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Basic tea can be prepared from different types of herbal tea. We’ll tell you how to use alkaline tea and whether it has positive effects.

Basic tea: definition and application

In the commercial sector, some tea blends are offered as “alkaline tea”. This means that these food products are above 7 on the pH scale and are alkaline rather than acidic. They are therefore suitable for an alkaline diet. Because alkaline tea is supposed to flush out the acids and pollutants from the body.

Alkaline tea is a suitable alternative to water if you are doing an alkaline treatment or eat an alkaline diet. For example, one tea maker recommends drinking three to five cups of alkaline tea daily.

Alkaline tea as part of an alkaline diet

Followers of an alkaline diet generally assume that the human body is overly acidic. According to this theory, acidic foods, coffee drinks, alcohol, and stress imbalance many people’s acid-base balance. This hyperacidity can trigger various diseases. In order to detoxify the body again, acid-forming foods should be reduced and alkaline-forming foods such as fruit, vegetables or herbs should be increased. Basic tea should also contribute to this.

Types of tea that are considered alkaline teas

Basic tea hides various herbal mixtures. These include the following ingredients:
fennel
Ginger
peppermint
rosemary
sage
thyme
Some herbal teas have been in use since the 5th century B.C. used as medicinal tea. Within the last 200 years, herbal tea has been used more and more as a stimulant in addition to its medicinal function. Today, herbal tea can be found in many medicine cabinets. Alkaline teas, i.e. herbal teas, are not prescribed by conventional medicine. In naturopathy, on the other hand, which promotes an alkaline diet, types of tea are prescribed for recovery. In another article we will inform you which types of tea you should know and what effects they have.

Hop tea is not beer, but rather a tried and tested remedy. Hops have a calming effect and have a positive effect on our sleep.

Hops belong to the hemp family. Long before the plant was used to brew beer, it was valued as a medicinal plant.

Hops are now cultivated throughout Europe and in parts of Asia and America. The plant sprouts anew every year and climbs up to twelve meters. Hops are dioecious. This means there are male and female flowers. For hop tea you only use the female flowers.

This is how hop tea works

The most important active ingredients in hop tea include:
Bitter substances: humulone and lupulone
flavonoids
tannins
essential oils
The bitter substances in particular are said to have a calming and sleep-inducing effect. In the meantime, the effect of hops and its ingredients has also been extensively scientifically investigated:
The positive effect of hops on the human psyche was proven in a pilot study. Test persons who consumed dried hop extract daily for four weeks reported reduced anxiety, depression and a lower stress level compared to the placebo group.
In an animal experiment with quail, it was shown that hops regulate the day-night rhythm and improve sleep at night. The birds should have a comparable sleeping rhythm as we humans. However, it is unclear to what extent the data can be transferred to humans.
In addition to the calming effect, hops also have antibacterial and antioxidant effects, according to a 2019 study. The authors of the study conclude that hops extract could help against acne. Because of the same properties, hops are also often used in folk medicine for digestive problems and other complaints such as loss of appetite. However, research is still needed here.

Hop tea and other hop products

The main uses of hop tea include:
nervous restlessness
sleep disorders
anxiety states

In addition to hop tea, there are other ways in which you can benefit from the effects of the medicinal plant:
In the pharmacy you can get capsules or tinctures made from hops. Hop essential oil is used in aromatherapy.
Hops are also suitable for a soothing bath for mind and body. To do this, boil a liter of water, pour it over 20 grams of hop blossoms and mix it into your bath water.
Another option for better sleep is a scented pillow filled with hop blossoms. You can just put that next to your pillow.

How to prepare hop tea

For the soothing tea you use the female flowers of the hops. You can recognize them by growing cone-shaped, spike-like bud sites, while male flowers hang more loosely. You can easily prepare hop tea yourself:
Pour 250 milliliters of boiling water over 2-3 teaspoons of dried female hop flowers.
Let the tea steep for five to ten minutes.
Then remove the plant parts.
You can have three cups a day. To help you sleep better, you should drink the tea about half an hour before you go to bed.

To increase the calming effects of hops, you can combine them with valerian or St. John’s wort. Lavender and chamomile are also good.