Wild Thyme (Thymus serpyllum) is a medicinal herb which is native to dry regions of Europe, especially high valleys of the Alps, plateaus, moorlands and so on. It is distinguished from Common Thyme and is cultivated separately for its high therapeutic values.  This medicinal herb has been used for a long period of time: in particular, in Ancient Greece its name was associated with power and high spirit. Also, it was used in Tibetan medicine as an effective tonic and relaxant.

Aromatic properties of this herb are used not only in medicine, but also in culinary, where this herb plays a role of taste enhancer for stews, red and white meat, soups and other dishes. To benefit from its curative properties, this herb is commonly used in the form of wild thyme tea, famous for its pleasant taste and delicate aroma. Wild thyme benefits include sedative, antispasmodic, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, diuretic, calming, expectorant, emmenagogue, carminative and other powers of this herbal remedy.

This herbal remedy is rich in organic acids, carotene, flavonoids, vitamins D and C, thymol and cymol, as well as other useful nutrients and microelements. For centuries, wild thyme has been used to treat depression, mood swings, nervous tension, alcoholism, headaches and other related problems. Also, wild thyme tea or infusions can aid those people who suffer from respiratory problems of various nature: bronchitis, sore throats, coughs, sinusitis and so on. Wild thyme tea is recommended to everyone who has minor digestion problems like weak stomach, colic, spasms, gas, etc.

Besides, regular consumption of this herbal remedy is linked to better muscle tone, lower occurrence of cramps and spasms, relieving discomfort and pains caused by mastitis, and other effects. Wild thyme benefits include external use of the infusion to treat cuts, insect bites, wounds and other physical damage of skin. Unique aroma of this herbal remedy can be applied for treating headaches, nervous agitation, migraines and nightmares. In aromatherapy, in order to achieve excellent relaxing effects, wild thyme is commonly mixed with rosemary or other calming essential oils.

Many of us heard about Lapacho tea, or “the tea of Inkas“, which is traditionally very popular in Paraguay, Brazil, Argentina and other countries of South America. This unique therapeutic herbal tea is made from the bark of lapacho tree called Pink Ipe (Tabebuia impetiginosa). It has amazingly beautiful blossoms with mesmerizing fragrance. Lapacho tree can reach up to 30 meters and grows up for 600-700 years.

To prepare the tea, one should use the inner bark of the tree. This tea is caffeine-free and is rich in a variety of useful natural vitamins and minerals, including iron, calcium, magnesium, manganese, iodine, boron, barium and others. Primarily, lapacho tea is known as an effective natural antibiotic, as well as an excellent anti-cancer herbal remedy. Regular consumption of lapacho tea is linked to a stronger immune system, improved blood and bone marrow quality, lower chances for diabetes, bladder infections, arthritis, gastrointestinal problems and so on.

This miraculous herbal remedy can be used to treat such conditions as colds, flu, fevers and other symptoms of respiratory problems, skin irritation and burnts, psoriasis, dysentery, osteomyelitis, Parkinson’s disease, lupus, vaginal yeast infections, as well as many of infectious diseases. It is reported that lapacho tea can be used for relieving the condition of people with HIV. Remember that using lapacho tea is connected with possible unwanted side effects like nausea, diarrhea, anemia, dizziness and so on.

There are a number of recipes of lapacho tea, because in every region this tea is prepared in a special way. The most common lapacho tea recipe is the following: take 2 teaspoons of lapacho tree bark, add 1 liter of boiling water and boil on a very low fire for 5-10 minutes. Then, remove the tea from heat and leave for 20-30 minutes to infuse. You can prepare lapacho tea in advance and store in in your fridge: it will not lose its nutritional value for a couple of days. Do you know another lpacho tea recipe?

Most of us like and truly enjoy drinking tea. It can warm you up in a cold winter day and quench your thirst in a hot summer day. It can help you relax and it can help you focus. There are many secrets, legends and mysteries around the history of tea, but what do we commonly know about it? See interesting tea facts below.

1. Do you know what is the birthplace of tea? India? China? The Middle East? Well, tea is considered to be originated from China, where currently the finest green and white teas are produced. However, India is the current world’s leading tea producer and ancient Indian culture is closely linked to tea cultivation and consumption. Also, when talking about tea traditions and ceremonies, the fist nation which comes to our minds is Japan. Therefore, I personally would not be so sure, whose idea was that to steep some dried out leaves of Camellia Sinensis in a boiling water…

2.When did tea came to Europe? A Portugal traveler and sailor Jesuit Father Jasper de Cruz brought tea to Europe from China in the 16th century. By the 18th century tea became the most consumed beverage in Great Britain, replacing gin and ale. In our epoch, numerous health benefits of tea are so well-promoted, that more than 98% of the world’s population drink tea at least once a day.

