Professor Emeritus on Medicinal Herbal Teas

Scientific research on the health benefits of herbal teas is slowly catching up with their growing popularity.

Traditional tea from the Camellia sinensis plant, such as black tea and green tea, has long been popular in the United States and is the leader in tea sales in the country. However, Americans' interest in herbal teas, often called tisanes (pronounced tea-ZAHNs) in Europe, is on the rise. According to a tea market report from the American Botanical Council, US sales are rising for almost every type of tea and herbal tea. Herbal tea bags and medicinal tea bags rank the fourth and fifth highest in US retail tea sales, respectively.1 A big factor driving this interest is that people are looking for affordable, safe ways to enhance their personal wellness.

People should tell their health care providers what herbs and herbal teas they're using since some can affect the activity of certain medications, says Winston Craig, PhD, MPH, RDN, professor emeritus of nutrition at Andrews University in Berrien Springs, Michigan, and author of Herbs for Your Health: A Guide to the Therapeutic Use of 45 Commonly Used Herbs, 2nd ed. 

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