A Quick Cuppa Herbal E-Book

Fiann Ó Nualláin

• Herausgeber: Mercier Press
• Kategorie: Lebensstil
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2019

Seitenzahl: 207

Beschreibung

Medical botanist and wellness guru Fiann Ó'Nualláin's guide to making the perfect Herbal Tea to suit your ailment. In recent years, there have been increasing numbers of herbal teas hitting the supermarket shelves and even the headlines – all proclaiming a health halo, but not many explaining their health benefits on the side of the box. With such a surge in consumption of herbal teas and popular interest in their actual medicinal and health benefits, this book aims to answer two questions – what good do they do me and how do I make the perfect cup?Fiann is the author of the hugely popular Holistic Gardener series of books that explore practical herbalism from the garden and kitchen pantry to address first aid needs, beauty treatment needs and helps resolve the most common ailments from which we suffer. In this book, he extends the same in-depth knowledge of human health, medicinal botany and nutritional science with a practical approach and deft readability.A Quick Cuppa Herbal is a handy reference for the next herbal tea you purchase or a guide to which one you should to alleviate your health condition or just deliver the perfect pick-me-up. .

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© Fiann Ó Nualláin, 2019

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Epub ISBN: 978 1 78117

This eBook is copyright material and must not be copied, reproduced, transferred, distributed, leased, licensed or publicly performed or used in any way except as specifically permitted in writing by the publishers, as allowed under the terms and conditions under which it was pur-chased or as strictly permitted by applicable copyright law. Any unau-thorised distribution or use of this text may be a direct infringement of the author’s and publisher’s rights and those responsible may be liable in law accordingly.

‘Tea is the ultimate mental and medical remedy and has the ability to make one’s life more full and complete.’

Myoan Eisai – from Kissa Yojoki, aka ‘How to Stay Healthy by Drinking Tea’

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Introduction

‘Drinking a daily cup of tea will surely starve the apothecary.’

Chinese Proverb

In the modern world of ‘health consciousness’, herbal teas are all the rage: as a low- or no-caffeine alternative to regular tea or coffee, as a beverage with benefits, or simply as a nod to the intention of being well and considerate of our bodies. But with so much choice in herbal teas, do we actually know what we are drinking? Sure it’s a healthy alternative to carbonated, caffeinated or sugar-loaded beverages, but it is also a herb and herbs carry medicinal weight. So what is the medicine in a cup of rosehip tea and what good might hibiscus or lemon balm tea do you? When should you avoid mint tea or reach for the nettle? What are we actually drinking? What are the pros and cons?

For some herbal tea drinkers, a glossy magazine article or morning TV show may have provided some basic information, so they reach for the peppermint tea to ease their digestive upset, while others may be on the valerian to combat a recent bout of insomnia. For these people, the herbal tea is not just a healthier beverage choice, it is the medicine for their current health problem. The issue with this, however, is that the basic information provided may not have included advice on important aspects such as dosage or contraindications (reasons not to drink a certain tea). Most proprietary brands don’t even list on the packaging what the properties or medicinal actions of the tea may be. This book aims to address that.

It explores sixty of the most popular and easily accessible herbal teas – those readily found on the shelves of supermarkets, local shops or the nearest health store, as well as a few you can harvest from the garden or spice rack. It explains some of their potential uses or inherent medicinal chemistry, and is compiled in a similar way to a ‘herbal’ or materia medica.The book is called A Quick Cuppa Herbalbecause of this ‘herbal’ construct and because a quick cup of plant medicine is not just a great way to gain the medicinal actions of the plant’s chemistry, but is also the handiest method of home herbalism.

Increasingly people are turning to home herbalism to meet their health needs, and while snappy apps and Google searches may potentially enlighten, my background in medicinal botany means I approach this with a degree of expertise that can cut to the point and filter the accurate facts from those so-called ‘health statements’ reported as matter of fact. Extensive research has gone into honing this book to a correct, precise and accessible read, and all medical facts herein have been rigorously validated by scientific study – many of those studies are listed in the bibliography.

The goodness in these herbal teas is viewed through the lens of their traditional uses (some extending back hundreds of years, while others have been in use for thousands of years) and also with the insight of some modern science to explore exactly why they have stood the test of time and what actions they utilise to be all-round health promoting.

