# Tea

## Remedy Classification
- **Type:** Herbal Remedy
- **Alternative Names:** Camellia sinensis, Tea
- **Miasm:** Psoric Miasm
- **Temperament:** Neutral
- **Aggravation Time:** Neutral/Anytime

## Keynote Indications
Key Actions: Antioxidant, Astringent, Diuretic, Stimulant.
Parts Used: Leaf bud, Y oung leaf.

## Modalities (Aggravations / Ameliorations)
Cautions: Avoid excessive doses..

## Symptoms by System

### Stomach & Abdomen
- combination with other remedies, traditional Chinese medicine uses tea to treat diarrhea and dysentery .
- Eye problems For tired, irritated, and puffy eyes, place a moist tea bag or a cotton ball that has been soaked in cooled green tea on the affected (closed) eye for a few minutes.
- Usually symptoms are eased and the eyelids and surrounding tissues are toned.
- Tea can also be used in this way to counter inflammation or Parts used Leaf bud • Y oung leaf Key actions Antioxidant • Astringent • Diuretic • Stimulant Stimulant Traditionally , tea has been seen as a gentle stimulant, its moderate caffeine content enhancing mental alertness and acting as a “pick-me-up.” Like coffee (Coffea arabica), it has been used as a remedy for headache, although coffee is probably more effective in this respect.
- T ea has warming and tonic properties, endearing it to those working in the cold.
- It is best avoided during premenstrual syndrome— research has repeatedly shown that caffeine leads to a worsening of symptoms, and may be unhelpful during menopause, as it can increase hot flashes.
- Digestive problems As an astringent, tea makes a useful and readily available remedy for diarrhea; the polyphenols in the tea counter infection and tone up the inner lining of the gut.
- In Tea Camellia sinensis Grown almost exclusively for use as a beverage, tea is perhaps the world’s most undervalued medicinal plant.
- Numerous studies point to the health-giving properties of the tea leaf, especially unfermented green or white tea.
- These teas contain high levels of polyphenols, which have potent antioxidant activity .
- mEDicinal uSES key information SafEty ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ traDitional uSE ★ ★ ★ ★ ✩ rESEarch ★ ★ ★ ★ ✩ bESt taKEn aS Infusion ✓✓✓ Tablet ✓✓ Capsule ✓ DoSagE B (see pp.44–45) cautionS Avoid excessive doses.
- See also pp.42–51.
- dried leaves recent studies suggest that the polyphenolic compounds in tea may promote fertility in women who drink one to two cups daily.promotes fertility.
- brew of tea leaves soothes sunburn green tea prevents tooth decay fresh leaves A–Z o F herb AL reme DIeS88 Tea is cultivated mainly in India, Sri Lanka, and China.
- Tea leaves are picked throughout the year.
- infection within the eye, for example, in helping to relieve the pain and discomfort of conjunctivitis.
- other uses recent research has focused on the antioxidant polyphenols, which have been found to aid weight loss, to counter inflammation, and to have anticancer and antitumor activity .
- The high intake of green tea in China and Japan is thought to be partly responsible for the low incidence of cancer in these countries.
- Tea also appears to reduce the incidence of tooth decay .
- Not surprisingly , green tea has become a popular drink in the West in recent years, although it is worth noting that research suggests that tea impairs absorption of iron and other minerals.
- Avoid drinking tea with meals or medication, especially if anemic.
- tea quality Green tea is produced by lightly steaming the freshly cut bud and leaf, leaving the active constituents largely intact.
- however, black tea is allowed to ferment, Tea caddy age-old brew One of the legends surrounding tea drinking features Shen Nung, a 3rd-century bce Chinese emperor.
- It is said that as he sat under a tree, boiling his drinking water, a few leaves from the tree (Camellia sinensis) fell into his kettle.
- Shen Nung drank the brew and found the taste quite agreeable, thus prompting the longstanding tradition of tea drinking.
- CAmeLLIA SINeNSIS leading to a significant loss of antioxidant constituents, notably polyphenols.
- high-quality teas—such as white or oolong tea, which is made with the youngest leaf buds— have the highest levels of polyphenols, and can be expensive, although not as costly as in the 18th century , when the finest teas were literally worth their weight in gold.
- green Tea 89 Chili, Cayenne pepper Capsicum spp.
- Familiar the world over, chili comes from the Americas, and its strongly pungent flavor spices up countless dishes.