3. What tea can warm you up and should be consumed in winter? According to the Traditional Chinese Medicine, it is black tea. Ancient herbalists were sure that black tea can keep the body warm in better than any other food or beverage. So, drink black tea in winter and keep away from colds!

4. What tea is the most effective for weight management? It is definitely green tea. It is rich in special polyphenols that slow down fat digestion and regulate the levels of glucose in our blood. Also, drinking green tea is connected with reduced food cravings. The specialists from Cleavland University say that those who drink green tea on a regular basis, eat up to 60% less than those people who do not drink this type of tea.

5. What is the best time of the day for drinking tea and how many cups a day can you drink? The experts believe that the best time for drinking tea is 1-2 hours after having meal. Do not drink too strong or too hot tea in the morning and on an empty stomach, especially if you have digestion problems. The daily dose of any type of tea is considered to be 4-6 cups. This way you can enjoy all the health benefits of tea and take the most of this divine beverage.

Even if you have been fat since your early years, if your friends have been making fun of you all your life and your mom has been telling you for years that your fattiness has genetic nature, you still have great chances to get rid of extra pounds by drinking ginger tea every day. This miraculous herbal tea can really solve your problem, and you will not need to control every single calorie you consume though still leading a healthy life style is absolutely essential.

Have you ever tried ginger tea, or do you know how to make ginger tea? Ginger is one of the greatest natural remedies to stimulate metabolism. Besides, its roots are rich in essential oil which contains shogaol and gingerol. These two chemical substances create specific and very spicy taste of ginger, and when we receive these two elements with ginger tea, our blood circulation and warm us up very good. In the Far East, ginger and ginger tea has been used for centuries for treating various diseases, including the problems connected with digestion.

Many people wonder how to make ginger tea. All you need to do is just take a teaspoon of dried ginger root, steep it for 5 minutes in boiling water, and then add a teaspoon of honey and a slice of lemon. That’s it, your delicious therapeutic ginger tea is ready. This beautiful beverage will stimulate detoxification and help your body remove both harmful toxins and excessive amounts of fat.

You can drink up to 1 liter of ginger tea a day, and you will be able to enjoy one more therapeutic benefit of it. If you drink a cup of ginger tea 20-15 minutes before your mealtime, your appetite will reduce and you’ll eat less. Another amazing properties of ginger tea is its abilities to receive a lasting effects in the context of weight loss. Drink ginger tea regularly, give up your bad eating habits, and you’ll be able to shed extra weight much more effectively.

Many specialists could not help noticing that such phenomenon as “post-New Year” or winter depression attacks many people in the beginning of January, when Christmas and New Year holidays are over and we have to be back to our usual routine. Certainly, the factors like temperature fluctuations, decreased duration of daylight periods and lack of sun also contribute to increased feeling of sadness, despair and hopelessness. Winter depression is familiar to many people.

Recently, a group of Japanese scientists publicized the findings of their new study, offering us a new very effective natural anti-depressant. According to the results of the experiments carried out at Sendai’s Tohoku University Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering, consuming certain amounts of green tea on a regular basis is linked to stress and depression symptoms alleviation. The trials involved about 1000 older men and women, who consumed 4 cups of this miraculous beverage a day. As a result, about 44% of the participants reported about improvements in their mood and positive impact of tea consumption on the symptoms associated with depression.

Dr. Kaijun Niu, one of the leaders of the study, and his associates at Tohuku University attribute these valuable therapeutic properties of green tea as a natural anti-depressant to the high content of theanine, an amino acid which has positive calming effects on our brain and nervous system. At the same time, the scientists reported that testing other types of tea (including black and oolong teas) did not end up with finding the same anti-depression health benefits as the green tea demonstrated.

The findings of this research were published in in the December issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. The properties of green tea as an effective natural anti-depressant were revealed and scientifically proved only lately. Green tea is known for its huge variety of health benefits and therapeutic properties. In particular, it is recommended to those who suffer from diabetes and as an excellent natural remedy for various types of cancer. In addition, regular consumption of green tea is linked to longevity and effective weight management.

Within the last decade, the list of green tea health benefits and therapeutic properties has been growing and expanding in various health-related aspects, starting from preventing cancer and ending with improving our dental health. Recently, one more very important health benefit of this miraculous beverage was discovered by the specialists at the University of Pennsylvania and Boston Biomedical Research Institute (BBRI). American scientists suggest that regular consumption of green tea (to be proper, its component EGCG in combination with DAPH-12 chemical) is linked to lower risks of developing such common brain disorders, as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases.

