Teas Please

If you're looking for ways to improve your health without breaking a sweat, drink some tea. Read below and see how just sipping the herbal stuff can possibly save your life. Cheerio!

5 Teas for Your Health

1. Chamomile Tea

Benefits: promotes relaxation and better sleep, helps with stress, and supports digestion and immune health. Why it's great: contains apigenin, an antioxidant that may decrease anxiety and initiate sleep.

2. Green Tea

Benefits: packed with antioxidants that protect against free radicals, which can benefit skin and hair health. It's also associated with heart health and can help with blood pressure and bone density. Why it's great: a good source of antioxidants and minerals like potassium and calcium.

3. Ginger Tea

Benefits: soothes upset stomachs, reduces nausea, and has anti-inflammatory properties. Why it's great: a flavorful way to boost your immune system and aid digestion.

4. Peppermint Tea

Benefits: aids digestion, relieves headaches, and can help with seasonal allergy symptoms. Why it's great: its antispasmodic properties can relieve muscle spasms in the stomach, and it is naturally caffeine-free.

5. Hibiscus Tea

Benefits: supports heart health by potentially lowering blood pressure and contains powerful antioxidants. Why it's great: it has a tart, cranberry-like flavor and a deep, beautiful color.

How to Make Tea More Potent

Adjust the tea-to-water ratio

• Add more tea: the most effective way to increase strength without the risk of bitterness. Use one or two extra tea bags or more loose-leaf tea.
• Measure correctly: a good starting point is one rounded teaspoon (about 2 grams) of loose leaf per 8 ounces of water, then adjust.
• Use more for iced tea: brew double-strength to account for dilution from melting ice.

Optimize brewing conditions

• Use hotter water: hotter water extracts more flavor. Use freshly boiled water for most black teas, but note that boiling water can make green and oolong teas bitter.
• Steep for the right amount of time: longer steeping increases potency but can cause bitterness, especially for black tea. Herbal teas can often steep longer without becoming bitter.
• Allow for circulation: use an infuser basket that gives the leaves room to expand and interact with the water.

Improve tea quality

• Choose higher-quality tea: fresh, high-quality loose-leaf tea has more flavor than lower-grade or old tea.
• Use broken or "dust" tea: teas with smaller, broken leaves (like CTC) release their flavor more quickly.

Disclaimer: Always seek the guidance of your doctor or other qualified health professional with any questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition.