{{Short description|Beverage made from infusing or decocting plant material in hot water}} [[File:Hibiscus Delight tisane.jpg|thumb|"Hibiscus Delight", made from hibiscus flowers, rose hips, orange peel, green tea, and red raspberry leaf,<ref>{{Cite web|title=Hibiscus Delight (Loose Leaf Tea Blend) – 1/2 lb |website=Lone Star Botanicals|url=https://www.lonestarbotanicals.com/product/hibiscus-delight-loose-leaf-tea-blend-1-2-lb/|access-date=2021-08-04}}</ref> steeping]] [[File:Butterfly-pea flower tea 3.jpg|thumb|Butterfly-pea flower tea. The one on the right has had lime juice added, making it turn purple.]]
'''Herbal teas''' or '''herb teas,''' technically known as '''herbal infusions''', and less commonly<ref name="ngram">{{cite web |url=https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=herb+teas%2Cherbal+teas%2Ctisanes&year_start=1800&year_end=2000&corpus=15&smoothing=3&share=&direct_url=t1%3B%2Cherb%20teas%3B%2Cc0%3B.t1%3B%2Cherbal%20teas%3B%2Cc0%3B.t1%3B%2Ctisanes%3B%2Cc0 |title=herb teas,herbal teas,tisanes |website=Google Books Ngram Viewer |access-date=2018-05-29}}</ref> called '''tisanes''',<ref name="cam">{{cite web |url =http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/tisane?a=british |title =tisane |website =Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary |date =2018-05-23 |access-date =2018-05-29}}</ref> are beverages made from the infusion or decoction in water of any herbs, spices, or other plant material that is not derived from the tea plant (''Camellia sinensis''). Many herbs used in teas/tisanes are also used in herbal medicine and in folk medicine. Herbal teas are not technically teas because they are not brewed from the tea plant.
The term "herbal tea" is often used to distinguish these infusions from true teas (e.g., black, green, white, yellow, oolong), which are prepared from the leaves of the tea plant (''Camellia sinensis'') or, more rarely, of its close relatives (such as ''Camellia taliensis'')''.'' Beverages actually created from tea and combined with material from other plants are known as "blended teas", "scented teas", or "flavored teas". Examples include jasmine tea, genmaicha, and Earl Grey tea.
Unlike true teas, most tisanes do not naturally contain caffeine (though tea can be decaffeinated, i.e., processed to remove caffeine).<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.dictionary.com/browse/herbal-tea |title =Herbal tea |publisher =Dictionary.com, Dictionary Media Group, Inc.|date=2026 |access-date =2026-05-03}}</ref>
A number of plants, however, ''do'' contain psychoactive compounds, such as caffeine or another stimulant, like theobromine, cocaine or ephedrine. Some have the opposite effect, acting as a sedative. Some common infusions have specific names such as ''mate'' (yerba mate) and ''rooibos'' (red bush).
