Best Herbal Tea For…

We frequently get asked ‘is herbal tea good for you?’ and we answer the same way every time, which is ‘yes’. When it comes to the specific health benefits of herbal tea though, we believe that every individual is so unique, that it will vary from person to person as to how herbal tea will improve your health. 

Different herbal teas have been used as natural remedies for centuries and there has been much modern research in the area, providing some general conclusions, but we would advise that you simply drink the herbal tea that appeals to you and your mood the best. Herbal tea is hydrating and so varied that there’s something to suit every mood and occasion. Here’s our list of ‘Best Herbal Teas For…’  alongside recommendations from friend, tea lover, and herbalist Vera Martins to help you get started.

If you have a specific health concern, do always speak with your doctor first. 

Vera Martins advises on best herbal teas

Best Herbal Tea for the Morning

Many people will reach for coffee in the morning to give them a caffeine hit. Caffeine is a sure-fire way to stimulate the body and mind, though many will limit their intake, or avoid it altogether. Either way, adding herbal tea into your morning routine can complement your coffee, or replace it entirely.  Here are three ideas for best herbal teas for the morning:

Rooibos Vanilla Earl Grey, with Jasmine Blossoms and French Lavender

Our Bestselling Rooibos Tea

If you’ve given up coffee or breakfast tea, rooibos herbal tea is a comforting way to transition. Our Organic Natural Rooibos has lovely long lengths of this South African plant, that have been fully oxidised, providing a dark, rich and sweet taste not too dissimilar from breakfast teas. You can add a touch of milk, if you like, or explore our full range of naturally flavoured rooibos teas for something fun. 

Feel Good – South American Mate Tea Blend

Not ready to entirely give up caffeine but want to experience it in a calmer way? South American Mate naturally contains caffeine but has different compounds which means it releases into the blood stream in a gentler manner, so that you can feel focused and alert without the jitters. Our Feel Good blend combines mate, aniseed, Ceylon cinnamon pieces, limetree petals, melissa and liquorice root, as well as heather petals, ginger pieces, cloves, cardamom and a touch of vanilla. These ingredients carefully balance with each other to create a sweet, more-ish flavour that stirs the senses. 

Vera says: ‘This blend benefits from the health properties of herbs such as Melissa and liquorice. In addition, Ceylon cinnamon is an excellent support for blood sugar balance. There are several clinical trials demonstrating how cinnamon improves insulin sensitivity and blood sugar. Healthy blood sugar levels are key in regulating energy, mood, weight, hormone balance and much more.’

Organic Hibiscus Flowers Tea

Hisbiscus Flowers are often enjoyed as an infusion in the evening because they are caffeine-free, though we enjoy our Organic Hibiscus Flowers tea in the morning because the colour, scent and taste are so bright and uplifting that they seem to suit this time of day better. Enjoy a hot infusion, or you might also like to try our recipe for Hibiscus Flower Iced Tea for a refreshing change. The use of hibiscus tea is broad, and can also be used as an ingredient in many sweet things such as cakes, jams and meringues. Hibiscus Tea is also good for adding colour and sharpness to tea cocktails. 

Vera says: ‘Besides being truly delicious, Hibiscus is packed with antioxidants and studies have shown its effects on lowering blood pressure as well as promoting healthy cholesterol levels.

peppermint tea, spearmint tea, mint tea, loose leaf, best herbal tea, teas for digestion
Our Organic Mint Duo – a blend of Nana Mint and Peppermint Tea

Best Herbal Tea For the Afternoon

For a lot of us, the afternoon is when we start to slow down, especially after a hearty lunch or afternoon snacks. Herbal teas are a wonderful choice here as they don’t contain caffeine (which will keep you awake at night if you drink too much) but have incredible qualities that can help you focus and feel eased. 