To address herbal tea in the context of its healing potential, and not just as a caffeine alternative, I have detailed the medicinal applications of each tea and also explored the potential of that tea as a therapeutic agent in illness treatment and health management, with dosage and cautions included. However, to be clear: this is not a self-medication manual, as no book can take your individual case history or any underlying conditions unique to you into consideration. What the book can do, in promoting a fuller understanding of the medicinal actions and consumption parameters of each tea listed, is help you make a more informed choice when next in the herbal tea aisle or selecting today’s lunchtime brew. If you wish to apply the knowledge contained within these pages to an ongoing serious health issue, however, then I would advise that you also consult a health professional who can supervise and guide a holistic approach to resolving that issue. Thereafter, there will be plenty of time to starve the apothecary.

A Fortuitous Wind:The Invention of Tea

While this book is all about herbal teas, I have also included an entry on what some people call ‘true tea’ (Camellia sinensis) in the form of green tea. I have done this because green tea is often found unadulterated on the herbal tea shelf and also as a herbal blend – mixed with herbs and extracts to extend its unique healing profile. True tea is perhaps the very inspiration of herbalism, i.e. the origin of the idea of taking a plant part and using hot water to extract its beneficial chemistry into an easily replicated beverage form.

Legend has it that the Chinese emperor known as Shen Nong (circa2737 bc) favoured his drinking water hot. One day, while he was having his midday beverage outside in the garden near his palace’s prize camellia bushes, a wind rose up and blew a leaf into his cup, and so alluring was the aroma emitted from the hot cup that the emperor decided not to discard but to taste. The pleasantness of the sip enticed another, and on completion of the beverage he felt refreshed and enlivened and decided to replicate the event for his next quenching of thirst. So began a daily routine, one which was soon replicated by his courtiers, and thus a tradition was born that would soon reach beyond the palace walls and tempt the whole world.

In other versions of the legend, the emperor, inspired by the energy-gifting camellia leaf, went on to explore other leaves and plant parts, and developed a medicinal knowledge through his experiments. There is, in the canon of early Chinese medical texts, a book known as Shén Nóng Běncǎo Jīng, akaThe Materia Medica of Shen Nong(sometimes referred to as The Divine Farmer’s Classic of Materia Medica). That book, really a collection of three treatises, is not only a herbal handbook, but also a study of sustainable agriculture and an exploration ofnatural science as well as spiritual life. It is an expression of the Chinese art of ‘yăng shēng’ (nurturing life), which would in time inspire some aspects of Taoist philosophy and be embraced by Confucian and Buddhist teaching. It is nice to think of the ‘three teachings’ bonded and harmonised over a cup of tea.

So, from the start, tea was more than just a new brew found through serendipity; it was the fortuitous wind of inspiration that led to scientific exploration and an understanding of plants and their healing attributes. It was a new mechanism for the delivery of medicine.

The Healthy Option

Herbal tea has become a byword for healthy. It is not just about what’s notin it – herbal teas being generally caffeine free and drunk without milk or sugar – it is also about what isin it. All the plant constituents, from nutrients and minerals to antioxidant pigments and organic acids – scientifically referred to as phytochemicals – are active ingredients that facilitate the herbalism of the herb that yields the tea. So, for example, we now know that flavonoids – the natural compounds that provide colour to plant parts – can act as powerful antioxidants when taken into the human system and actually help protect our cells from oxidative stress (free radical damage), thereby slowing the ageing and deterioration process. Given that there is also a serious link between free radicals – unstable atoms formed within the body – and many chronic diseases and persistent illnesses, from fibromyalgia to dementia, it is clear that anything that prevents or eliminates them is a useful shot in the arm.

Some of the phytochemicals in these herbal teas are beneficial to both physical and mental/cognitive health, and are easily available to all. So, for example, Johnston (2015) notes thatapigenin, found in chamomile, yarrow and passionflower (amongst others), is a flavone which acts on the brain and exerts a sedative and anxiety-reducing effect, effectively acting in a simi-lar manner to many prescription anti-anxiety medications. On the physical health side, apigenin is also known to be an anticancer agent via its ability to trigger apoptosis and autophagy of damaged cells (basically, the death and clearance of cancerous cells), and, as the research of Xu (2008) and Yan (2017) shows, it can also induce cell cycle arrest, suppress cell migration and invasion, and stimulate a stronger immune response.

