Herbal Benefits of Tea

Abstract

This chapter per the authors will introduce the reader to Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) and shall discuss herbalism as a subset of CAM. Particular emphasis will be placed on herbal teas or rather infusions and decoctions used in disease therapy. This chapter will enumerate the different types of teas and shall use maps, graphs, and other tools to illustrate location, consumption, use and availability. Furthermore, the authors will highlight potential health benefits, recent studies (in vitro, in vivo) undertaken by research scientists to validate efficacy, and shall call for more research (clinical data management, clinical trials, etc.) and support for ongoing work in this area of expertise. The authors shall place a spotlight on the plant family, Asteraceae, and their herbal plants of interest, Artemisia annua and Brickellia cavanillesii. Extensive studies have been performed to determine the therapeutic potential of Brickellia cavanillesii plant at Ernest E. Smith laboratory, The Institute of Environmental and Human Health (TIEHH), Texas Tech University, Lubbock, USA.