Oolong tea benefits have been known for centuries in the Orient. The tea has been cultivated and refined to perfection in Taiwan, China and Japan. Oolong, sometimes called WuLong, is taken from the camellia sinensis plant, the source for all true teas. Oolong is different for how it is oxidized or fermented. Its taste and properties lie somewhere between green and black tea.

Oolong tea benefits are similar to those of green tea, though most oolong is oxidized to a greater degree than green tea. It has less of the raw grassy taste of green tea and tends to be a darker brown color with earthier, woody flavors. Some oolongs when less oxidized can tend to have a green tea taste with a flowery flavor. Either way, the benefits of drinking this tea are legendary.

Oolong’s Complex Powerhouse of Polyphenols
Oolong tea benefits are as varied and nuanced as the many varieties of oolong teas. For centuries oolong has been used as a medicine—studied and judged in competitions and festivals like fine wine for all its subtle qualities. The Western world is just beginning to realize what the Asian world has been appreciating for ages.

Taste the distinctive tannin in oolong tea. That is evidence of the complex variety of molecules called polyphenols that come from oxidizing and fermenting oolong. The polyphenols act as antioxidants to eradicate the damaging free radicals that wreak havoc in the body. Scientists have only begun to understand the complex makeup of polyphenols but their benefits are clear.

A Short List of the Long List of Oolong Tea Benefits

• Polyphenols in oolong are known to strengthen enzymes that remove free radicals that cause everything from wrinkles to diabetes to arteriosclerosis.
• Oolong tea is known to promote fat metabolism and to control obesity by activating enzymes that dissolve triglycerides. In China, the tea has been traditionally known to control obesity. More than any other tea it is recognized for increasing resting metabolism.
• Oolong is known for cleansing and promoting digestion.
• Oolong is thought to reduce cholesterol build-up in the bloodstream.
• It is considered a support for the heart.
• It is thought to support and strengthen the immune system.
• It is believed to strengthen bones.
• It is believed to fight tooth decay.
• The tea has long been used in Chinese medicine to improve spleen and kidney energy symptoms.
• The leaves can be brewed many times, improving with each new brewing, unlike other teas.

These benefits are just the start of the many properties offered from this tea, once you start investigating the benefits of oolong tea, you’re sure to find that the benefits may just be too long to list.

Papaya leaf tea is full of enzymes that break down proteins, which make it a primary aid for stomach disorders.

The main enzyme that the papaya leaf is famous for is papain. Papain is readily available from the milky white latex of the leaf.

Papaya leaves are large—20-28 inches in length. The leaves are considered a green vegetable while the papaya is a soft fruit. Of course, the leaves in papaya leaf tea are cut down in size for use in teas.

The Power of Papain in Papaya Leaf
The papain enzyme in papaya leaves is so powerful for breaking down proteins that the big leaves have long been used in South America as wraps around meat for tenderizing fibers. The papain is used commercially as a meat tenderizer. The leaves have even been used as feed for chickens and pigs to tenderize their flesh. No wonder the papaya leaf tea has been considered good for indigestion and breaking down toxins.

Papain in the papaya leaf is only one of the leaf’s dynamic constituents. There is a litany of other natural chemicals and nutrients—including more enzymes like chymopapain (latex and exudate), alkaloids, a fermenting agent called myrosin, rutin, resin, tannins, carpaine, dehydrocarpaines, pseudocarpaine, flavonols, benzylglucosinolate, linalool, methyl salicylate, malic acid, iron, calcium, magnesium, manganese, potassium, phosphorus, zinc, beta-carotene, B-vitamins and vitamins A, C and E and antioxidants. Though many of the plant’s constituents are difficult to pronounce, they attest to the rich nutritional complexity of the papaya leaf.

A Cup of Ancient Wisdom
The papaya plant was cultivated in Mexico and Central America many centuries before its discovery by the West. Now the tree-like plant grows everywhere in the tropical and subtropical climates of the world, allowing anyone to enjoy a cup of ancient wisdom through the papaya leaf tea drink.

Chances are, you don’t look longingly at flowers, licking your lips and hoping for a taste; simply put, you are not a giraffe. While eating flowers might not be a common thing among the human population, it turns out that they may actually be good for us, at least their extracts are. This is particularly true for the Hibiscus flower.

The Hibiscus flower is actually not one flower but a combined genus of around 220 floral species. These flowers are grown in naturally warm, subtropical and tropical climates, such as the Caribbean. A variety of these species are known for their exceptional beauty and vivid colors, but they have also received accolades for their other talents.