In this amped up, 24/7, modern world, physical responses to stress and the mental anxiety of perceived isolation, fear of missing out, status anxiety, etc., are driving a real crisis in personal well-being, productiveness potential and (dare I say it!) actually having a life. An instant digital detox would be to put the devices down, make a brew and sip it outside. If I may quote T’ien Yiheng, an eighth-century Chinese sage, ‘Tea is drunk to forget the din of the world.’

We know many teas provide a physical detox, activating the liver or bile secretions to eliminate toxins. But tea is about more than that. Removing the din of the world is a spiritual tool and a cognitive detox for our troublesome

or overexcited thought processes. The reality of sitting with a quick cup of herbal is perhaps especially relevant for those stuck in a negative thought process. In these cases, however, it is not just the gift of a time out, as there will be some beneficial phytochemistry at play too.

With depressed and irritated mood there is often a serotonin/vitamin-D deficiency at the root, just as there is a link between low blood levels of vitamin D and certain cancers. A dietary therapy of increased vitamin D is often proffered, but vitamin D is fat soluble and needs to be ingested with a fatty or oil content to be extracted digestively and absorbed efficiently. Apigenin, which acts in many of the same ways as vitamin D, is water-soluble and more easily absorbed from a herbal tea that contains it.

As you read on and into the individual entries in the tea directory, you will find that many of the teas listedimpact directly upon brain chemistry and help improve our mood or advance increased cognitive function. For example, you will see that there are several phytochemicals that activate serotonin (the chemical neurotransmitter involved in our perception/experience of well-being and happiness), or switch off anxiety-released molecules. Many have sedative or nervine properties that calm the body and mind. Basically, the ones you love will love you back with a lift of the spirits every time you cherish the sip.

On days when you can’t get your Zen on because the physical pain, the mental strain or the time drain of life’s problems are tsunami strength, a cup of herbal tea is a care package of active medicine. Some of the more potent constituents found in plants, known as phenolic compounds, are also secondary metabolites. This means that they are active agents in plants, like an immune system contributing to botanical disease prevention – i.e. to stop plants getting mildew or viral infections. When these compounds are added to the human diet, they play an important role in maintaining human health – being antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anticarcinogenic/antimutagenic. The role of phenolic compounds in cancer prevention has been extensively studied and they have been shown (Huang 2010, Luo 2004) to regulate both carcinogen metabolism and ontogenesis expression. It is noted (Shahidi 2000) that fruits, certain vegetables, herbal teas and herbal medicinal infusions are the chief contributors of phenolics to our diet.

In a fast-paced, fast food, quick lunch-break world, a cup of herbal tea may literally be a lifesaver, or at least an illness defender. For example, salicylic acid – the plant constituent that inspired the creation of aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid) – is a phenolic compound that suppresses pain perception. It is present in meadowsweet, blueberries and blackberries, amongst other things. Another example would be cannabinoids, the active constituents of cannabis,

which are also phenolic compounds with pain-relieving action. The herbal and medicinal activities of echinacea, thyme, yarrow and St John’s wort are the result of phenolic acid, notably caffeic and p-coumaricacids.

It is the good in the cup that each entry here will go on to explore. But before that, it would be good to explore some of the safety concerns around herbal teas.

Safety Concerns

In an article titled ‘Safety of Herbal v Orthodox Drugs’ published in the Irish Medical Timesin 2001, Paul McCarthy noted that ‘Greater than 26,000 times more people die from preventable medical misadventure and properly regulated and controlled drugs than from herbal medicine.’ There’s a statistic you don’t hear every day – and, yes, that by no means confirms that herbs are always the safest option for any particular condition or ailment, but it does answer some of the scaremongering around herbal medicine.

Herbs have been utilised in every age of human history. The oldest tombs and excavated graves reveal seeds and unguents of the ancients, many with plant parts still used today for everything fromstomach upset to social diseases. As the saying goes – there is nothing new under the sun. In this timeline, foil-packed and patented pharmacology is but a blink of the eye. Of course, that does not mean go off your cancer or psychiatric meds for a week-long tea binge in expectation of a miracle cure. But might some teas support your treatment regime?

