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Teal: From 1 Different Sources

(American) Resembling a bright- colored duck; a greenish-blue color Teale, Teala, Teela, Tealia, Tealiya
Health Source: Medical Dictionary
Author: Health Dictionary

Benefits Of Mistletoe Tea

For a healthy beverage, try the mistletoe tea! You should already know the plant thanks to its association with the Christmas traditions. However, there’s more to mistletoe than just being a decorative plant. Find out about the health benefits ofmistletoe tea! About the Mistletoe Tea The main ingredient of the mistletoe tea is the hemi-parasitic plant, the mistletoe. It is an evergreen plant that usually grows on the branches of various trees, such as elms, pines or oak. The mistletoe can be found in Europe, Australia, North America, and some parts of North Asia. The woody stem has oval, evergreen leaves, and waxy, white berries. The berries are poisonous; the leaves are the ones used to produce themistletoe tea. Mistletoe is often used as a Christmas decoration. It is hung somewhere in the house, and remains so during next Christmas, when it gets replaced. It is said that it protects the house from lightning or fire. Also, legends say that a man and a woman who meet under a hanging of mistletoe are obliged to kiss. The origin of this custom may be Scandinavian, and the first documented case of a couple kissing under the mistletoe dates from 16th century England. There are two types of mistletoe that matter: the European mistletoe and the American mistletoe. Regarding their appearance, they look pretty similar. The difference is that the American mistletoe has shorter leaves, and longer clusters of 10 or more berries. Other differences between the two are related to health benefits. How to prepare Mistletoe Tea Properly preparing a cup of mistletoe tea takes some time. First, you add a teaspoon of the dried mistletoe herb to a cup of cold water. Let the cup stay overnight at room temperature. On the next day, heat the mix before drinking. To enjoy its rich flavor, don’t skip any of these steps! Benefits of Mistletoe Tea The mistletoe tea has many health benefits thanks to its main ingredient, the mistletoe. The herb includes various active constituents, such as amines, caffeic and myristic acids, mucilage, terpenoids, and tannins. Mistletoe is also an essential ingredient of the European anti-cancer extract called Iscador, which helps stimulate the immune system and kill cancer cells. Therefore, it’s said that mistletoe teahelps you fight against cancer. Another health benefit of the mistletoe tea is that it reduces symptoms associated with high blood pressure, such as irritability, dizziness, headaches, and loss of energy. This, however, applies to the mistletoe tea made leaves of European mistletoe. The leaves of the American mistletoe is said to raise blood pressure. Another health-related difference between the European and the American mistletoe is related to uterine and intestinal contractions. The European mistletoe acts as an antispasmodic and calming agent, while the American mistletoe increases uterine and intestinal contractions. Be careful with the type of mistletoe tealeavesyou use. Mistletoe tea can also help with relieving panic attacks, nervousness, and headaches. It is a useful treatment against hysteria, epilepsy, and tinnitus. It is also recommended in the treatment of type 1 and 2 diabetes, breast cancer, and to support HIV patients. Drinking mistletoe teahelps with diarrhea, as well. It is useful when it comes to menopause and pre-menstrual syndrome. It is also useful when dealing with respiratory ailments such as coughs and asthma. Side effects of Mistletoe Tea First of it, it is recommended not to have children drink mistletoe tea. Also, if you are pregnant or breast feeding, it is best that you stop drinking mistletoe tea. If you have hepatitis, you need to stay away from mistletoe tea. Consumption of mistletoe tea will only cause more damage to the liver. Also, despite being useful when treating diabetes, mistletoe tea mayinterfere with the action of anti-diabetic medications. It is best that you check with your doctor, to make sure it doesn’t cancel the effects of the medication. Cancer patients should also consult with their doctors first, before adding mistletoe tea to their daily diet. Other side effects that you might experience because of mistletoe tea are flu-like symptoms, including fever, nausea, abdominal pain, and various allergy-type symptoms. Lastly, don’t drink more than 6 cups of mistletoe tea a day. If you do, it might cause you more harm than good. You might get some of the following symptoms: headaches, dizziness, insomnia, irregular heartbeats, vomiting, diarrhea and loss of appetite. If you get any of these symptoms, reduce the amount of mistletoe tea you drink. Also, this can apply to all types of tea, not only mistletoe tea.   Don’t just think of Christmas when you hear someone talking about mistletoe. Remember the many health benefits of mistletoe tea. Check for side effects and if it’s all safe, feel free to include mistletoe teain your daily diet. It will definitely help you stay healthy!... benefits of mistletoe tea

