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology| bibcode = 2005BuECT..75..197N | s2cid = 41011619 }}

According to Naithani & Kakkar (2004), "all herbal preparations should be checked for toxic chemical residues to allay consumer fears of exposure to known neuro-toxicant pesticides and to aid in promoting global acceptance of these products".{{cite journal | pmid = 16268119 | year = 2004 | last1 = Naithani | first1 = V | last2 = Kakkar | first2 = P | title = An evaluation of residual organochlorine pesticides in popular Indian herbal teas | volume = 59 | issue = 8 | pages = 426–30 | doi = 10.3200/AEOH.59.8.426-430 | journal = Archives of Environmental Health | s2cid = 31026817 }}

See also

{{Portal|Drink}}

References

{{Reflist|30em}}