Having studied herbs for several decades, I am firmly and increasingly unshakably (as I learn more) of the belief that herbal teas should only be used when needed to treat particular ailments (that also applies to ordinary tea, Camellia sinensis). I never advocate the use of herbal teas simply as a beverage, no matter how much you like them. They are medicines, and there's no getting around that fact, nor can you get around the fact that with herbs there is always the downside to balance the upside - in other words, most herbal teas have unwanted side-effects! Therefore, the herbs you blend together would be best to have similar medicinal actions.

However, since it's difficult to convince people not to take their medicines willy-nilly, you can find plenty of tea-blends at the site below. As a sop to my conscience, I ask you to research any herb you choose to use before you use it!

Here is a link that might be useful: herbal teas

daisyduckworth,

Very interesting --- do you feel the same way about herbs used in cooking?

Zabby
(not picking an argument but really wondering, in case it wasn't clear; I haven't heard that opinion about herb teas before & would be interested to hear what you feel the difference is between cooking herbs and medicinal herbs, or if there is one!)

flatlander,
I have blended 2 or 3 kinds of mints, which I find makes for a nice, complex flavour. And sometimes I blend chamomile withe lemon verbena. And I often mix with any of the above a little dried stevia --- just a small amount, to give a hint of sweetness. I bought some fill-them-yourself tea bags from Richter's herbs and made some herb tea bags as part of CHristmas baskets one year and they were a hit. (Though I think more people expressed interest in where I had gotten the fillable bags than joy in their contents, if I think about it. Sigh.)

Haven't tried mixing my herbs with black teas; but maybe I will, because for most occasions I like a black tea. Hmm...

Cheers,

Zabby

When you use herbs in cooking, you typically use quite small amounts - let's say, 1 teaspoon dried herb per meal, spread amongst an average of 4-6 people (most recipes are for 4-6 people, yes?).

A herbal tea, on the other hand, typically uses 1-2 teaspoons or more per cup for one person - which is 4-8 or more times the amount ingested, and in a very concentrated form. It's herbs being used in medicinal dosages (generally, teas) that concern me, and one cup of herbal tea per day is a dosage for an adult. One teaspoonful per day is the average recommended dosage for children under 12 (dosages can vary with the herb being used, just as dosages vary with conventional drugs). I never recommend giving herbal teas to children except under professional supervision. Their bodies are immature and do not always respond to medications in the same way as adults, and if there is a negative response, it's likely to be more severe than in an adult.

Herbs in cooking, therefore, are not usually in medicinal doses, and are generally safe to use that way - I do it myself and would hate not to be able to do it! You should be aware, however, that there are many herbs, including a lot of the commonly-used culinary herbs, which should be avoided altogether, even in small amounts, by pregnant or breastfeeding women, and if a person suffers from certain conditions (think high blood pressure, heart conditions, fluid retention, liver/kidney conditions, diabetes, epilepsy and lots more). Also, individuals vary in their tolerance to herbs - even chamomile can cause severe allergic reactions in some people - in cases of fragile pregnancy, chamomile should be avoided as it will promote a delayed menses, and it may cause stomach upsets in some people; if you've had a miscarriage, it would be wise to avoid parsley altogether (in sufficient quantities it can cause abortion - the amounts are large, but you don't want to stimulate the uterus at all in the early stages, do you? especially if you've had a miss before); you'd avoid using juniper berries if you've got a kidney complaint; sage will dry up breast milk (excessive consumption should be avoided due to the thujone content of the plant which can cause dizziness, convulsion, and rapid heartbeat. Avoid if suffering from high blood pressure or epilepsy. Medicinal doses should not be administered to young children. Avoid long-term medicinal use. Best avoided during pregnancy); lemon balm can cause night sweats and should be avoided by anyone suffering from a thyroid condition and it can sensitise you to other allergens; many herbs interfere with other herbs and/or conventional medications. Some herbs (peppermint is a good example) have an accumulative effect in the body, and it's not until you've been taking a daily dose for a couple of weeks or so that you notice that you're getting headaches, you have upset tummy etc. Individuals react differently.

I'm not against herbal teas, my intention is merely to provide information so that you can make informed decisions about what you eat and drink. The word I'm most fond of when discussing herbs is MODERATION, but AWARENESS is useful, too.

Sounds interesting - although the only combination I've tried so far is adding either fresh or dried spearmint to my commercial black tea. It is very refreshing and is one thing that all in the family seem to agree on - nice in this very hot weather.

Honestly, I've not tried any other herb - but if I eat it otherwise, I wouldn't be afraid to mix with other liquids.

But it pays to be cautious about eating or drinking just anything that grows. Have found lots of plants really are questionable, or downright harmful, and for that reason, I prefer not to eat them.

Working in the medical field for some years, we had to acquaint ourselves with some of the substances that folks were consuming, sometimes with distressing side-effects. Maybe that sounds overly pessimistic, but I prefer to stay on the safe side.

