Soothing Teas Combat Stress and Restore Serenity

Calming Beverages--Tisanes That Ease Tension and Anxiety

Jun 12, 2008 Melody Rhodes

Soothing teas ease tension and anxiety. Herbal beverages are stress busters, a boon to those who are on the fast track.

Feeling stressed? Why not try a relaxing remedy from nature's tea cupboard? A soothing tea may help to restore serenity.

Lavender Tea

Lavender has a wonderful aromatic scent and is used as a calming tea to relieve stress. Herbalists recommend lavender to calm the nervous system. Dried lavender flowers can be infused for a sweet-tasting soothing herbal tea or tisane.

Chamomile Tea

Clinical data supports chamomile as being effective for a number of conditions including nervous disorders. Glycine, an amino acid in chamomile, acts a nerve relaxant. Calming chamomile can be used as a herbal approach when seeking to combat stress, brewed in a soothing tea to relieve tension and anxiety.

Passionflower Tea

Passionflower has long been used as a folk remedy to treat anxiety. Studies confirm that passionflower extracts have anti-anxiety properties. It is believed that passionflower contains naturally occurring serotonin. Passionflower is a soothing plant used in healing tea preparations and is approved as a treatment for nervousness by Commission E of the German Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices.

Ashwagandha Tea

Ashwagandha is also known as winter cherry and is used in Ayurvedic medicine. Ashwagandha is thought to act in a similar fashion as Lorazepam. This medicinal tea can be taken to relieve nervous exhaustion and stress and is a good tea for calming. Researchers at University of Texas Health Science Center noted that extracts of ashwagandha showed activity similar to GABA, which lends credence to ashwagandha being a soothing tea, effective in relieving anxiety.

Lemon Balm Tea

Lemon Balm is a member of the mint family. As its name indicates, it has a lemony flavor and fragrance. Terpenes in lemon balm render a relaxing effect. It also contains eugenol, which calms muscle spasms that often accompany stress. Lemon balm is considered a soothing herb that can relieve tension and relax the nerves, making it a good, calming tea.

Valerian Tea

Valerian has been researched for its efficacy in relation to anxiety and insomnia. Herbalists have found that valerian tea can actually offset the effects that stress has on the body. Researchers have found that different constituents in valerian seem to balance the nervous system. Valerian is one of the most widely prescribed relaxants and is a good tea for stress. Valerian tea is prepared from the root, and as a soothing remedy tea, it is a soporific that is widely turned to.

Kava Tea

Kava is prized for its anxiety-relieving effects. Kava is cultivated for its calming of mind and body and helps with a restful night’s sleep and serenity. Kava is often used in conjunction with other soothing herbs in tea to calm the nerves. Kava contains a number of compounds that are believed to have a relaxing effect on the body.

Catnip Tea

Catnip tea relieves restlessness, while a stronger infusion may relieve tension headaches. A constituent in catnip, nepelactone, is similar to the valepotriates found in valerian. Catnip is regarded as a herbal calmative and has been used for centuries to help people to relax.

Linden Tea

Linden flowers are used as a remedy for the nervous system. The flowers contain an essential oil, part of which acts as a sedative and one that is used in medicinal preparations. Linden is also used to offset sleep disturbances and nervousness associated with menopause. Linden blossoms are widely used in Europe because they make such a pleasant tasting infusion. Restaurants there serve popular, calming linden tea.

Brewing Soothing Herbal Teas

Soothing teas are infused with either hot or cold water, depending on the herbs and their properties. Always follow brewing instructions to get the most benefit from soothing ingredients in herbal teas.

Soothing herbs and plants offer humans both flavor and stress relief. A calming tea can be delight to drink at the end of a long, tiring day. Why not sip a cup or two?

Precautionary note: Check with a herbalist or your doctor before consuming a soothing tea. Teas that act to calm the nerves may have medicinal properties and could react with other drugs. Drinking soothing teas may not be advisable if you have certain health conditions. If you are pregnant, check with your healthcare provider before drinking a herbal remedy. Do not exceed recommended dosages as toxicity could result.

Additional Resources:

Healing Herbal Teas: A Complete Guide to Making Delicious Healthful Beverages by Brigitte Mars
The Book of Herbal Teas: A Guide to Gathering, Brewing and Drinking by Sara Perry

The copyright of the article Soothing Teas Combat Stress and Restore Serenity in Natural Medicine is owned by Melody Rhodes. Permission to republish Soothing Teas Combat Stress and Restore Serenity in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Calming Chamomile

Tea Leaf

Lavender Buds

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