Simple Chinese Medicinal Teas
Tea has been an important beverage in Asian cultures for centuries. Different teas have medicinal properties that can be beneficial as well as delicious. Here are some of my favorites. You can easily treat yourself with Chinese medicine at home by selecting the appropriate tea for your condition.
Green Tea
The properties of Green Tea have been the subject of may research projects in the last few years. Much of this research focuses on compounds known as catechins. One study published the Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry published a paper in January 2011 found that drinking green tea can help promote healthy weight loss. This follows the Chinese medicine notion that tea disperses food and transforms phlegm, and it is always nice to end a heavy meal with a cup of warm grean tea.
Green tea can be served weak or strong depending on one’s taste. Brewing from 30 seconds to 5 minutes. If you want less caffeine in your green tea, pour hot water over the leaves, discard this first pour, and drink the tea from a second infusion.
Use green tea to quench thirst, raise the spirit, help digestion, increase urination, assist clear thinking, reduce inflammation, and clear toxicity.
Ginger tea
Ginger is used in its fresh or dried form in many Chinese medicinal formulas. It is in the warm, release the exterior category in the Materia Medica. It is used when the body has been invaded by cold. It is also good for calming a queasy stomach from food poisoning. This is one reason why you are always served ginger with sushi!
Place a thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger in two cups of water and simmer for 20 minutes. Add licorice for a sore throat.
Take ginger tea at the first onset of sneezing, shivering and cold symptoms. Drink this tea hot and wrap up in a blanket to induce therapeutic sweating.
Ginger black tea
Black tea also contains antioxidants and caffeine, which both have significant effect of the body. Research on black tea show that it can lower cholesterol and may even slow the growth rates of some cancers!
Brew black tea with a 1/8 inch slice of fresh ginger and a teaspoon of honey.
This tea is good for people who have a tendency to run cold, or who are concerned about water retention, weight control, or constipation.
Mint, ginger and tangerine tea
Mint is used in Chinese medicine when there is too much heat in the body. Tangerine peel is used to calm the stomach or aid with digestion.
Brew fresh mint or a mint tea bag with minced fresh ginger and a dried or fresh tangerine peel. Mint only needs to be brewed for a short time, no more than 5 minutes
This decoction can be used for stomach upset or a hangover!
References:
Kastner, Joerg. Chinese Nutrition Therapy. New York: Thieme, 2009.
Wang, Yuan, Warren Sheir, and Mika Ono. Ancient Wisdom Modern Kitchen. NY: Da Cappo Press, 2010.
Green Tea
The properties of Green Tea have been the subject of may research projects in the last few years. Much of this research focuses on compounds known as catechins. One study published the Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry published a paper in January 2011 found that drinking green tea can help promote healthy weight loss. This follows the Chinese medicine notion that tea disperses food and transforms phlegm, and it is always nice to end a heavy meal with a cup of warm grean tea.
Green tea can be served weak or strong depending on one’s taste. Brewing from 30 seconds to 5 minutes. If you want less caffeine in your green tea, pour hot water over the leaves, discard this first pour, and drink the tea from a second infusion.
Use green tea to quench thirst, raise the spirit, help digestion, increase urination, assist clear thinking, reduce inflammation, and clear toxicity.
Ginger tea
Ginger is used in its fresh or dried form in many Chinese medicinal formulas. It is in the warm, release the exterior category in the Materia Medica. It is used when the body has been invaded by cold. It is also good for calming a queasy stomach from food poisoning. This is one reason why you are always served ginger with sushi!
Place a thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger in two cups of water and simmer for 20 minutes. Add licorice for a sore throat.
Take ginger tea at the first onset of sneezing, shivering and cold symptoms. Drink this tea hot and wrap up in a blanket to induce therapeutic sweating.
Ginger black tea
Black tea also contains antioxidants and caffeine, which both have significant effect of the body. Research on black tea show that it can lower cholesterol and may even slow the growth rates of some cancers!
Brew black tea with a 1/8 inch slice of fresh ginger and a teaspoon of honey.
This tea is good for people who have a tendency to run cold, or who are concerned about water retention, weight control, or constipation.
Mint, ginger and tangerine tea
Mint is used in Chinese medicine when there is too much heat in the body. Tangerine peel is used to calm the stomach or aid with digestion.
Brew fresh mint or a mint tea bag with minced fresh ginger and a dried or fresh tangerine peel. Mint only needs to be brewed for a short time, no more than 5 minutes
This decoction can be used for stomach upset or a hangover!
References:
Kastner, Joerg. Chinese Nutrition Therapy. New York: Thieme, 2009.
Wang, Yuan, Warren Sheir, and Mika Ono. Ancient Wisdom Modern Kitchen. NY: Da Cappo Press, 2010.