Fenugreek Tea

Fenugreek tea has been used for centuries in alternative medicine and has many purported uses. Read more about its benefits and side effects. About Fenugreek tea Trigonella foenum-graecumor fenugreek is an annual aromatic plant with small round leaves, cultivated worldwide and is a common ingredient in dishes from India and Pakistan. Fenugreek contains several nutrients like protein, vitamin C, alkaloids, potassium, niacin, diosgenin, iodine, chromium, magnesium, selenium, phosphorus, molybdenum, silicon, zinc, sodium, sulfur, iron and manganese among others. It tastes similar to maple syrup or licorice. Fenugreek tea is mild and flavorful and has a variety of medicinal purposes. How to make Fenugreek tea To prepare a tasty fenugreek tea you need one teaspoon of seeds. Put them into a cup and pour boiled water over. Let them steep for around 20 minutes and filter it. Fenugreek tea can be consumed hot or cold. Sweetening is not necessary because the tea is naturally very sweet. Benefits of Fenugreek tea With so many nutrients infused in one, fenugreek tea benefits for health are very diverse. Fenugreek tea helps in combating kidney problems and also regulate sugar absorption, making it suitable for diabetics. Studies have shown that this tealower cholesterol levels and ease a variety of digestive problems. This tea also increases milk secretion in nursing mothers and alsobalances female hormones, making it a natural remedy for an assortment of problems. Fenugreek tea is also widely used in treating cold symptoms, particularly, expelling excess mucus from the throat and the respiratory tract. Side effects of Fenugreek tea Although fenugreek tea is mostly safe, it can occasionally produce some unwanted side effects. Applied topically it can produce skin irritation or allergic reaction. It also can cause nausea, diarrhea, upset stomach or migraines. It may interphere with some medications  so be sure to consult your physician first. Don’t forget that it is not recommended for children. You can include fenugreek tea in your lifestyle and as long as you do not drink too much of it and take the precautions into consideration, you can enjoy its benefits.... fenugreek tea

Immortelle

Helichrysum angustifolium

FAMILY: Asteraceae (Compositae)

SYNONYMS: Helichrysum, everlasting, St John’s herb.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION: A strongly aromatic herb, up to 0.6 metres high with a much-branched stem, woody at the base. The brightly coloured, daisy-like flowers become dry as the plant matures, yet retain their colour.

DISTRIBUTION: Native to the Mediterranean region, especially the eastern part and North Africa. It is cultivated mainly in Italy, Yugoslavia, Spain and France.

OTHER SPECIES: There are several other Helichrysum species such as H. arenarium found in florist shops and H. stoechas which is also used to produce an absolute. H. orientale is grown for its oil.

HERBAL/FOLK TRADITION: In Europe it is used for respiratory complaints such as asthma, chronic bronchitis and whooping cough; also for headaches, migraine, liver ailments and skin conditions including burns, allergies and psoriasis. Usually taken in the form of a decoction or infusion.

ACTIONS: Anti-allergenic, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antitussive, antiseptic, astringent, cholagogue, cicatrisant, diuretic, expectorant, fungicidal, hepatic, nervine.

EXTRACTION: 1. Essential oil by steam distillation from the fresh flowers and flowering tops. 2. An absolute (and concrete) are also produced by solvent extraction.

CHARACTERISTICS: 1. A pale yellow to red oily liquid with a powerful, rich honeylike scent with a delicate tealike undertone. 2. A yellowy-brown viscous liquid with a rich, floral, tealike scent. It blends well with chamomile, boronia, labdanum, lavender, mimosa, oakmoss, geranium, clary sage, rose, Peru balsam, clove and citrus oils.

PRINCIPAL CONSTITUENTS: Nerol and neryl acetate (30–50 per cent), geraniol, pinene, linalol, isovaleric aldehyde, sesquiterpenes, furfurol and eugenol, among others.

