botanical & herbal teas
Organic Nettle Leaf Botanical Tea
Nettles (or stinging nettle) leaves brew into a vibrant green-gold infusion with a well-rounded, earthy, slightly minty, herbal flavor and aroma. The leaves are rich in chlorophyll, and are a good source of beta carotene; vitamins A, C, and E; tannins, iron, calcium, potassium and various other minerals. Much like spinach, nettle leaves are a rich source of iron vital to circulation and helpful in balancing high blood pressure.
Nettle leaf has recently become a popular natural treatment for allergies based on some preliminary studies that have shown positive results when compared to a placebo group. Nettle leaves are highly nutritious, and in a brewed tea form may provide benefits as a general dietary supplement*.
How to Prepare Nettle Tea -
Heat water (filtered, if possible) to a low boil and let cool slightly, add one generous teaspoon of loose leaf tea per cup (apprx. 8 ounces). Infuse the tea for 4–5 minutes depending on taste preference.
INGREDIENTS: Organic nettle leaf.
WHAT DOES NETTLE LEAF BRING TO A TEA? Your Zen Tara website editor has a confession to make - in the past I've never been the biggest fan of herbal or botanical teas. I had tried many of the more popular herbal teas, and while I could understand drinking them as a "health tonic" for specific health benefits, few of them gave me the flavorful drinking enjoyment I got from drinking "real" teas.
Three botanical teas made me reconsider - nettle leaf, mulberry leaf and licorice root are all botanical teas that I like to drink for their own unique tastes and I would drink them for their pleasant flavor even if they didn't provide other healthy perks as part of the infusion. So there you have it - always be open to new possibilities, nettle leaf tea won me over.
An informative article by Ingri Cassel describes traditional knowledge and current research into the healthy properties of nettles.
*These statements have not been evaluated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The information here is not intended to be used to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
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