The researches revealed that exposure to the combination of the chemicals DAPH-12 and EGCG can have positive effects and block the development of amyloid plaques in the brains. These plaques are made of proteins and have a property to irritate human brain causing memory loss, loss of motor function and various serious brain disorders, including the fatal ones. This discovery is considered to be an optimistic ending of a long scientific work and experiments directed on finding the chemical which can break up and prevent formation of amyloid plaques in human nervous system and brains.

That is why American scientists are very excited and talk about the importance of the laboratory results received. “These findings are significant because it is the first time a combination of specific chemicals has successfully destroyed diverse forms of amyloids at the same time,” says one of the group leaders, Dr. Martin Duennwald of BBR. However, they underline that further research is necessary to investigate the properties of the chemicals and create a mechanism for possible treatment. “Our findings are certainly preliminary and we need further work to fully comprehend the effects of EGCG in combination with other chemicals on amyloids,” Duennwald says. Those who want to read more about this research can be referred to the most recent issue of Nature Chemical Biology journal.

One more important health benefit of green tea was recently discovered and now can be added to the list of numerous therapeutic properties of this amazing herbal remedy. One of the world’s most  reputable medical journals American Journal of Clinical Nutrition published the findings of a research by the specialists at the Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine,  Japan. The nutritionists found out that drinking 5 cups of high quality green tea on a daily basis is linked to better mental health and can assist in reducing the incidence of psychological distress by up to 20%.

More than 42,000 participants aged over 40 were involved in these experiments, at that 6.6% of them suffered from chronic psychological distresses. After several years of regular green tea consumption, everyone showed certain improvements of mental condition, especially those participants, who were under the effects of psychological distress the most. That is why it’s possible to speak about an inverse association between a regular consumption of green tea and being under effect of psychological distresses.

It is the second very important property of green tea directed on improving an individual’s mental health. Earlier, it was discovered that regular consumption of green tea or taking green tea extract has positive effects on those suffering from such mental problem as Alzheimer’s disease. Also, the experts underline that it is necessary not to neglect such problem as psychological distress. It is estimated that currently more than 450 million people in the world suffer from psychological distress to a great extent, and about 17% of those named stresses to be primary health risk factor.

1. Do not drink tea on an empty stomach. This rule derived from an old Chinese proverb, saying that it is not too good drinking tea on an open heart. Drinking tea, especially very hot or cold tea, on an empty stomach can cause sudden change of temperature in your stomach and spleen, and cause some unwanted side effects.

2. Do not drink too hot tea. Hot tea disturbs our throat, feeding tube and stomach. Prolonged consumptions of too hot tea can result in fatal changes in these body parts, in particular – bring to throat cancer.  According to scientists, the temperature of the tea should not be higher than 56C.

3. Do not drink too cold tea. If drinking warm and moderately hot tea is inked to numerous health benefits, drinking cold tea will result in nothing else but constant cold and effective cough.

4. Do not drink too strong tea. High content of caffeine and tannin in too strong tea can bring to migraines and insomnia.

5. Do not brew your tee for too long. When you brew your tea for too long, the tea polyphenols and oils start going through oxidation process, making your tea less transparent, aromatic and much less therapeutic. In particular, the most of vitamins can be lost.  So, brew your tea only for the required time, depending on the type of tea leaves.

6. Do not brew your tea several times. In the first brewing you receive about 50-60% of the tea useful elements, in the second brewing you receive 30%, and the third brewing gives you more of harmful elements, that go out of tea leaves on the last place.

7. Do not drink tea right before your meal time. Drinking tea right before having meals usually leads to dilution of saliva, loss of appetite and problems with meal digestion. It is recommended not to drink tea 30 minutes before the mealtime.

8. Do not drink tea right after having meal. It can result in slowed down digestion process and affect the whole digestion function. Best of all is to drink tea 20-30 minutes after having meal.

9. Do not use tea to help swallow medicines. All types of tea have very high content of tannin, which negatively affects medicine digestion. Ancient Chinese therapist and medical practitioners used to say that tea destroys medicines.

10. Do not drink yesterday’s tea. Such tea loses the majority of its nutritional values and health benefits. Moreover, it is an ideal environment for many harmful bacteria. Therefore, you can use yesterday’s tea only for external treatments (for example, to treat tired eyes, for skin treatment, etc.).