Using Hibiscus flowers for health their health benefits has become a common practice. These flowers may possess similar benefits to red wine and green tea.

This theory comes from a study conducted in Taiwan, as published by the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture.

In this study, researchers divided rats into four different groups and provided them with a variety of diets. One group was controlled, one involved high cholesterol, and two involved high cholesterol with hibiscus flower extract.

After three months, the healths of these rats were assessed. The results showed that the rats that received Hibiscus flower extract had significantly lower cholesterol content and no oxidation of low-density lipoproteins. This suggests Hibiscus flowers may have positive impacts on one’s health.

What this means is that Hibiscus flowers may work with your body the same way wine tannin’s do: to help prevent oxidation and the build up of cholesterol.

Of course, this news is not new, at least not to certain cultures. Some countries have used Hibiscus flowers for health benefits for years. In Jamaica, for instance, Hibiscus flowers are used often in soft drinks and holiday drinks, mixed with other herbs and spices. A Hibiscus flower tea is also consumed in West Africa, the Middle East, India and Brazil.

The Hibiscus flower itself contains a lot of Vitamin C and acts as a natural diuretic. In folk medicine, the leaves have been used to treat high blood pressure and liver ailments.

Hibiscus flowers are just one more healthy food to add to your diet and you don’t need to be a giraffe to do so.

Tea is one of the most popular drinks in the world, if not the most popular. It is soothing, healthy, tasty and a great pick me up for early mornings. It is also the master of diversity: tea comes in thousands of varieties.

One of these varieties is Fair Trade loose tea. For those who are not tea connoisseurs, Fair Trade loose tea is actually two different things: loose tea, and tea that has been sanctioned as a fair trade product.

Fair Trade loose tea is just what it sounds like, loose and unbagged. It is usually comprised of larger tea leaves compared to those which are packaged into bags.

In loose tea, the large tea leaves are not broken up; thus, more of their flavor properties are preserved. In bagged tea where these leaves are broken apart, the essences often are diminished. The result is a tea with compromised, and sometimes little, taste. However, there are some higher end tea brokers who sell bagged tea that is full of flavor.

The other portion of Fair Trade loose tea is the Fair Trade label. Since this is not a label limited to just tea, many people may have an understanding of what this distinction entails. In short, Fair Trade certified is a trademark that assures tea and other products, are being produced by workers in developing countries who are reaping the benefits of their efforts.  Buying Fair Trade products benefits farmers and growers by ensuring their compensation for the product is, as the name suggests, fair.

The aim of Fair Trade loose tea is to help tea workers receive fair compensation and a better life. The program assures that minimum wages and labor standards are constantly met. This program also implements a democratic way of doing business and advocates the use of methods that are conducive to human and environmental safety.

The Fair Trade Certified Tea program began in 2001 and now includes over 70 approved tea estates from small producers in 11 different countries across Asia, Africa, and Latin America.

Purchasing Fair Trade loose tea is a great way to help the world, and, of course, help your taste buds in the process.

It doesn’t take a health nut to know that herbal teas are all the rage. They are healthy, tasty, varied, and a great substitute to your morning cup of coffee. But, surprisingly, they are also quite easy to make.

One of the great things about easy to make herbal teas is the control: you can include or omit the herbs you want. If you are hoping to stimulate your mind, you can include vanilla. If you are hoping to fight off a cold, you can include sage. If you are hoping to soothe an upset stomach, you can include lemongrass. Basically, if you have an ailment, you can find a herb to assist you in beating it.

Some people use easy to make herbal teas as a “make it up as you go along” process. This can be both rewarding, with a concoction you absolutely love, or disastrous, with a mixture that tastes like, well, you made it up as you went along.

For anyone looking for easy to make herbal teas sans the adventure, a great rule of thumb is to use herbs you have tried, and liked, before. If you love mint tea, for instance, you will probably like your homemade mint tea. Another good rule of thumb is the taste the tea as you go: instead of adding a ton of herbs at the same time, add them one at a time. This way, you can stop if you suddenly produce something really tasty (or not so much).

It is also smart to make sure you are not combining herbs that contraindicate each other. There is little sense of including a stimulant herb if you are going to use one that relaxes you as well.

After you have your chosen herbs, you can either grow them yourself or buy them dried, place your herbs in a container (preferably not metal) and pour in boiling water. Allow these herbs to simmer. Periodically taste your tea to help you determine how much simmering they actually need. Some herbs will taste better the longer they sit, some will taste worst. After it is to your liking, drain the herbs from the tea and drink up.

