History of Mint

Mint is an ancient herb and the use of mint tea dates back to medieval Europe. Mint's distinct smell has made it one of the more popular herbs throughout history. From Europe to India to the Middle East, it has been used to clear the air. In ancient Greece, mint leaves were rubbed on dining tables to welcome guests, while in the Middle East, the host still traditionally offers mint tea to guests upon their arrival.

What is Mint?

There are about 25 different species of mints and peppermint is actually a natural hybrid cross between Mentha aquatica (water mint) and Mentha spicata (spearmint).

Peppermint: Peppermint has greenish-purple lance-shaped leaves and has tastes of a cross between pepper and green chlorophyll. Where chamomile tea can be calming and soothing, peppermint tea is very refreshing and relaxing.

Spearmint: Spearmint has crinkled leaves and pointed leaf tips shaped like spears and is more of a grayish green color than peppermint leaves and has a little more subtle and cool taste than peppermint.

Other plants in mint family include:

• apple mint
• orange mint
• water mint
• curly mint
• Corsican mint

Health Benefits of Mint

Mint has significant health benefits mainly focussed around the digestive system.

It has an anti-spasmodic action which helps with:

    * stomach cramps
    * wind
    * dyspepsia
    * diarrhoea
    * Irritable Bowel Syndrome.
    * heartburn
    * indigestion
    * morning sickness
    * nausea

It is also excellent for:

    * clearing a head when suffering from a cold or headaches
    * sweetens breath
    * baby colic
    * manage stress
    * asthma

Mint has an amazing power to cure cancer. Mint contains a phytonutrient called perillyl alcohol. This phytonutrient prevents the occurrence of colon, skin and lung cancer. Mint works by attacking the tumour's blood vessels, starving cancer to death.

With Spearmint teas, recent studies have found that drinking two cups a day can help with Hirsutism – this condition in women, where hair grows in areas such as the face, stomach and chest is thought to be caused by too many androgens (male hormones such as freely circulating testosterone).

Recipe

Chocolate Mint Tea

Chocolate goes well with tea, not just coffee. You can brew up this recipe is a jiffy, using instant hot chocolate powder and bags of mint tea.

Ingredients: 6 mint tea bags / 6 cups milk / 6 tablespoons hot chocolate mix

Preparation: In a saucepan, heat milk with tea bags until almost boiling. Steep for a couple of minutes and strain out tea bags. Pour our 6 mugs of milk, and then stir in a tablespoon of chocolate powder in each mug.

Visit http://www.teaworld.co.uk/search.php?start=0&end=9&query=Mint to see the full range of Mint teas at teaworld.co.uk

Written by Uma Mays
Article source: Articlesbase.com

4 Effective and Safe Herbal Treatments for Asthma

Herbs have been used by our ancestors to cure various illnesses including asthma. Although anywhere you might ask, doctors and clinicians will always warn you of the possible dangers that herbs can have and for some this might be true, the fact that some herbal treatments have already been proven safe and effective for asthma cannot be denied.

Using the right combination of herbal remedies can prove beneficial not only for your asthma but also for your total wellbeing since herbs have been known to aid the body’s immunity making you more resilient to any underlying causes that might worsen the condition. If you are looking for alternative safe herbal asthma treatments here are a few that you can start with:

Chamomile: Chamomile extract contains terpenoids that acts as anti-inflammatory, and anti spasmodic preventing onset of attacks. Not only that, chamomile also contains anti-oxidants that prevent oxygen free-radicals from accumulating inside the body causing the condition to worsen. Usually bought in tea form, chamomile is one of the easiest, cheapest and safest herbal treatments for asthma. For those who are taking warfarin though, avoid chamomile at all costs as it may have contradicting effects.

Ginger: Not only a food ingredient, ginger is one of the most common and readily available herbal treatments for asthma. A tropical perennial plant growing mostly in some parts of Asia, more and more people are discovering the benefits of this humble plant to care for their condition. Serving mostly as an expectorant in short term use, the natural chemicals contained in ginger breaks up mucus making it easier to expel. Long term use of ginger has been shown to ease dyspneic attacks and nocturnal coughing in patients. Found in many forms, including dried, fresh and powdered, ginger can prove to be one of your best weapon against asthma.