== Etymology == [[File:Paul Berthon - Tisane Gauloise.jpg|thumb|A promotional french poster for "Tisane Gauloise", by Paul Berthon]] Dictionaries commonly record that the word ''tea'' is used to refer to other plants beside the tea plant and to beverages made from these other plants.<ref>{{cite dictionary |url=https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tea |title=tea |dictionary=Merriam-Webster |access-date=2018-05-29}}</ref><ref>{{cite dictionary|url=https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/tea|title=tea|dictionary=Lexico|access-date=31 May 2022|archive-date=19 November 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171119112348/https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/tea|url-status=dead}}</ref> The term ''herbal tea'' is well established and more common than ''tisane'' for this usage.<ref name=ngram/>
Furthermore, in the ''Etymology of tea,'' the most ancient term for tea was 荼 (pronounced ''tu'') which originally referred to various plants such as sow thistle, chicory, or smartweed, and was later used to exclusively refer to ''Camellia sinensis'' (true "tea").<ref>{{cite book |author=Albert E. Dien |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0zp6iMZoqt0C&pg=PA362 |title=Six Dynasties Civilization |publisher=Yale University Press |year=2007 |isbn=978-0-300-07404-8 |page=362}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |author=Bret Hinsch |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BdWpWha_0EsC&pg=PT14 |title=The ultimate guide to Chinese tea |publisher=Bret Hinsch |year=2011 |isbn=978-974-480-129-6}}</ref>
The word ''tisane'' was rare in its modern sense before the 20th century, when it was borrowed in the modern sense from French. This is why some people feel it should be pronounced {{IPAc-en|t|ɪ|ˈ|z|ɑː|n}} as in French, but the original English pronunciation {{IPAc-en|t|ɪ|ˈ|z|æ|n}} continues to be more common in US English and especially in UK English.<ref name=cam/>
The word had already existed in late Middle English in the sense of "medicinal drink" and had already been borrowed from French (Old French). The Old French word came from the Latin word {{lang|la|ptisana}}, which came from the Ancient Greek word {{lang|grc|πτισάνη}} ({{lang|grc-Latn|ptisánē}}), which meant "peeled" barley, in other words pearl barley, and a drink made from this that is similar to modern barley water.<ref>{{Cite dictionary|url=https://www.lexico.com/definition/tisane|title=tisane|dictionary=Lexico|access-date=31 May 2022|archive-date=27 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210927014241/https://www.lexico.com/definition/tisane|url-status=dead}}</ref>
== Composition and usage == {{See also|List of plants used in herbalism|List of culinary herbs and spices}} [[File:LE POINT DE VUE11n4000.jpg|thumb|Herbal tea in a glass teapot and cup]] Herbal teas can be made with any part of a plant, including fresh or dried flowers, fruit, leaves, stems, seeds, or roots. These parts may be steeped fully raw (as picked) or processed in some way (such as drying, roasting, crushing, tearing/cutting, steaming, etc.).
[[File:Herbal tisanes for several ailments on sale at the Central Market, Port Louis, Mauritius.jpg|thumb| Herbal tisanes being sold in Mauritius as medicines for various diseases]] Herbal infusions may be made by pouring hot or boiling water over the plant parts and letting them steep for some time. The infusion temperature and time can vary depending on the type of plant part used and its properties. For example, some plant parts are covered in oils, which may take some time to separate. Brewing with cold water will also take much longer, usually several hours.
An herbal tea may be strained or not (as with mate, where a special straw called a bombilla is used for drinking).<ref name="Heiss2012">{{cite book |last1=Heiss |first1=Mary Lou |last2=Heiss |first2=Robert J. |title=The Tea Enthusiast's Handbook: A Guide to the World's Best Teas |publisher=Ten Speed Press |year=2012 |isbn=978-1607743781 |page=174 |quote=Mate is traditionally sipped through a metal straw known as a bombilla, which has a filtered end to prevent the small particles of leaf from being swallowed.}}</ref>
Some herbal teas are blends that include various herbs or plant parts.{{cn|date=October 2025}} Herbal infusions may also be sweetened, spiced, salted, or combined with other additives, like milk or lemon juice.
<gallery> File:Zingiber Ginger Coconut Rooibos - Teavana tisane.jpg|This retail mixture contains rooibos, coconut, ginger, cinnamon, apple, cardamom, black pepper and almond. File:Elderberries.jpeg|Dried elderberries ready to be steeped into tea File:2016 1212 Coffee blossom tea.jpg|Coffee blossom tea File:Mr. Ollivanders Magic Potion fruit tisane.jpg|Apple, rose hips, orange zest, papaya, peppermint, liquorice root, lemon grass, cinnamon, blackcurrants, rose and mallow blossoms </gallery>
== Varieties == {{more citations needed section|date=November 2018}} [[File:Erva mate chimarrao in big cuia.jpg|thumb|A yerba mate infusion, popular in South America]] Herbal teas can be made from any edible plant material, below is a list of common herbal infusions. Some herbal teas are made from plants which contain caffeine, and other herbal infusions may contain other psychoactive compounds. However, many other common herbal teas have not been shown psychoactive properties when compared to placebos, though they may still have some physical effects.
