Do herbal teas 'work'?

[HaddyAbrams]

Just that really. For various health reasons I'm trying to cut back on coffee and someone suggested herbal teas. I had a look and there is so much choice! Lots of the twinings ones claim to help you sleep, or aid digestion, or have b12 in etc. Will they actually help with any of that? Or do they just taste nice?

I am certain the Twinings "glow" one does make my skin look brighter and clearer. Could be just the fact that it's mostly green tea, or the added biotin, but I notice a difference when I've been drinking it a lot (I have a few cups a day at least). Peppermint tea and lemon and ginger tea do help my IBS symptoms and the sleep one definitely helps me unwind. I've tried and love so many herbal teas, I have a cupboard full!

I don't suppose there have been controlled trials on the many and various 'teas'. Probably some do, for some people but whether just as a placebo vs water I don't know.

Best thing is to get some variety packs and see what you think.

Note that some do have 'active' ingredients... Green tea in a few, liquorice in others which can interact with medicines. It's a good idea to check the labels.

Mostly taste nice.

Peppermint tea definitely works for indigestion and I also swear by camomile tea for colds (reduces the swelling in mucus membranes apparently) but I'm a bit dubious about the health claims of other teas. But if you like them and they help reduce caffeine intake then go for it!

I have very severe IBS and extra strong peppermint tea is probably one of the most effective things (I use 4 teabags in a small cup)

I'm scared of it because it's supposed to make acid worse so I try to treat my bloating with fennel tea.
Laxative teas definitely work, but I'd rather take a tablet -the teas can work too well!

If the herbs in them are the right ones and in medicinal quantities, yes. I have no idea what’s in the ‘digestion’ ones but I regularly drink a high quality peppermint tea for digestion and that does help. But it has to be a decent quality tea, not probably like the store own brand ones (which take like nothing to me).

My good friend is a proper herbalist. I am not into bullshit therapies. She has a BSc and really knows herself. She says that twinings does not have enough herb in it to properly help. But she always says that everyone is different and that not one thing does one thing - you have to look at everything you are doing together. So if twinings works for you then do that.

She has (so far) seemingly eradicated my very over active bladder. - which was very very painful and keeping me up at night - through a good herbal tea.

I used to drink fennel tea and eat oats to up my breastmilk supply. It seem to have a quantifiable impact.

Thanks everyone. I've ordered a few, some that supposedly do something "glow" "sleep" etc, and some that just sounded nice. Did you know you can buy individual tea bags on the twinings website?

I've read a lot about spearmint tea being good for PCOS, I hadn't considered interactions with medication though! I'll have to check that out.

As a life long coffee drinker I didn't know the world of tea was so exciting.

I make a lot of fresh herb teas in the summer and they definitely have an effect. Mint is very easy to grow and fresh mint tea is delicious.

There is a book called The Bellamy Herbal, which looks at exactly this. Several herbs have been scientifically proven to help some ailments. Two of the most useful drugs we use today originated from plants - aspirin and digitalis.

I think that @stilldumdedumming friend is probably right, and that most commercial herbal teas are so weak as to be meaningless, but you can source herbs online or even grow them yourselves. You do need to be sure and check you don't take too much of anything though.

Not twinings, but I make fennel tea for my IBS and yarrow tea for period pain and they definitely make a difference

I'm a biochemist and a herbologist (someone who studies herbs, not a herbalist who treats people). Plants have lots of active chemicals in them that can interact with our bodies if they reach the right locations in the right amounts. Many of the most potent drugs in the world are from plant species, including a lot of cancer drugs, and our most potent recreational drugs. You have to be careful what you eat in your garden as poison or cure quite often comes down to dose.

anyway, my point is, yes herbal teas can be beneficial, and many chemical compounds are water soluble. You need to make the tea properly though. Use a glass teapot with a lid, use 70degree water not boiling, and give it a swirl before drinking it as many of the herbal properties are found in the evap, you you want that back in your cup.

napiers in Edinburgh does a good line in herbal teas and you can buy online.

Some can work, fe, chamomile tea relaxes the digestive system.

Try Pukka herbal teas, I think they're much nicer than Twinings.

My favourite it the mint matcha green

I'm not really planning on growing anything, I'm terrible with plants!

I should have been clear, I know some medicines from herbs. So clearly they do something. I meant do the herbal teas you can buy in the shops (eg Twinings) actually do anything?

I'll check put Pukka too, although last time I tried matcha i didn't like it.

I only have 2 caffeinated drinks a day at breakfast and after lunch. The rest of the time I mainly drink Twinning camomile tea - about 5 cups a day and water. I can't say I feel really chilled but it is undoubtedly much better for my digestive system and my bladder which can get irritated with too much coffee.

The pukka 3 mint is very nice imo

@stilldumdedumming
She has (so far) seemingly eradicated my very over active bladder. - which was very very painful and keeping me up at night - through a good herbal tea.

I've got a family member who suffers from this, is this a herbal that generally available please?

Marshmallow (the herb) is good for overactive bladder. Advise your family member to avoid black tea, coffee and fruit juices as well. Pumpkin seeds can also help.

@ErrolTheDragon I am not sure if it's available. It's a mix of oat and hawthorn mainly. (With some other things)

Apparently oat is calming.

But also I've cut back on caffeine (which I've always happily tolerated in large quantities!) and I think that must've been a trigger.

I'd never heard of an overactive bladder. I told my GP I had invented a new thing!

I find caffeine causes overactive bladder especially if I drink it later in the day.
I drink 5-6 cups of mint tea a day, it's so refreshing.
Aldi do a good copy of the teapigs bags.
I also buy fresh mint and plan on growing some this year

Peppermint tea helps my digestion and turmeric has helped with peri menopause brain. The most beneficial thing has been that it helps cut down on my caffeine intake.

Peppermint tea, at least once a day, has kept my IBS in check for years. I haven't had a flare up for at least 15 years. I drink it more if I have indigestion and it works brilliantly.

I mostly use supermarket own brand tea bags, sometimes Twinings if on special offer. I have a mint plant in a patio pot so make it fresh sometimes too.

I really rate pukka teas - I love the three chamomile one, taste good, relaxes me and I think helps my IBS. I'm also convinced it helps prevent colds but that might be rubbish. I made the change from alcohol to tea after dinner and I feel much better for it.