For the last decades, the army of true green tea lovers has become really huge. I guess, we all know everything about numerous curative properties and therapeutic effects of green tea. The benefits of this miraculous herb are associated with longevity, cancer-free and diabetes-free life, perfect skin and absence of tooth cavities, low cholesterol levels and effective weight management, lower risks of having problems with the function of cardio-vascular and digestive systems. However, consuming something, even very useful and therapeutic, in large quantities will not do anything good to us. Therefore, doctors warn us about harmful effects of taking too much of even such beneficial herbal remedy as green tea.

Joshua D. Lambert and Chung Yang of Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, worked on reviewing the known curative properties of green tea. However, soon they got concentrated on studying green tea harmful side effects and the dangers connected with green tea overdosing. The specialists have had an experience on this subject before: during his earlier research, Joshua Lambert found out that great amounts of antioxidants in green tea can cause kidney damage, liver toxicity and serious oxidative stresses (Lambert, J.D., et al., (2007) Possible Controversy over Dietary Polyphenols: Benefits vs Risks, Chem Res Toxicol).

A lot of alarming information came out. A group of American specialists at Toxicology Research Laboratory, University of Illinois Chicago, carried out a series of experiments with dogs, aiming on studying the effects of exposure to green tea extracts. Severe intoxication, body organ damage and mortality of the animals made the scientists terminate their experiments much earlier (Toxicology, 2009 Jun 16; 260(1-3):28-36). Finally, the results of these studies were confirmed by another famous specialist H.L. Bonkovsky, who recorded hepatoxisity in people associated with polyphenols in green tea (published in Journal of Hepatology).

In addition to all this, the experts from a scientific lab in the University of Mississippi published the findings of their new study. They say that green tea overdose may lead to increased tumor growth. The mentioned green tea harmful side effects can be observed only when consuming this herbal remedy in really high doses, but low doses are usually associated with the property to suppress tumor development and growth. Read more about this study in the Journal of Natural Products.

Actually, the researchers underline that drinking up to 10 small cups of green tea a day is not connected with any serious danger. But taking green tea supplements which have increased amounts of polyphenols is linked to the mentioned health problems. “Problems are likely in people who take supplements, which can contain up to 50 times as much polyphenols as a single cup of tea,” Professor Young comments. Thus, we should be really cautious while taking products containing green tea extracts. Those who are interested can read more about this interesting summarizing research in Chemical Research in Toxicology, vol 20, p 583-585.

Has anyone of you, my friends, ever tried Pu-erh tea? I wonder so much, how you felt about it… This summer I had a chance to try a high quality Pu-erh tea, and it was some really weird experience, even for an advanced tea lover like me. Now, here’s the story. My brother Marc, who lives in Italy (where my family comes from), has been always making fun of my habit of drinking 6-7 big cups of tea a day. And, certainly, I have been always promoting excellent health benefits and beautiful tastes of various teas. This time he decided to prove me that not all therapeutic teas have a great taste, so he decided to send me some Pu-erh tea. He knew that I will not resist and try, in spite of warnings about its…well, a little unpleasant taste and aroma.

Pu-erh tea (also known as Puer tea) is one of the oldest types of traditional Chinese teas produced from broad tea leaves (older variety of the tea plants) in Yunnan Province of China, where the famous Six Tea Mountains (Mansa, Manzhuan, Mangzhi, Gedeng, Yibang and Youle) are located. You can find Pu-erh tea both in loose leaves, but mostly it comes in compressed forms (bricks, bird nests, disc, bowl, etc.). So called cooked (shou)  Pu-erh tea is produced by watering the tea leaves (to speed fermentation up), then leaving them to dry and transformed to back tea, and the raw (sheng) type undergoes secondary oxidation and fermentation (this type of Pu-erh tea is always sold as compressed).

Pu-erh tea is known for its very powerful and unique therapeutic properties, which other teas do not have. First of all, regular consumption of only 1 cup of this tea can assist greatly in decreasing blood cholesterol level. Also, Pu-erh tea can alleviate the ailments connected with the digestive system. It contains huge amounts of antioxidants and, at the same time, it has quite low levels of caffeine. In addition, it assists in maintaining normal fat metabolism, therefore it an be useful in effective weight management. Finally, Chinese health care specialists also point on good antimicrobial properties of this tea.

It is interesting the Pu-erh tea preparation requires initial steaming and removing the water, followed by the usual process of tea brewing. If you drink a high quality Pu-erh tea for the first time, it may taste quite robust. And you will definitely be disturbed by the smell coming from the cup of tea (to be very honest, after reading that the tea has “an extremely balanced flavour with a delicate sweetness reminiscent of Japanese plum“, I did not expect that it will have a distinctive whiff of a stable). Tea gurus say that you will like Pu-erh tea only in case when the tea have chosen you. Well, well – it seems to be true, and it seems that I was not the lucky one.  Should I give it another try?