Many herbal teas on the market may also be blends which include various herbs or plant parts. These blends may also include additives, like flavorings.
=== Caffeinated infusions === [[File:Lemoy011.jpg|thumb|Saturiwa and his warriors drinking yaupon tea before battle, 16th century Florida, by Jacques le Moyne]] * Cacao bean tea, which contains theobromine and a small amount of caffeine. * Coffee-leaf tea, coffee fruit tea, and coffee blossom tea are herbal teas made using the leaves, fruits and flowers of the coffee plant * Guayusa tea, made from the caffeinated leaves of the ''ilex guayusa'' holly, native to the Amazon rainforest * Mate, a South American caffeinated tea made from the holly yerba mate (''Ilex paraguariensis'') * Yaupon tea, caffeinated leaves of the yaupon holly, native to North America * Tea made from ''Ilex cassine,'' which has less caffeine than yaupon, but more theobromine. [[File:Fijian_kava_ceremony.jpg|right|thumb|Fijian kava ceremony]]
=== Other psychoactive infusions === * Cannabis tea, which contains the psychoactive THC. It is a common drink in India, where it is known as bhang. * Coca tea, infusion made from coca leaves. Contains trace amounts of cocaine and similar alkaloids.<ref name="ncbi_alkaloids">{{cite journal |vauthors=Jenkins AJ, Llosa T, Montoya I, Cone EJ |year=1996 |title=Identification and quantitation of alkaloids in coca tea |journal=Forensic Science International |volume=77 |issue=3 |pages=179–89 |doi=10.1016/0379-0738(95)01860-3 |pmc=2705900 |pmid=8819993}}</ref> In some countries where coca is illegal, products marketed as "coca tea" are supposed to be ''decocainized'', i.e., the pharmacologically active components have been removed from the leaf using the same chemicals as manufacturing cocaine. * Kava root tea, common in Pacific island cultures (Polynesia, Melanesia, Micronesia), which has sedative effects and anesthetic effects caused by compounds called kavalactones.<ref name="wang">{{cite journal |last1=Wang |first1=J |last2=Qu |first2=W |last3=Bittenbender |first3=H. C |last4=Li |first4=Q. X |year=2013 |title=Kavalactone content and chemotype of kava beverages prepared from roots and rhizomes of Isa and Mahakea varieties and extraction efficiency of kavalactones using different solvents |journal=Journal of Food Science and Technology |volume=52 |issue=2 |pages=1164–1169 |doi=10.1007/s13197-013-1047-2 |pmc=4325077 |pmid=25694734}}</ref> The traditional form is a water-based suspension of kava roots. * Kratom tea made from the dried leaves of the kratom tree. It has opioid-like properties and some stimulant-like effects.<ref name="FDA2018">{{cite web |author=Gottlieb, Scott |date=6 February 2018 |title=Statement from FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, M.D., on the agency's scientific evidence on the presence of opioid compounds in kratom, underscoring its potential for abuse |url=https://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm595622.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180206201508/https://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm595622.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=February 6, 2018 |access-date=6 February 2018 |publisher=US Food and Drug Administration}}</ref><ref name="Cin2015">{{cite journal |last1=Cinosi |first1=E |last2=Martinotti |first2=G |last3=Simonato |first3=P |last4=Singh |first4=D |last5=Demetrovics |first5=Z |last6=Roman-Urrestarazu |first6=A |last7=Bersani |first7=F. S |last8=Vicknasingam |first8=B |last9=Piazzon |first9=G |last10=Li |first10=J. H |last11=Yu |first11=W. J |last12=Kapitány-Fövény |first12=M |last13=Farkas |first13=J |last14=Di Giannantonio |first14=M |last15=Corazza |first15=O |year=2015 |title=Following "the Roots" of Kratom (''Mitragyna speciosa''): The Evolution of an Enhancer from a Traditional Use to Increase Work and Productivity in Southeast Asia to a Recreational Psychoactive Drug in Western Countries |journal=BioMed Research International |volume=2015 |pages=1–11 |doi=10.1155/2015/968786 |pmc=4657101 |pmid=26640804 |doi-access=free}}</ref> * St. John's wort tea, the plant has been shown to have antidepressant properties according to a 2017 meta-analysis.