- The constituents responsible for the hot, sometimes fiercely hot, impact of chili when eaten are also those most involved in its many medicinal applications.
- medicinal uses Part used Fruit Key actions Antiseptic • Local analgesic • Counterirritant • Relieves gas and spasm • Stimulant • Tonic circulation When it is applied to the skin as a counterirritant, chili, like other hot, pungent remedies such as mustard (Sinapsis alba), causes irritation and swelling, and an increase in circulation to the area.
- Chili is added to lotions, liniments, and salves for muscular aches and pains for this reason, resulting in better nutrition to—and clearance of waste products from—the tissue involved.
- Introduced to Europe in the 16th century, chili is now cultivated throughout the tropics.
- 90 A–Z o F heRbAL Remedie S nerve pain Chili peppers are graded according to their “heat”; the hotter the taste, the higher the level of capsaicin— the key active constituent present within the flesh of the pepper.
- Capsaicin initially increases the awareness of pain and inflammation, but then desensitizes the local nerve endings, leading to reduced levels of pain.
- This action is utilized in capsaicin creams for conditions such as post-herpetic neuralgia (shingles), nerve pain linked to diabetes, and also for severe itchiness.
- These products are often only available with a prescription.
- chIlI “PePPer” Chili was one of many medicinal plants Christopher Columbus brought back from the New World to present to his patrons, the Spanish king and queen.
- The hot taste of chili, similar to that of black pepper from Indonesia, encouraged Columbus to call it chili “pepper,” thereby suggesting that it also came from eastern Asia, and that his mission to find a western route to the East Indies had been successful.
- General stimulant Rarely used on its own, chili is most commonly added to other herbs to strengthen and stimulate their action within the body .
- Adding small quantities of chili powder, sauce, or tincture can provide an important boost to the effects of an herbal mixture.
- For example, a few drops of chili sauce or tincture can be mixed with echinacea (Echinacea spp.) and licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra) tincture to treat throat infection.
- To strengthen the circulation and to improve blood flow to hands and feet, small quantities of chili can be routinely added to food.
- Chili also mixes well with specific remedies such as devil’s claw (Harpagophytum procumbens) when treating conditions such as osteoarthritis and fibromyalgia, where circulation to affected areas is often poor.
- Chili’s general stimulant effect also finds use where the thyroid gland is mildly underactive.
- here, chili will help to strengthen the circulation and improve metabolic rate.
- Recent research points to the possibility that chili works to enhance the anticancer activity of other antioxidant remedies.
- Although data is based so far only on test tube research, scientists found that when they combined 1 part chili preparation with 25 parts green tea concentrate, the anticancer activity of the combination was 100 times greater than the green tea alone.
- This suggests that chili can have a major impact on the medicinal activity of other foods and herbal remedies.
- tIncture 91CApSiCum Spp.
- new world sPIce tincture can boost action of other herbal mixtures fresh fruIt fruit is used to promote local circulation key information safety ★ ★ ★ ★ ✩ traditional use ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ research ★ ★ ★ ✩ ✩ best taKen as Capsule ✓✓✓ dosaGe C (see pp.44–45) cautions Non-toxic at normal dose; caution required when eating or handling hot chili products.
- Can cause intense pain and burning, and contact dermatitis.
- See also pp.42–51.
- Weak digestive system Chili has antiseptic properties and helps to protect against gastrointestinal infection.
- it is often added to food in tropical countries to reduce the risk of food poisoning.
- used in small quantities, chili will help to strengthen a weak digestive system and stimulate appetite, particularly in older people, though it can benefit anyone with an under-performing digestive system.
- A pinch of chili powder added to chamomile (Chamomilla recutita) tea or tincture will help to relieve nausea and feelings of fullness.
- Surprisingly , chili can be an effective remedy for treating diarrhea.
- chIlI Powder