There are many who argue that the herbal option is more effective and for the vast population of the world more accessible and affordable than pharmaceuticals. Ekor (2013) notes that not less than 80 per cent of the world’s population relies on traditional herbal medicines for some part of its primary healthcare. Herbal teas in our healing repertoire may be our future as well as our past.

The teas herein are all GRAS – generally regarded as safe. They do, however, have pharmacologically active components, so it is advisable to note the cautions in each entry and familiarise yourself with the wider context of the herb if you plan to use it medicinally or over extended periods. The main medicinal actions section is also a tip-off to potential contraindications – for example, if the herb is ‘hypotensive’, which means it will lower blood pressure, and you are already on hypotensive medication, then you may need to avoid this herb or at least seek further clarification from your health-care provider before trying it.

There is always the possibility of an allergic reaction to a phytoconstitu-ent (component of the plant) previously not encountered, or a hidden action of a herb you had not suspected or known; there can also be some interac-tion with prescription medications and with conventional over-the-counter

drugs (intensifying absorption, increasing the activity or cancelling out), and then there is the age-old question: ‘Is it safe in pregnancy?' So let’s address those issues now.

Adverse Reactions

Adverse reactions to herbal medicine can range from mild, allergic-type (e.g. hives) to severe (bronchial distress, anaphylactic shock). For the most part, however, the tick list of negative side effects (as ascribed often by opponents of herbal medicine) are headache, dizziness, dry mouth, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea or constipation, restlessness or fatigue and, for some people, a bout of photosensitivity.But I dare you to read the leaflet that comes with your prescription medicine, or even an over-the-counter headache or travel sickness pill, and compare and contrast. The potential side effects of herbal medicine are slight in comparison.

That said, a side effect or adverse reaction is not only unpleasant, it is a ‘do not’ warning sign, as it means that this herb does not agree with you. Go off it immediately and think about a ‘Plan B’ in consultation with a health professional.

What’s so good about a herbal tea is that you are not going to eat a kilo of a plant that you may be potentially allergic to; instead, you are going to imbibe a low dosage extract. Most adverse reactions to herbal medicines come from taking large dosages and from long-term or overuse. But as anyone can be allergic to anything, even in low dosage, it is always wise to be vigilant and ease yourself in. If you have taken the guidance of a professional, as previously advised, you should have less chance of any problems.

The thing is we don’t know that we are allergic or sensitive to a chemical or phytochemical until we have the encounter. On the other hand, there may be glaring clues – say, if you are allergic to daisies and ragwort, then it seems likely that herbs in their botanical family may well trigger a reaction. That is why, in laying this book out as a more modern materia medica, I supply the botanical family names, as this will allow you to check for yourself where an issue might lie. Daisies and ragworts, for example, are in the Asteraceae (aka Compositae) family and so are artichoke, chicory and yarrow. Often the negative reaction – when there is one – is to the pollen and not the foliage, but this way you can exercise appropriate discretion and caution.

Drug Interactions

Sometimes herbal medicines make an ideal co-therapy to conventional

medicine, but other times things can clash. Some phytochemicals can amplify the effects of prescription medications and so generate an undesirable reaction; other times a herb or food can interfere with the pharmacological efficiency of a prescribed drug, or the drug with the herb, and so limit or distort the healing potential and effectiveness of both.

Herbs that enhance the activity of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) – a neurotransmitter that sends chemical messages through the brain and the nervous system – may similarly be overkill, or clash with antidepressant, anti-anxiety and tranquilliser medications. Some herbs thin blood and so would not be suitable if you are on blood thinners already. So if the medical actions listed are similar or counter to those of a prescription drug you are currently taking, then exercise due restraint and caution.

Tea and Pregnancy

Many women come to herbal tea as an alternative to caffeine beverages for the duration of their pregnancy and the first couple of months of breastfeeding. Caffeine can cross the placenta and enter the bloodstream of your unborn child, and can also enter breast milk in nursing mothers. Some women may have been alerted by a book, nutritionist, herbalist or health-care provider to some herbal teas that are beneficial in supporting well-being through pregnancy and also which may remedy pregnancy issues from indigestion to anxiety to strengthening the uterus.