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Ng |first1=Qin Xiang |last2=Venkatanarayanan |first2=Nandini |last3=Ho |first3=Collin Yih Xian |date=March 2017 |title=Clinical use of Hypericum perforatum (St John's wort) in depression: A meta-analysis |journal=Journal of Affective Disorders |volume=210 |pages=211–221 |doi=10.1016/j.jad.2016.12.048 |pmid=28064110}}</ref> * Ephedra tea, mainly from the plant ''Ephedra sinica''.<ref name="Gurley_1998">{{cite journal |vauthors=Gurley B, Wang P, Gardner S |year=1998 |title=Ephedrine-type alkaloid content of nutritional supplements containing Ephedra sinica (Ma-huang) as determined by high performance liquid chromatography |journal=J Pharm Sci |volume=87 |issue=12 |pages=1547–53 |citeseerx=10.1.1.460.7810 |doi=10.1021/js9801844 |pmid=10189265}}</ref> It contains the stimulant ephedrine. It has been used in traditional Chinese medicine, where it is called ''máhuáng,'' for more than 2,000 years.<ref name="Abourashed_2003">{{cite journal |vauthors=Abourashed E, El-Alfy A, Khan I, Walker L |year=2003 |title=Ephedra in perspective--a current review |journal=Phytother Res |volume=17 |issue=7 |pages=703–12 |doi=10.1002/ptr.1337 |pmid=12916063 |s2cid=41083359}}</ref><ref name="Huang2010">{{cite book |author=Kee C. Huang |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xKGxTcF8u-sC&pg=PR3 |title=The Pharmacology of Chinese Herbs, Second Edition |date=12 December 2010 |publisher=CRC Press |isbn=978-1-4200-4826-1 |page=9}}</ref> Ephedra tea was also used by Native Americans and Mormons, hence the name "Mormon tea" and "Indian tea". * Poppy tea, brewed from the poppy straw or seeds of several species of poppy (most commonly ''Papaver somniferum''). Since it contains opium, it is consumed for its narcotic, sedative and analgesic properties. * ''Salvia divinorum'' ("Sage of the diviners") tea which contains ''salvinorin A'', a compound that induces a dissociative state and hallucinations.<ref name="front">{{cite journal |last1=Butelman |first1=Eduardo R |last2=Kreek |first2=Mary Jeanne |year=2015 |title=Salvinorin A, a kappa-opioid receptor agonist hallucinogen: Pharmacology and potential template for novel pharmacotherapeutic agents in neuropsychiatric disorders |journal=Frontiers in Pharmacology |volume=6 |pages=190 |doi=10.3389/fphar.2015.00190 |pmc=4561799 |pmid=26441647 |doi-access=free}}</ref> * African dream root ''(Silene undulata)'' which is an oneirogen used by the Xhosa people as a sacred plant.<ref name="Sobiecki">{{cite journal |author=J. F. Sobiecki |date=2008 |title=A review of plants used in divination in southern Africa and their psychoactive effects |journal=Southern African Humanities |volume=20 |pages=333–351 |s2cid=37305695}}</ref><ref name="pmid29403350">{{cite journal |last1=Sanz |first1=Camila |last2=Zamberlan |first2=Federico |last3=Erowid |first3=Earth |last4=Erowid |first4=Fire |last5=Tagliazucchi |first5=Enzo |date=2018 |title=The Experience Elicited by Hallucinogens Presents the Highest Similarity to Dreaming within a Large Database of Psychoactive Substance Reports |journal=Frontiers in Neuroscience |volume=12 |page=7 |doi=10.3389/fnins.2018.00007 |issn=1662-453X |pmc=5786560 |pmid=29403350 |doi-access=free}}</ref> * ''Tabernanthe iboga,'' which can be made into an infusion, is traditionally used by the peoples of Central Africa and in African traditional medicine as a stimulant (in low doses) or as a powerful ritual hallucinogen (in larger quantities)''.