After Lunch Tea

Our After Lunch herbal tea explains what it’s for in the name, but the ingredients are a real delight to enjoy and include: Melissa, tulsi, apple pieces, licorice root, peppermint leaves, chamomille, fennel, caraway seeds, rosemary, marigold petals and natural vanilla essence. Each of these ingredients alone is excellent for digestion but, together, they’re a delicious powerhouse. 

Vera says: ‘In addition to chamomile and peppermint which both support digestion, this blend contains Melissa, another excellent herb known not only for its digestive properties but also for its calming effects. In clinical trials, Melissa has been shown to reduce mild-to-moderate anxiety and sleep disturbances, as well as improve mood.’

Herbal Chai Tea 

If you’re a lover of chai spices, we have quite the collection of herbal chai teas including our Rooibos Masala Herbal Chai and our unique Cocoa Orange Masala Herbal Chai which blends natural orange peel with cocoa cores. After a heavy meal, the traditional spices within chai – cinnamon, cardamom, star anise and more – are helpful in easing digestion. 

Tuscan Sun Herbal Tea at Home

Tuscan Sun Mediterranean Herbal Tea

This warming herbal tea is a blend of Mediterranean botanicals that captures the essence of a tranquil moment under the Tuscan Sun in late summer. With gentle florals, earthy herbs, and natural fruit sweetness, it offers a calming experience with each sip. The soothing colors, subtle aromas, and mild flavours of this caffeine-free herbal tea are perfect for moments when you want to briefly escape to a sunnier place. Ingredients include lavender blossoms, blackberry leaves, marigold petals, and apple pieces.

Whole Leaf Peppermint Tea

A good, pure peppermint tea is a must in any herbal tea lover’s cupboard. Used for centuries in lots of different ways, peppermint tea is good for all those ailments that might arise after a hearty meal such as heartburn or acid reflux. Owing to its high menthol content, our Whole Leaf Peppermint Tea is incredibly refreshing, too. 

Vera says: ‘Peppermint is such a great digestive herb with carminative (carminative means that it helps reducing excess gas in the digestive tract) properties, recommended for indigestion and bloating, with “cooling” properties.’

We also offer an Organic Mint Duo which combines peppermint with spearmint for a sweeter, softer flavour.

Organic Mint Duo with our Double Wall Tea Cups

The Best Herbal Tea for the Evening

Somewhere between the end of dinner and bed is a great time to unwind with a herbal tea. Save the sleepy teas for bedtime, but use this moment to try something cleansing, warming and grounding to help slow down your mind and ease your body. 

For Refreshment – Botanical Reboot 

This refined herbal tea – our Botanical Reboot – is good for the evening as it has been blended with cleansing ingredients such as peppermint, caraway and fennel seeds, whole chamomile flowers and a little liquorice root, leaving you feeling refreshed and calmed. 

Vera says: ‘Liquorice root has adaptogenic properties, helping to support the stress response. Adaptogen herbs can reduce fatigue and boost mental performance. Liquorice root is also known for its soothing properties on the gastrointestinal tract – clinical trials have shown its benefits on reducing digestive complaints, including acid reflux.’

Wild Mountain Mint Tea from the misty slopes of Armenia
Platinum Wild Mountain Mint Tea

For Feeling Grounded – Platinum Wild Mountain Mint Tea

Peppermint tea is good for sleep because it calms the body. This particular Wild Mountain Mint tea is especially evocative – grown slowly on misty mountains, which results in pronounced flavours and warming sage-like undertones. An incredibly grounding tea between dinner and bedtime. 

For Digestion – Organic Ginger Breeze Tea

Our most popular organic herbal tea – this ginger tea is spicy, sweet and warming and makes an excellent post-meal beverage. A touch of black pepper helps you to absorb nutrients, while natural ginger pieces and lemongrass create a beautiful balance of sweetness and heat that’s incredibly comforting.

For Balance – Organic Thyme Tea

This herbal tea is made only from organic thyme grown in Egypt and dried slowly, resulting in a bright and clean infusion with a woody, earthy scent. The taste is incredibly satisfying, combining thyme’s herbaceous characteristics with mint, lavender, and citrus. This earthy tea can help restore a feeling of grounding and is ideal whenever you want to balance your senses.

