Best Healthy Herbal Teas to Warm You Up

Besides good old fashioned water, the world’s most beloved beverage isn’t coffee, but tea. From chai to white and green to oolong, there are countless varieties. Here in the U.S., people tend to prefer sweet iced black tea in summer, but an increasing number of us have caught on to the wonders of a hot cup. There’s a lot of hype surrounding green and matcha teas, but herbal teas have plenty of noteworthy benefits too. 

Before we get into that, we should acknowledge herbal tea is technically not tea, as it’s not derived from the Camellia Sinensis plant that produces white, black, green, and oolong. Herbal varieties consist of an infusion of non-tea plants, including flowers, spices, herbs, and roots. 

One perk of herbals is that most are caffeine-free, making them ideal for any time of the day. Plus, many contain health-boosting properties, from anti-inflammation to immune support. Not to mention they’re simply delicious. 

Whether you’re enjoying a cup of peppermint tea with breakfast, apple-cinnamon at lunch, or chamomile before bed, simply the act of brewing and sitting down with a warm cup can offer a bit of respite from our busy lives. CBD herbal teas, which often contain complementary herbs, flowers, roots, or spices, can complement this sense of balance and serenity. 

Here’s a guide to the benefits of herbal and CBD teas, where to buy, and how to brew your own. 

Health Benefits of Herbal Tea 

Plants have been used as a form of medicine for about as long as humans have inhabited the earth. That includes cannabis and other well-known medicinal plants such as chamomile, peppermint, rooibos, ginger, and hibiscus. Here’s what each of these can do:

• Chamomile: Chamomile is best-known as a sleep aid. But it also has anti-inflammatory properties and may offer some relief from menstrual cramps. It may also help you maintain regular blood sugar and bone density. 
• Ginger: Ginger may reduce nausea, morning sickness, and motion sickness, as well as inflammation. It can also ease pain associated with menstruation and osteoarthritis and support immune system function. 
• Peppermint: Peppermint may have muscle-relaxing effects. This includes the ability to relax the bronchial muscles, leading to increased brain oxygen levels and decreased fatigue. Peppermint can also assist with the digestive process. It has aromatherapeutic properties as well. Smelling it may reduce fatigue and anxiety and improve memory and alertness.
• Hibiscus: Hibiscus is another excellent source of antioxidants that also has anti-bacterial and immune-boosting properties. It can boost good HDL levels and reduce bad cholesterol and triglycerides in people with diabetes and promote a healthy body weight. 
• Rooibos: Rooibos, also known as red bush tea, has anti-inflammatory and bone-protective properties, as well as antioxidants. It may help you maintain good digestion as well. 

In addition to the above, adding CBD to your favorite cup of herbal can help you maintain overall wellness and a sense of serenity and wellbeing. It may also support healthy sleep patterns, skin, pain and inflammation management, mood, energy, and immune system function. Read more about the benefits of CBD here.

DIY CBD Tea – Why Hemp Leaves Aren’t Ideal 

If you’d prefer to brew your own CBD tea, your first inclination may be to use hemp leaves. However, this isn’t as easy as you might imagine. Hemp leaves aren’t as readily available as many other types of tea leaves, for one. There’s also a lot that can go wrong when working with hemp, including a high risk of drying out the hemp and reducing cannabinoid potency or burning them off altogether. This is one reason reputable CBD manufacturers use specific extraction processes, like CO2, that are safe for consumption and preserve cannabinoids effectively. There’s also the fact that CBD isn’t water-soluble, so you’d need to use an oil base, like coconut milk or oil to the tea to enhance absorption. 

A much better and simpler option is to use a CBD tincture. 

CBD tinctures are usually oil-based so that they won’t dissolve into the hot water. However, the carrier oil will help your body absorb the CBD when you drink the infusion. To help disperse the CBD more effectively, stir your tea often. 

How to Make CBD Tea with a Tincture 

Making CBD tea with a tincture involves essentially the same process as making any herbal tea. The only real difference is you’re adding an extra ingredient to the mix. 

Ingredients: 

• 1 Cup Distilled Water 
• Loose tea leaves 
• CBD tincture 

Directions: 

Pour the water into a pot on the stove over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil. Once it is boiling, place the tea leaves into the pot and cover. Steep for five minutes. Remove from the heat and strain the tea leaves. Now, this part is important. You’ll need to let the tea cool for a few minutes before putting in the CBD tincture. It may lose potency if exposed to too-hot heat. Once it’s cooled a bit, put a drop or two (depending on your preferred dose) of CBD tincture into the tea and stir. Wait about five minutes for the tincture to integrate, then drink up. 

Not keen on brewing your own? No worries. You can also purchase CBD premade from companies such as Buddha Teas, Green Roads World, or Pure Science Lab.