Herbal tea comes from the leaves, flowers, stems and sometimes, the root of a plant. Although black tea, white tea, green tea and oolong tea all come from the Camellia sinensis plant, they are not considered "herbal," because they contain caffeine. Some teas that fall into the herbal category also contain caffeine, but usually in trace amounts. The herbal teas found on your grocer's shelves are generally safe for consumption, but because they possess attributes of the plant from which they came, they may produce side effects in some people, even though they are caffeine-free.
Caffeine: Properties and Beneficial Effects
Caffeine, an alkaloid, stimulates the central nervous system and other parts of the body, sometimes, but not always, in undesirable ways. Drinking teas that contain caffeine may ease the pain of some headaches and can improve concentration, reports the "Gale Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine." In addition to jump-starting your day, caffeine can enhance the effectiveness of some medications, including antihistamines.
Herbal Teas with Little or No Caffeine
Typically, when you think of herbal tea, you think of a non-caffeinated beverage, and usually, that is the case. For pregnant mothers and others who want to avoid caffeine in their herbal tea, BabyBellies.com suggests teas made with ginger, lemon balm, linden flower, orange peel, rooibos and rose hip.
Because some herbal teas feature a blend of herbs, check the content label to ensure that the tea is really caffeine-free.
Herbal Teas with Caffeine
Herbal tea blends that include yerba mate and guarana may be high in caffeine, even though they bear an "herbal tea" label. Flavored teas may contain a combination of aromatic herbs, combined with green tea or black tea, and as such, they contain caffeine. Teas made from the leaves of the coca plant also contain caffeine.
Considerations
Caffeine passes through a mother's breast milk, so nursing mothers should avoid teas that contain caffeine, according to the "Gale Encyclopedia." Nursing infants may be irritable and have trouble sleeping if their mothers drink herbal teas that contain 600 mg, or more, of caffeine.
According to "Prescription for Natural Cures," in addition to starting your day with a jolt, caffeine can trigger diarrhea, increase the risk of eczema, and reduce zinc stores in the body. Caffeine may also increase endometriosis and uterine fibroids in women. Consumed late in the day, caffeine can interfere with getting a good night's sleep.
Numerous other side effects may occur, both mental and physical, from consuming caffeine. The side effects increase with the amount of caffeine consumed.
References
- "Prescription for Natural Cures"; James F. Balch, M.D., 2004
- "Gale Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine, Volume 1"; Jacqueline L. Longe; 2005
- BabyBellies.com: Safe Teas for Pregnancy
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