<ref name="drugs2">{{cite web |date=January 23, 2019 |title=Iboga |url=https://www.drugs.com/npp/iboga.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080601024047/https://www.drugs.com/npp/iboga.html |archive-date=June 1, 2008 |access-date=October 28, 2019 |publisher=Drugs.com}}</ref><ref name="koenig">{{cite journal |last1=Koenig |first1=Xaver |last2=Hilber |first2=Karlheinz |date=January 29, 2015 |title=The Anti-Addiction Drug Ibogaine and the Heart: A Delicate Relation |journal=Molecules |volume=20 |issue=2 |pages=2208–2228 |doi=10.3390/molecules20022208 |issn=1420-3049 |pmc=4382526 |pmid=26807959 |doi-access=free}}</ref>''<ref>Aubry-Lecomte, Charles Eugène, "Note sur quelque poisons de la côte occidentale d'Afrique", ''Revue Maritime et Coloniale'', vol. XII, 1864.</ref> * Tobacco tea, which contains nicotine and is traditionally used by the indigenous peoples of the Americas as a medicine for various ills (dizziness, headaches), as a laxative, as an emetic and as an expectorant.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Tobacco |url=https://www.utep.edu/herbal-safety/herbal-facts/herbal%20facts%20sheet/tobacco.html |access-date=2024-06-19 |website=www.utep.edu |language=en}}</ref>
=== Non-caffeinated and non-psychoactive infusions === [[File:Matricaria_chamomilla_flowers.jpg|thumb|''Matricaria chamomilla'' flower heads separated from stems]] [[File:Rooibos tea in a glass with dry rooibos.jpg|thumb|Rooibos tea, a common drink in South Africa]] [[File:Bebida de ginseng.jpg|thumb|Bottled ginseng tea from Korea]] * Anise tea, made from either the seeds or the leaves * Asiatic penny-wort leaf, in South Asia and Southeast Asia * Artichoke tea * Commiphora gileadensis tea, in the Hijaz region of western Arabia. * Bael fruit tea * Bee balm * Boldo, used in South America * Burdock; the seeds, leaves, and roots have been used * Butterfly pea flower tea (from ''Clitoria ternatea''), also called "Blue tea" since it produces a blue infusion * Caraway, tea made from the seeds * Catnip, tea used as a relaxant, sedative, and to calm * Chamomile * Che dang, bitter tea made from ''Ilex {{not a typo|causue}}'' leaves * Chinese knotweed tea * Chrysanthemum tea, made from dried flowers * Cinnamon tea * Clover tea, made from the blossoms * Cerasse, bitter Jamaican herb * Citrus peel, including bergamot, lemon and orange peel * Dandelion coffee, which does not contain caffeine despite the name * Dill tea * Dried lime tea, made from dried limes common in western Asia * Echinacea tea * Elderberry * European mistletoe (''Viscum album''), (steep in cold water for 2–6 hours) * Essiac tea, blended herbal tea * Fennel * Gentian * Ginger root can be made into herbal tea, known in the Philippines as ''salabat'' * Ginkgo biloba * Ginseng, a common tea in China and Korea, commonly used as a stimulant and as a caffeine substitute * Goji berry tea * Hawthorn * Hibiscus (often blended with rose hip), a common tea in the Middle East or Asia * Honeybush, similar to rooibos and grows in a nearby area of South Africa, but tastes slightly sweeter. Has a low tannin content, no caffeine. * Horehound * Houttuynia * Hydrangea tea, dried leaves of hydrangeas; considerable care must be taken because most species contain a toxin. The "safe" hydrangeas belong to the ''Hydrangea serrata'' Amacha ("sweet tea") cultivar group.