However, all the usual cautions apply – if not a little more so – when con-suming herbal teas during pregnancy and also during the following months, if breastfeeding. Some teas otherwise known to be safe, such as parsley or sage, are not recommended during or immediately after pregnancy as some of their medicinal actions can exert themselves on your unborn or breast-feeding child.

Then there are restrictions around any herb classed as an emmenagogue – i.e. herbs utilised to stimulate pelvic blood flow and uterus contractions. These are often used to bring on a delayed period, but can potentially (if misused by intent or dosage error) induce early labour. Some herbs have a milder emmenagogue effect, bringing about a raising of oestrogen levels, which can also stimulate pelvic blood flow. In the interest of safety all emmenagogue and oestrogenic potential will be identified in ‘main medicinal actions’.

A lot of it is down to common sense, and the majority of herbal teas on the market are not imbibed in quantities sufficient for complications. The fact is that there just is not sufficient study/research on the use of herbal teas during preg-nancy and so the default of most advisory health organisations and most health

providers is to play it safe and counsel avoidance or extremely limited exposure to herbal medicines in general.

In terms of a best practice, the consensus is not to exceed more than 4 cups of herbal tea per day during pregnancy and to change the variety of herbal tea that you consume each day, so that you are not reaching levels of medicinal dosage of one particular herb. It also helps to be aware of agents in food and herbs that can find their way into breast milk.

Even when it comes to the teas most recommended for pregnancy, do apply common sense and fuller research/consultation. Raspberry leaf, for example, has long been utilised to decrease nausea, tone the uterus, increase milk production and ease labour pains, but it is perhaps best not employed until the late second and the third trimester. Both ginger and peppermint teas are known to alleviate nausea and have a traditional usage with morning sickness and pregnancydigestive complaints, but they can prompt stronger heartburn in some.

Tea and Breastfeeding

Just as some women drink fennel or anise tea as a galactagogue (to increase milk supply), so, too, the phytochemicals of those plants make their way into the breast milk and are considered to be anti-colic to the receiving baby.

However, the potential of ‘less useful’ or ‘potentially harmful’ phytochemicals entering the infant via breast milk is a general cause for concern when it comes to cautions from doctors or forum groups, who therefore recommend against experimenting with herbs or supplements during pregnancy. Even green tea, with its lower caffeine content, is often on the banned list for the first five to six months of breastfeeding. From a cautionary viewpoint, strong medicinal herbs are best avoided during breastfeeding. Attention should also be drawn to the fact that some astringent herbs (blackberry, willow, yarrow, etc.) and teas with menthol (mint varieties) may inhibit milk flow.

Tea and Cancer Scares

Reports of tea consumption and higher risk of throat or mouth cancer is less about the herb and more about the temperature of the beverage. In 2016 the World Health Organization concluded that any hot beverage above 149°F (65°C) can contribute to an increased risk of oesophageal cancer. This is brought about by the repeated scald/burn of the hot tea causing damage, altering cellular structure and potentially triggering mutagenic changes. Yet in studies of high-temperature tea consumption and oesophageal cancer risk it has been disclosed that it was predominant amongst those who also

engaged in alcohol and tobacco consumption. Conversely, many herbal teas and the potent antioxidants with green tea are often lauded as lowering can-cer risk.

Correct Dosage

For the vast majority of herbal teas that are taken as a pleasant beverage with some knock-on health benefits, the consumption is often tied to meal times or morning and evening, and so generally would not exceed 2–3 cups per day. For the majority of herbal teas at a dosage of 1–2 teaspoons or 1

teabag, that range is considered safe. With more strongly therapeutic herbs, such as those that may lower blood pressure or thin blood or have a potent medical action, 1–2 cups is generally the standard limit and a therapeutic dose of these stronger herbs may be restricted to a set number of days to keep it all in safe proportions.

Some herbal teas are most effective in blocks with rest periods – that could be weekdays on, weekends off, or a week on, week off situation. In the dosage section within each entry, I give a rough guideline to