Leaves, Flowers and all things Spice!

Nettle Leaves

Stinging nettle leaves are often used to make a herbal infusion more widely known as Nettle Leaf Tea. Nettle tea is often described as a diuretic and as a result is thought to be an aid to help prevent urinary tract infections and kidney stones. It is thought that by maintaining the flow of water through the kidneys and bladder any crystals are prevented from forming into stones and bacteria is flushed out.

Interestingly though, whilst heralded a diuretic nettle has not been shown to reduce blood pressure unlike other diuretics and to date the reason for this difference is unclear. In some trials, Nettle leaves have been shown to reduce the pain of various types of arthritis. Please note: You should not rely on nettle leaf alone to resolve any medical conditions you may have and always seek guidance from your GP or medical adviser.

Mate

Mate is essentially a herbal tea made from the leaves of Ilex paraguayiensis -- otherwise known as Argentinean holly. It is found growing naturally in Brazil and Argentina. Once the leaves are harvested,they are processed swiftly and are quickly heated over fire in order to preserve the green colour of the leaves and add a smoky flavour. The next step in the process is to dry and crumble the leaves. The end result is Mate Tea or Yerba Mate as it is also known. Whilst not a 'tea' in the traditional sense, mate has been shown to contain tannins and a caffeine content similar to black tea.. As far as a health drink, science continues to assess yerba mate's health benefits but to date its benefits have been reported to aid weight loss, digestion, immune system, anxiety and provide an energy boost.

Chamomile

Chamomile Tea was first referred to in documents by the Ancient Egyptians as far back as 1550BC. Even in those days, the medicinal properties of Chamomile Flowers were recognised and used for ailments such as cough, fever, inflammation of the skin, liver and gallbladder complaints and also as an aid to stimulate the appetite. In recent years, clinical research has been undertaken to establish if indeed Chamomile Flowers do have such widely recognised health benefits. Recent studies published in one of the world's largest scientific journals, the American Chemical Society's Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry suggest Chamomile Flowers can aid the body to fight infection, help to relax muscles, lower stress and help relieve some of the symptoms associated with Diabetes.

Chai

'Chai' is a name given to tea in Hindi and other languages, and is a commonly prepared beverage in South Asia. Western culture has developed the recognition of the word 'chai' to mean a spice tea, or in some cases to indicate a spiced milky tea, but a spice tea would be correctly known as 'masala chai'. There is no fixed recipe or preparation method for masala chai but most contain a base tea, sometimes a herbal base such as Rooibos tea, often a sweetener and milk are used, together with of course spices which most likely would incorporate one or more of the following: cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, peppercorn and cloves.