<ref>C.J. van Gelderen; D.M. van Gelderen. 2004. Encyclopedia of Hydrangeas. Timber Press. 280 p.</ref> * Jasmine flower tea, though it is commonly blended with tea leaves, jasmine flowers are also sometimes infused on their own * Jiaogulan (also known as ''xiancao'' or "poor man's ginseng") * Kapor tea, dried leaves of fireweed * Kelp tea, East Asian tea made from kelp, known as ''konbu-cha'' in Japan * Kuzuyu, a thick white Japanese tea made by adding kudzu flour to hot water * Labrador tea, made from the shrub by the same name, found in the northern part of North America * Lavender tea<ref name="haze">{{cite web |title=Cooking with Lavender – Purple Haze Lavender (Sequim, WA) |url=http://www.purplehazelavender.com/cooking.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100417125855/http://www.purplehazelavender.com/cooking.html |archive-date=17 April 2010 |access-date=25 August 2008 |work=Purple Haze Lavender}}</ref> * Lemon balm * Lemon and ginger tea * Lemongrass tea * Luo han guo * Licorice root * Lime blossom, dried flowers of the lime tree (''tilia'' in Latin). * Meadowsweet herb * Mint (mint tea), made from various mints, especially peppermint and spearmint. It is also commonly mixed with green tea, as in Maghrebi mint tea. Korean mint tea is one popular pure mint herbal tea. * Mound of termites tea in Merauke * Moringa * Mountain tea, common in the Balkans and other areas of the Mediterranean region. Made from a variety of the ''Sideritis syriaca'' plant which grows in warm climates above 3,000 feet. Records of its use date back 2,000 years. * Neem leaf * Nettle leaf * New Jersey tea (''Ceanothus americanus''), which has a mild blood pressure lowering effect.<ref name="The Alkaloids">J.E. Saxton ed. [https://books.google.com/books?id=R8BlpSvvSfwC&dq=Ceanothus+americanus+alkaloid&pg=PA444 "The Alkaloids". A special report. Vol I] The Chemical Society Burlington House, London (1971) SBN 85186 257 8</ref> * Noni tea * Oksusu cha, traditional roasted corn tea found in Korea * Olive leaf tea * Oregano tea * Osmanthus tea, dried flowers of the sweet olive tree, are used alone or blended with tea leaves in China. * Pandan tea * Patchouli tea * Pennyroyal leaf, an abortifacient * Pine tea, or ''tallstrunt'', made from needles of pine trees * Qishr, Yemeni drink with coffee husks and ginger * Red clover tea * Red raspberry leaf * Barley tea, East Asian drink with roasted barley * Rosa × damascena tea, in the Middle East. * Roasted wheat, used in Postum, a coffee substitute * Rooibos (red bush), a reddish plant used to make an infusion and grown in South Africa. In the US it is sometimes called red tea. It has many of the antioxidant characteristics of green tea, but because it does not come from tea leaves, it has no caffeine. * Rose hip (often blended with hibiscus) * Roselle petals (species of hibiscus; known by other names including ''bissau'' and ''dah''), consumed in the Sahel and elsewhere * Rosemary * Sagebrush, California sagebrush * Sage * Sakurayu, Japanese herbal tea made with pickled cherry blossom petals * Sassafras roots were steeped to make tea, a practice which was common among Native Americans. They were also used in the flavoring of root beer until being banned by the FDA. * Scorched rice, known as ''hyeonmi cha'' in Korea * Skullcap * Shallot peel tea from Kalimantan * Serendib (tea), tea from Sri Lanka * Sobacha * Spicebush (''Lindera benzoin'') leaves used to make a tea by some native peoples of eastern North America * Spruce tea, made from needles of spruce trees * Staghorn sumac, fruit can be made into a lemonade * Stevia, can be used to make herbal tea, or as a sweetener in other beverages * Sweet potato leaf tea, a common herbal tea in Chinese medicine * Thyme, contains thymol * Tulsi, or holy basil * Turmeric tea * ''Uncaria tomentosa'', commonly known as cat's claw * Valerian is used as a sedative, but clinical evidence for its psychoactive properties are inconclusive.