Peppermint Tea

So today I’d like to talk about Peppermint tea, this refreshing herbal tea is another thing you can add to your daily routine to help improve your health.

Here is why:

IBS: Peppermint yields antispasmodic effects on the gastrointestinal tract smooth muscles which reduces mild symptoms of constipation or diarrhoea ((Grigoleit and Grigoleit, 2005)

Reduce symptoms of Hay Fever: Peppermint leaf extracts have been found to inhibit histamine release possibly alleviating nasal symptoms of hay fever (Biol Pharm Bull. 2001 Jan;24(1):92-5. PMID: 11201253)

Memory: Peppermint aroma enhances memory and alertness (Biol Pharm Bull. 2001 Jan;24(1):92-5. PMID: 11201253)

Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1: Peppermint has been found to have inhibitory activity against acyclovir-resistant HSV1 (Phytomedicine. 2003;10(6-7):504-10. PMID: 13678235)

PCOS: Peppermint has been found to yield anti-androgenic effects in PCOS, however thus testosterone lowering affect may be something of caution to males (Phytother Res. 2009 Jul 7. PMID: 19585478)

Improved Lung Capacity: Improved the lung capacity and inhalation ability in healthy participants using a peak flow meter (Raudenbush and Zoladz, 2003)

TAKE HOME: For those interested in how we like to get our clients to use peppermint tea, drinking a warm cup 15 min pre-meal is worth it’s weight in gold.

Chamomile Tea

So we’ll open with - Chamomile tea is amazing, it’s an absolute kingpin in the world of herbal teas - so understated, misunderstood but wow is this one tool you need to use on a daily basis.

Here is the why:

Chamomile tea has the ability to help us relax due to it’s properties of being able to stimulate the para-sympathetic nervous system (rest and digest)

Antispasmodic: relieves distension and symptoms of IBS. In women, the antispasmodic effects of Chamomile ease menstrual cramps and lessen the possibility of premature labor.

Anxiolytic: helps reduce impact of anxiety

Anti-Inflammatory: has been shown to have these properties in direct correlation to the stomach.

Help with stomach ulcers: Studies in preclinical models suggest that chamomile inhibits Helicobacter pylori, the bacteria that can contribute to stomach ulcers (J Drugs Dermatol. 2006 Jan; 5(1):29-32)

Aid with sleep: due to hypnotic effects (Biol Pharm Bull. 2005 May; 28(5):808-10)

So it is fair to say based on the above, we could all benefit from a nice warm chamomile tea on a daily basis.

Cinnamon Tea

The final herb we are going to look at is Cinnamon - you are in for a treat when you see what this can do for your health.

Here are the top 10 benefits of consumption:

1. Good source of chromium

2. Rich in Antioxidants

3. Stimulates insulin-independent GLUT-4 receptors to uptake glucose into muscles, thus improving insulin sensitivity (Med Food. 2009 Jun; 12(3):467-72)

4. Anti-fungal effects against various fungus such as (Aspergillus flavus, Mucor plumbeus and yeast species such as (Candida lipolytica). It’s combination along with clove oil has been effective against A. flavus. (Int J Food Microbiol. 2006 ‪Mar 15‬; 107(2):180-5)

5. Antibacterial effects against various bacteria such as Listeria monocytogenes, Enterococcus faecalis, Staphylococcus aureus, and Bacillus cereus), as well as against Gram-negative bacteria (Salmonella choleraesuis, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Yersinia enterocolitica) (Food Chemistry. 2009;116(4):982–989)

6. Anti-inflammatory particular with supressing, iNOS, COX2, TNFa and IL6 (BMC Complement Altern Med. 2012 ‪Nov 28‬; 12():237)

7. Reduce blood pressure (J Med Food. 2011 Dec; 14(12):1505-10)

8. Improve the health of the colon, thereby reducing the risk of colon cancer (Molecules. 2010 ‪May 7‬; 15(5):3338-55)

9. Improves menstrual health by increasing the blood circulation in the uterus and advances tissue regeneration (Minich St, Msom L. 2008)

10. Reduced LDL-cholesterol and triglycerides (Diabetes Care. 2003 Dec; 26(12):3215-8.)

So how to use cinnamon/cinnamon tea:

Well we like to use this with any high carb meal due to its insulin sensitivity properties - whether this is a sprinkle of cinnamon or drinking a herbal tea - nature has all the answers to better health and better gains.