SAFETY DATA: Non-toxic, non-irritant, non-sensitizing.

Skin care: Abscess, acne, allergic conditions, boils, burns, cuts, dermatitis, eczema, inflammation, spots, wounds etc.

Circulation muscles and joints: Muscular aches and pains, rheumatism, sprains, strained muscles.

Respiratory system: Asthma, bronchitis, chronic coughs, whooping cough.

Digestive system: Liver congestion, spleen congestion.

Immune system: Bacterial infections, colds, ’flu, fever.

Nervous system: Depression, debility, lethargy, nervous exhaustion, neuralgia, stress-related conditions.

OTHER USES: Used as fixatives and fragrance components in soaps, cosmetics and perfumes. The absolute is used to flavour certain tobaccos; used for the isolation of natural anethole.... immortelle

Jasmine

Jasminum officinale

FAMILY: Oleaceae

SYNONYMS: Jasmin, jessamine, common jasmine, poet’s jessamine.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION: An evergreen shrub or vine up to 10 metres high with delicate, bright green leaves and star-shaped very fragrant white flowers.

DISTRIBUTION: Native to China, northern India and west Asia; cultivated in the Mediterranean region, China and India (depending on the exact species). The concrete is produced in Italy, France, Morocco, Egypt, China, Japan, Algeria and Turkey; the absolute is mainly produced in France.

OTHER SPECIES: There are many species of jasmine used for medicine and perfumery work. Apart from the common jasmine, the most widespead varieties are the royal or Italian jasmine (J. grandiflorum) which is grown in the Mediterranean region, and its Eastern counterpart J. officinale var. grandiflorum or J. auriculatum. See the Botanical Classification section for a more comprehensive list.

HERBAL/FOLK TRADITION: In China the flowers of J. officinale var. grandiflorum are used to treat hepatitis, liver cirrhosis and dysentery; the flowers of J. sambac are used for conjunctivitis, dysentery, skin ulcers and tumours. The root is used to treat headaches, insomnia, pain due to dislocated joints and rheumatism.

In the West, the common jasmine was said to ‘warm the womb ... and facilitate the birth; it is useful for cough, difficulty of breathing, etc. It disperses crude humours, and is good for cold and catarrhous constitutions, but not for the hot.’ It was also used for hard, contracted limbs and problems with the nervous and reproductive systems.

ACTIONS: Analgesic (mild), antidepressant, anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, antispasmodic, aphrodisiac, carminative, cicatrisant, expectorant, galactagogue, parturient, sedative, tonic (uterine).

EXTRACTION: A concrete is produced by solvent extraction; the absolute is obtained from the concrete by separation with alcohol. An essential oil is produced by steam distillation of the absolute.

CHARACTERISTICS: The absolute is a dark orange-brown, viscous liquid with an intensely rich, warm, floral scent and a tealike undertone. It blends well with rose, sandalwood, clary sage, and all citrus oils. It has the ability to round off any rough notes and blend with virtually everything.

PRINCIPAL CONSTITUENTS: There are over 100 constituents in the oil including benzyl acetate, linalol, phenylacetic acid, benzyl alcohol, farnesol, methyl anthranilate, cis jasmone, methyl jasmonate, among others.

SAFETY DATA: Non-toxic, non-irritant, generally non-sensitizing. (An allergic reaction has been known to occur in some individuals.)

AROMATHERAPY/HOME: USE

Skin care: Dry, greasy, irritated, sensitive skin.

Circulation muscles and joints: Muscular spasm, sprains.

Respiratory system: Catarrh, coughs, hoarseness, laryngitis.

Genito-urinary system: Dysmenorrhoea, frigidity, labour pains, uterine disorders.

Nervous system: Depression, nervous exhaustion and stress-related conditions. ‘It ... produces a feeling of optimism, confidence and euphoria. It is most useful in cases where there is apathy, indifference or listlessness.’.

OTHER USES: Extensively used in soaps, toiletries, cosmetics and perfumes, especially high-class floral and oriental fragrances. The oil and absolute are employed in a wide range of food products, alcoholic and soft drinks. The dried flowers of J. sambac are used in jasmine tea.... jasmine


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