<ref name="medscape">{{cite journal |vauthors=Boullata JI, Nace AM |title=Safety issues with herbal medicine |journal=Pharmacotherapy |volume=20 |issue=3 |pages=257–69 |year=2000 |pmid=10730682 |doi=10.1592/phco.20.4.257.34886 |s2cid=36757144 }}</ref><ref name="drugs">{{cite web |date=9 June 2022 |title=Valerian |url=https://www.drugs.com/npp/valerian.html |access-date=22 July 2022 |publisher=Drugs.com}}</ref><ref name="ods">{{cite web |date=15 March 2013 |title=Valerian |url=https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Valerian-HealthProfessional/ |access-date=2 April 2018 |publisher=Office of Dietary Supplements, US National Institutes of Health}}</ref> * Verbena (vervain) * Wax gourd in East Asia and Southeast Asia. * Wong Lo Kat, a recipe for herbal tea from Guangdong, China since the Qing Dynasty * Woodruff * Yarrow
== Health risks == {{See also|List of herbs with known adverse effects|Tea bag#Plastics}}
While most herbal teas are safe for regular consumption, some herbs have toxic or allergenic effects. Among the greatest causes of concern are: * Comfrey, which contains alkaloids which may be harmful to the liver from chronic use, and particularly is not recommended during pregnancy or when prescription drugs are used; comfrey is not recommended for oral use.<ref>{{cite web|title=Comfrey|url=https://www.drugs.com/mtm/comfrey.html|publisher=Drugs.com|access-date=5 January 2018|date=3 January 2018}}</ref> * Lobelia, which contains alkaloids and has traditional medicine uses for smoking cessation, may cause nausea, vomiting, or dizziness at high doses.<ref>{{cite web|title=Lobelia|url=https://www.drugs.com/npp/lobelia.html|publisher=Drugs.com|access-date=5 January 2018|date=3 January 2018}}</ref>
Herbal teas can also have different effects from person to person, and this is further compounded by the problem of potential misidentification. The deadly foxglove, for example, can be mistaken for the much more benign (but still relatively toxic to the liver) comfrey. Care must be taken not to use any poisonous plants.
The US does not require herbal teas to have any evidence concerning their efficacy, but does treat them technically as food products and require that they be safe for consumption.
Fruit or fruit-flavored tea is usually acidic and thus may contribute to erosion of tooth enamel.<ref name="O'Toole2018">{{cite journal |last1= O'Toole|first1= S.|last2= Mullan|first2= F.|title= The role of the diet in tooth wear|journal= British Dental Journal|volume= 224|issue= 5|pages= 379–383|year= 2018|doi= 10.1038/sj.bdj.2018.127|pmid= 29471309|s2cid= 3797429|url= https://kclpure.kcl.ac.uk/portal/en/publications/the-role-of-the-diet-in-tooth-wear(7a470d3f-b003-4383-831e-24f14fcdd600).html}}</ref>
=== Adverse herb–drug interactions === {{See also|Grapefruit–drug interactions|Cytochrome P450|label 2=Cytochrome P450 (CYP)}} Some phytochemicals found in herbs and fruits can adversely interact with others and over the counter or prescription medications, among other ways by affecting their metabolism by the body. Herbs and fruits that inhibit or induce the body's Cytochrome P450 enzyme complex function can either cause the drug to be dangerously ineffective, or increase its effective absorbed dose to potentially toxic levels, respectively. Best known examples of adverse herb‑drug interactions are grapefruit or St John's wort, contraindicated for several medications including Paxlovid and oral contraceptives, but other herbs also affect the CYP enzyme family, showing herb‑drug interactions.