Nettle: Urtica Dioica in particular has been used to treat many  illnesses aside from asthma. Taking nettle in tea form can be very beneficial for the whole system as it contains high amounts of iron, chlorophyll and vitamin C. Preparation of nettle root can also be beneficial since it can stimulate production of T-Cells within the body, increasing immunity to allergic reactions.

Ephedra: Ephedra has been used for centuries even before the advent of conventional and more advanced asthma medication. Ephedra has been recently under fire due the various side effects that may arise from its ingestion. One reason for this may be because of improper preparation and experimentation with other chemicals. Traditional preparations for ephedra have been very effective and only a few isolated cases of side effects have been reported. This plant contains ephedrine which helps the lungs in opening the airways by stimulating the release of norepinephrine.

As always, before trying anything out be sure that you ask for expert help from herbalists which will be able to help you with preparations and thereby maximize the concoctions effectivity and assure safety.

Article written by Tomato on December 29th, 2009
Article Source: Allergy-remedy.org

Ginseng Tea:
Ginseng, botanical name Panax ('All Heal' in Greek) is a perennial plant with a fleshy root. You can make herbal tea from the fleshy root of the Ginseng plant. Ginseng Tea is said to have many healing and energy-giving properties. All the health benefits are brought about due to the presence of natural chemicals called 'Ginsenosides' in the Ginseng root.

Ginseng originated in Manchuria and has been in use for some 5000 years. It was called 'Ren Shen' by the Ancient Chinese. 'Ren Shen' means 'Man Root' and refers to the human-like shape of the Ginseng root. In Korea and Japan, Ginseng is called 'Ninjin'. The Chinese placed great faith in Ginseng and considered it a sort of rejuvenating, cure-all palliative for a variety of ailments. They also believed that regular drinking of Ginseng Tea would lead to a long life. Ginseng was so valuable it was bartered for silk and even prized above gold. The demand was such that the supply of Ginseng from the Chinese Mainland was not enough and the Chinese had to import it from Korea. Soon the Ginseng stock in the wild was exhausted and commercial cultivation became inevitable. However, Wild Ginseng has more medicinal value than cultivated Ginseng.

The Ginseng root is used fresh or dried for later use. You can buy it whole, sliced, in powder form, in tea bags, etc. Sometimes the Ginseng plant leaves are also used, but these are not considered as important as the root. Cultivated Ginseng can be had as Red Ginseng and White Ginseng. In both cases, the Ginseng plants are grown for about 6 years before their roots are harvested. The difference lies in the way the roots are processed for use. To make White Ginseng, the root is peeled and sun-dried. The dried root looks yellowish-white. To make Red Ginseng, the unpeeled root undergoes steaming, turns reddish-brown, and is then dried.

These days Ginseng Tea is a popular herbal drink the world over and Ginseng is grown in many places.

Health Benefits of Ginseng:
While Ginseng has been traditionally considered a 'cure all', many modern researchers question the actual efficacy of the root. The studies done on the subject have either not been extensive enough or have produced controversial results. Even so, a great many people swear by Ginseng Tea and consume it on a regular basis. According to these Ginseng supporters, it is beneficial in the following different ways -

• Ginseng helps build up an appetite.
• Ginseng helps with digestion.
• Ginseng aids respiration.
• Ginseng is rejuvenating and works against fatigue.
• Ginseng helps reduce physical and mental stress.
• Ginseng aids the immune system.
• Ginseng works as an aphrodisiac.
• Ginseng helps counter arthritis.
• Ginseng helps counter asthma.
• Ginseng helps counter diabetes.
• Ginseng reduces the risk of cancer.
• Ginseng lessens the effects of Crohn's Disease.
• Ginseng is effective against Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ) Syndrome.
• Ginseng helps lower (LDL) bad cholesterol levels.
• Ginseng is effective against headaches.
• Ginseng provides a cure for stomach ulcers.
• Ginseng provides a cure for diarrhea.
• Ginseng is good for blood circulation.

Article written by By Sonal Panse. To read more, click here,