Bejay

Thanks for that explanation, daisyduckworth.

(Hmm. I think I may use greater quantities of herbs in cooking than most people.)

And of course, black teas have side effects, too, given the caffeine. (Which is sometimes the reason I drink them, mind you. But I sure wouldn't argue with you that in both cases, moderation and awareness are good ideas. Pretty good watchwords for most of life, now I think of it.)

Zabby

Thanks for all the advice. Sounds like I just need to educate myself on the affects of different herbs and use them in moderation. I'm not a daily tea drinker. Maybe I'll just dry them all separately and experiment by adding to some of my favorite teas.

Careful with things like excess amounts of parsley. Although its great in many foods, too much is not good for failing kidneys. Another is the use of some herbs used in candle scents. They can also make you sick if too much is inhaled.

Saw a source for hibiscus flowers.. Still like Red Zinger, one of Celestial Seasonings first and best.

Parsley is just one of many herbs which have a diuretic effect - not good if you have kidney problems. Yep, there's that word again - moderation!

And yep, ksrogers, you can also smell too much of a good thing. Perfumed candles provide part of an alternative medicinal treatment called Aromatherapy. Different herbs have different medicinal properties even when inhaled.

Mind you, if anybody's likely to suffer from an overdose of the aroma of lavender, it's yours truly!

It pays to do some homework, and to exercise caution.

I'm glad that I wasn't going crazy when I read about these dangers. My favorite is to make just a big batch of strong plain tea using a mix of different tea bags. I make a half gallon at a time. The water is to a rolling boil in an open pan, then I add six tea bags and squeeze out the air bubbles and let them steep until the water is cool. Squeeze out the liquid from the bags and toss them. The tea gets poured into a half gallon jug, a cup packet of Crystal Light lemon aid is added, along with 1-2 tablespoons of lime juice, and a little Splenda. This makes for a very nice ice tea. Only problem is it does get a bit cloudy once the Crystal Light is added, but I don't mind. Been drinking this tea for quite a few years now, and have it at most every meal as opposed to a soft drink. MIlk isn't an option with lactose intolerance.

In our house we drink Iced Tea with meals, or just as a refreshing drink throughout the day. Don't touch sodas, except perhaps ginger ale every once in a great while!

Cloudy tea has been an annoying problem for a long time. Especially when we wanted to serve it to company. I understand the mineral content in your water can be responsible. Anyway, we are not "bugged" with cloudy tea anymore. After trying every which way....here is what we do now; we start with cold water (our water is well water that has quite a bit of iron content). Bring water (on high heat) to the brink of just starting to boil. Little bubbles are forming at the bottom of the pot. Turn off the burner and add your tea bags. We let our tea bags steep until the whole pot cools off. When cooled, remove tea bags, but do not squeeze. We let them drip a bit, but don't squeeze! Then bottle the tea without anything added. DH prefers his tea without any sweetener, and I like "Sweet 'n Low". We add some (to taste) bottled lemon juice and ice to the glass just at serving time. With this method we haven't had cloudy tea in a long time. Not since we stopped boiling and squeezing the tea.

Think the lime juice that "ksrogers" uses would also be a very nice addition. Am going to try it!

I also drink hot Green Tea and Camomile for health benefits.

One way to "clear" cloudy iced tea is to add some hot water to it. Not enough to change temperature, but just enough to clear it.

Just my 2 c's.

Bejay

I finally took the time to read this thread. Daisy, I couldn't agree with you more. I've wondered/worried about all these herb blend teas since they started becoming a fade in the 80s and I began my limited study of herbs.

I've hated the taste of Chamomile ever since I was a kid, and can taste even a smidgen of it in anything... YUK! I've wondered if that's my body telling me not to use it for some reason. Then there's lavender -- anything. I LOVE the smell of lavender... but I don't cook with it.

I don't care much for Sage, but will use it, along with lemon and honey, for a tisane for sore throat. I use little for cooking.

I read an article recently that said if you drink alot of tea, especially if it is made with flouridated water, that you risk getting too much flouride in your system. I found it interesting.

Wish I had the treated flouride water when I was a kid. Now that most all of my teeth have fillings (many have 'amalgam'), I am more worried about mercury in my mouth, from most of these old fillings. Luckily, they start to get pourous and need replacements, but that gets very expensive if you don't have dental insurance.

The cloudy tea is only after adding the Crystal Light lemon aid cup. Instant teas to me are very bland and lack character.

It was one of those too much of a good thing situations.

Ya know, Melly, I'm old enough to remember when flouridation was part of the "communist conspiracy."

I would like to see the scientific evidence that you can get too much flouride just by drinking tap water or things made with it.

Here is a link to an article about the study. It involved instant tea.

Here is a link that might be useful: flouride in instant tea

I don't know about tea enhancing flouride, but I do know two people whose teeth are blotchy-grey-colored because there was too much in the local water supply when they were babies. But, I guess this has nothing to do with the original question asked.

Could that also be because the water was very hard and high in calcium?