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Zuo |first1=Hua-Li |last2=Huang |first2=Hsi-Yuan |last3=Lin |first3=Yang-Chi-Dung |last4=Cai |first4=Xiao-Xuan |last5=Kong |first5=Xiang-Jun |last6=Luo |first6=Dai-Lin |last7=Zhou |first7=Yu-Heng |last8=Huang |first8=Hsien-Da |date=2022-01-14 |title=Enzyme Activity of Natural Products on Cytochrome P450 |journal=Molecules |language=en |volume=27 |issue=2 |pages=515 |doi=10.3390/molecules27020515 |issn=1420-3049 |pmc=8779343 |pmid=35056827 |doi-access=free }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Cho |first1=Hyun-Jong |last2=Yoon |first2=In-Soo |date=2015 |title=Pharmacokinetic Interactions of Herbs with Cytochrome P450 and P-Glycoprotein |journal=Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine |language=en |volume=2015 |pages=1–10 |doi=10.1155/2015/736431 |issn=1741-427X |pmc=4302358 |pmid=25632290 |doi-access=free }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Smith |first1=Dallas J. |last2=Bi |first2=Huichang |last3=Hamman |first3=Josias |last4=Ma |first4=Xiaochao |last5=Mitchell |first5=Constance |last6=Nyirenda |first6=Kumbukani |last7=Monera-Penduka |first7=Tsitsi |last8=Oketch-Rabah |first8=Hellen |last9=Paine |first9=Mary F. |last10=Pettit |first10=Syril |last11=Pheiffer |first11=Wihan |last12=Van Breemen |first12=Richard B. |last13=Embry |first13=Michelle |date=2023-07-12 |title=Potential pharmacokinetic interactions with concurrent use of herbal medicines and a ritonavir-boosted COVID-19 protease inhibitor in low and middle-income countries |journal=Frontiers in Pharmacology |volume=14 |doi=10.3389/fphar.2023.1210579 |issn=1663-9812 |pmc=10368978 |pmid=37502215 |doi-access=free }}</ref>
=== Contamination === {{See also|Health effects of pesticides}} Depending on the source of the herbal ingredients, herbal teas, like any crop, may be contaminated with pesticides or heavy metals.<ref name=NaithaniKakkar2004 /><ref>{{cite journal | pmid = 16228893 | year = 2005 | last1 = Naithani | first1 = V | last2 = Kakkar | first2 = P | title = Evaluation of heavy metals in Indian herbal teas | volume = 75 | issue = 1 | pages = 197–203 | doi = 10.1007/s00128-005-0738-4 | journal = Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology| bibcode = 2005BuECT..75..197N | s2cid = 41011619 }}</ref> According to Naithani & Kakkar (2004), "all herbal preparations should be checked for toxic chemical residues to allay consumer fears of exposure to known neuro-toxicant pesticides and to aid in promoting global acceptance of these products".<ref name=NaithaniKakkar2004>{{cite journal | pmid = 16268119 | year = 2004 | last1 = Naithani | first1 = V | last2 = Kakkar | first2 = P | title = An evaluation of residual organochlorine pesticides in popular Indian herbal teas | volume = 59 | issue = 8 | pages = 426–30 | doi = 10.3200/AEOH.59.8.426-430 | journal = Archives of Environmental Health | s2cid = 31026817 }}</ref>
== See also == {{Portal|Drink}} * List of hot beverages * Tea culture * Health effects of tea * Tincture, the often more concentrated plant extracts made in pure grain alcohol, glycerin, or vinegar * Yerba mate * Hot chocolate * Coffee substitute * Tea in France *Chinese sweet tea
==References== {{Reflist|30em}}
==External links== *{{commons category-inline|Tisanes|lcfirst=yes}} *{{wikiversity-inline|infusion maker}}
{{Herbal teas}} {{Teas}} {{Authority control}}
Category:Herbal teas