If you are making the tea for its medicinal qualities, be sure to cover it while it is simmering: this will help trap in the powerful elements.

Herbal tea making is supposed to be fun, so treat it as such. If you find that your tea is lacking in taste, but contains all the herbal benefits you are after, try adding some honey, milk, or even spices that you are fond of.

Going to the local coffee shop and ordering a Chai tea almost seems like cheating on your health: surely, you tell yourself, a cup of Chai tea is considered splurging. You won’t, you promise, do this all the time.

But, the above doesn’t have to apply to you, the Chai lover. Luckily for the avid drinker, it turns out that Chai tea is actually quite good for you.

The health benefits of Chai tea are many. The following is just a taste:

Low Caffeine Levels: When compared to coffee, Chai tea contains much less caffeine. In fact, one cup of coffee contains the same amount of caffeine as three cups of Chai tea. While caffeine can be beneficial to your health in moderation, quantity is important for anyone who ingests too much caffeine on a daily basis. Overuse of caffeine can cause a myriad of problems, including anxiety, nervousness, restlessness, memory problems, and withdrawal. Caffeine is also a heart stimulant, and overuse can wreck havoc on those with preexisting cardiovascular conditions.

Filled with Antioxidants: Antioxidants are the enemy of cancer: they prevent cells from oxidizing and stop free radicals from creating a damaging domino effect throughout your body. Thus, ingesting them is beneficial to your health. All kinds of things have antioxidants, including fruit and wine. Chai tea belongs on this list. It is rich in antioxidants, making it a great choice for your future well being.

Health Preserving Spices: Chai tea is infused with spices that have been used for thousands of years as treatment for a variety of illnesses, ranging from every day common ailments to those that are life threatening. And, because the majority of the spices used are stress busting, Chai tea can help to relax you, naturally.

The spices in Chai tea include cinnamon and cardamom. Cinnamon increases vitality and circulation while cardamom elevates the mood and endorses lung, heart and kidney function. Chai tea also contains clove, which is known for its pain relieving qualities.

Black pepper and nutmeg are also prevalent in Chai tea. Black pepper supports circulation, and metabolism where nutmeg helps in digesting food. Some types of Chai tea include ginger, a stimulant of the immune system, and fennel, which has been commonly used for everything from kidney ailments to eye problems to laryngitis.

Chai tea is filled with all kinds of benefits, making it a great choice for a morning or afternoon pick-me-up. Take a sip and make good health your cup of tea.

When it comes to tea, there are all kinds of varieties that people drink. Some go for Earl Gray, some love green tea. Some people can’t live without mint tea, others opt for simple black tea. And, of course, some people are all about Long Island iced teas. Then, there are those who drink tea that many of us have not yet heard of. They sip chenopodium tea. Let us help you learn some of the basics of this unfamiliar tea.

Chenopodium tea is also called Epazote tea or Mexican tea. In some instances, it goes by the less flattering names of wormseed, or pigweed. No matter what you want to call it, one things remains the same: it is filled with benefits.

The benefits of chenopodium tea have been known for thousands and thousands of years, dating back to the time of the Aztecs. The ancients believed it was great at treating malaria, amenorrhea, digestive problems, and parasites, as well as that the greatest benefits of the leaves were found in the stem. This is worth keeping in mind when brewing a cup for yourself.

In more modern times, chenopodium tea has been commonly used to aid asthma, prevent flatulence, get rid of worms, treat menstrual abnormalities, and curb nervous disorders, namely hysteria and anxiety.

The leaves of chenopodium come from a herb native to Central and South America and Southern Mexico. This herb is large and obvious, growing up to three feet, and not limited to tea. It is also used as a spice for many Mexican dishes, often added to dishes that can upset the stomach or intestinal tract. It appears frequently in Mexican and South American dishes that contain beans.

The one drawback of chenopodium tea is often its taste. Many people believe it is an acquired taste, often comparing it to cilantro. Some people describe it as citrus or mint while others go out on a much shakier limb and describe it as tasting like gasoline or kerosene. Of course, the taste can be altered by adding sweeteners or other spices.

Like many types of herbs, there is potential toxicity when consuming too much chenopodium tea. It should be consumed only in moderation and avoided during pregnancy and nursing without first consulting a doctor.

Chenopodium tea can be hard to find in mainstream grocery stores, though it can sometimes be found fresh in Mexican grocery stores or air dried in other specialty stores. One of the easiest ways to find it is online.