Vera says: ‘Thyme is a potent anti-microbial; recommended in case of throat infections and cough such as bronchitis, tonsillitis, excellent expectorant. My “go to” herb for a sore throat and chest infection, which can often feel worse at night as we wind down for bed.’

Whole Organic Chamomile Tea Blossoms

The Best Herbal Tea For Sleep

The best herbal tea for sleep has to be, you guessed it, our Organic Chamomile Blossoms. Ours is really high quality and filled with essential oil. While there is no concrete evidence that Chamomile definitely helps you sleep, we’ve all experienced its soothing magic and, if you believe it, it probably will help you drift off. Chamomile tea can also be used a lot in recipes and is also wonderful for skin. You can use cold chamomile teabags for puffy eyes, or even allow your infusion to cool and apply it as a toner to sensitive skin. 

Vera says: ‘Traditionally known to support both the nervous and digestive system – a mild relaxant also known as a carminative. Chamomile also has anti-inflammatory properties. Some clinical trials have shown it to be helpful in cases of general anxiety disorder.’

Best Herbal Teas For Womens’ Health

Herbal Teas and Womens’ Health go hand in hand. What could be better than a beverage that is warm, full of goodness, bursting with aroma and helps gently hydrate the body? We take a closer look at teas that have been recommended for different ailments throughout history, or through research. 

Organic Chamomile Cooler Herbal Tea in Teabags

Teas For PMS 

Try our Chamomile Cooler, which is a blend of pure peppermint tea and chamomile flowers. The peppermint acts as a muscle relaxant, which chamomile is incredibly gentle and soothing. Rose Tea is also worth trying as rose has been shown to behave as an anti-inflammatory and is also incredibly calming. We have an enviably wide range of rose tea – from pure, whole rosebud tea to blends featuring buds and petals.

Vera says: ‘Rose petals are rich in antioxidants and rose tea is known to be traditionally used for digestion, and to regulate mood as well as hormone balance. In herbal medicine we like to say that drinking a rose tea is like getting a “herbal hug” due to its uplifting properties.’

Organic Rooibos Tea

Teas For Pregnancy 

For pre and post natal, you might want to stick to teas that have no caffeine. Chamomile tea for pregnancy is an obvious choice, but rooibos tea for pregnancy is a great idea too. You still get that lovely rich flavour similar to a breakfast tea, but with none of the caffeine. Try our Rooibos Vanilla Earl Grey as this has a touch of jasmine that can feel really rejuvenating. Our Guide to Rooibos is a really interesting read, too if you want to k now more about this amazing South African herbal tea type.

Lavender Tranquility Tea
Lavender Tranquility Tea Blend

Teas For Menopause  

Science has proven that lavender tea for menopause has amazingly cooling effects, which can be desirable  when you’re having a hot flush. The study asked participants to inhale lavender essential oil twice a day for twelve weeks, with really positive results. Our lavender teas and tea blends are made with Provence lavender, which are bursting with aroma and flavour, so you get the best of both worlds. Try our Lavender Tranquility before bed, or our French Lavender blossoms throughout the day.

Vera also says: ‘A well-known sedative, also reduces anxiety and has carminative properties. There
is also some preliminary data suggesting it can improve symptoms of depression. Most of the data available is based on aromatherapy. For instance, in a clinical trial inhalation of lavender essential oil in combination with sleep hygiene significantly improved sleep quality. Another study has shown that lavender aromatherapy improved quality of life in menopausal women.’

Try also our Lemon Verbena and Lavender silk teabags. Combined with lavender, these two herbs act in tandem to relax frazzled nerves.

Vera says: ‘Another very tasty and fragrant herb, Lemon verbena has potent antioxidant properties. Traditionally used to improve digestion and as a mild relaxant, promotes calmness and sleep.’

Lemon Verbena & Lavender Herbal Teabags