Tea may help a variety of ailments

January is officially recognized as National Hot Tea Month, something many Maritimers can get behind.

While many people drink tea to warm up on a cold day, there are also health benefits to hot beverage.

Tea has always been a big part of Mie Mie Sein’s life.

Originally from Thailand, she started drinking the beverage regularly as a young child, a habit she has carried into adulthood.

“When I came to Canada I tried to find the tea that I wanted to drink,” says Sein.

When she couldn’t find what she was looking for, she opened her own tea house in Halifax, where hundreds of varieties of tea line the walls.

Sein is a botanist and a member of the American Herbalists Guild.

Her background has made her particularly interested in the health benefits of herbal tea.

“Dandelion for example, people think it’s, you know, in the grass and useless, but it’s very high in minerals and vitamins,” says Sein.

Different herbs can help with specific ailments.

Peppermint tea is commonly used to ease digestive troubles and licorice has been touted for its liver cleansing properties.

Sein uses her knowledge to mix custom teas to ensure her patrons get the most out of their cup.

“Detox tea is blended with dandelion, nettle, spearmint, peppermint, and then chamomile,” says Sein. “Chamomile, passion flower, valerian, and catnip, all together, will make you more relaxed and then it helps you sleep.”

Registered dietitian Nicole Marchand says herbal tea is a good choice in the evening because it is naturally caffeine free.

When it comes to non-herbal varieties, green, black, and white tea will provide the most health benefits.

“Black tea, green tea, white tea, are all full of antioxidants such as polyphenols, flavonols, catechins,” says Marchand.

Antioxidants have been shown to help reduce the risk of cancer and heart disease.

When it comes to the health benefits of tea, Marchand says a lot of information is based on history, but science is starting to catch up.

“We’ve only been studying tea for a few decades and a lot of the scientific evidence is starting to support the historical evidence, but it’s slow and over time, I definitely think we’ll get there,” says Marchand.