In the past years, the benefits of green tea have been well publicized: when it comes to health, green tea has gotten all the credit as other teas sit on the sidelines, steaming with jealously. While this press may have been warranted – green tea has been shown to be beneficial to your wellness – it is certainly not the only tea worth sipping. Shu Mee White Tea, for instance, is just as good for you and, in some instances, may even be more beneficial than its green counterpart.

Shu Mee White Tea, in addition to being good for your health, may also be good for your taste buds; it is grown and preserved in a manner that causes it to lose the grassy taste many green teas possess. For this reason, many health seekers find it, quite literally, easier to swallow.

Shu Mee White Tea is actually a sub-category of green tea, one of many. These types of teas are among the least fermented of teas, thus reaping the most benefits for your mind and body. Shu Mee White Teas are also among the highest in antioxidants, making them ideal for fighting free radicals.

But, Shu Mee White Teas don’t stop there: they can help in everyday health matters as well.

According to a 2004 study at Pace University, Shu Mee White Tea was proven to have a higher concentration of anti-viral and anti-bacterial traits than green. According to this study, Shu Mee White Tea may help prevent strep, staph infections, pneumonias, and dental problems.

When compared to green, Shu Mee White Tea has higher levels of catechin, and Gallic acid. The latter possesses anti-fungal and anti-viral properties. Shu Mee White Tea also contains a lot of theobromine, the same alkaloid found in chocolate. This specific alkaloid is helpful when dealing with edema and circulatory problems.

When it comes to caffeine content, the amount in Shu Mee White Tea is similar to the amount in green. This can be beneficial – caffeine boosts the metabolism and may help to prevent liver ailments such as cirrhosis. However, ingesting too much caffeine can also have detrimental affects, such as memory problems, insomnia, tremors, and dehydration.

Green tea is no longer the only tea that allows you to drink to your health: Shu Mee White Tea is good for you too. With similar, and often greater, benefits of green tea, Shu Mee White Tea is a just as worthy of filling your mug.

Be sure to visit our main site and view the selection of loose white teas from Starwest Botanicals. You’ll find only the highest quality fair trade and organic varieties of green and white teas imported from Japan, China and India.

Is there anything more relaxing than sitting back and enjoying a warm cup of tea? Tea is a great way to start the day and the perfect means to winding it down. It is also provides numerous health benefits. People have been touting the benefits of tea for centuries. Recently, there is even more emphasis on the particular types of tea.

No matter where you live, we all have our own preferences when it comes to tea. For the first time tea drinker the terminologies can be a little confusing. For example, many people couldn’t explain the difference between black, green, and white tea. Could you?

White tea comes from unopened tea leaf buds. The leaves are neither oxidized nor fermented in their curing process, unlike black or green teas. The leaves are picked from the tips of new shoots of the camelia sinensis plant. These tend to have a white fuzzy, feathery covering on them; Hence, the name white tea.

Scientific studies show that white tea, when compared to green tea, holds more antibacterial and anti-viral qualities. It has higher catechin levels since it goes through less processing. It is full of theobromine and gallic acid. It also contains more theanine, which is an amino acid with mood-enhancing and relaxing properties. The caffeine content for both green and white tea is almost the same level.

Studies have shown that white tea stimulates our body’s immune system. It holds properties which allow the immune system to fight off viruses and bacteria which typically cause sickness and infections. White tea has also been demonstrated to aid in the prevention of dental plaque, because of its high levels of fluoride.

White tea is highly sought after because of the delicate and lightly flavored brew it creates, more so than any other leaf in the true tea family. However, not only is white tea a popular drink but it is also sought after for its unique aroma. You can find candles and other home fragrances, lotions, body washes, and other aromatherapy items in a variety of white tea scents.

Juniper berries are often used in the culinary world as a spice to enhance meat, stuffings, sausages, stews, and soups and marinades. As an herbal remedy juniper berries are used in an herbal infusion by herbalists for urinary tract and bladder infections and inflammations and to to reduce water retention.

You can make juniper tea by adding 1 cup of boiling water to 1 tablespoon of juniper berries, covering, and allowing the berries to steep for 20 minutes. The usual dosage is 1 cup twice a day.

At Starwest Botanicals, we enjoy making herbal teas and infusions and wanted to share this video on making your own Juniper Berry Infusion. We stock high quality wild-crafted juniper berries and organic juniper berries for use in your own remedies and preparations.

Juniper should not be taken internally by pregnant women or by individuals with kidney problems. Juniper contains a potent volatile essential oil, oil of sabinal. Not for use exceeding four to six weeks in succession; contraindicated in inflammatory kidney disease. Before taking for a medical condition, it is best to consult with a physician.