Tea is at least as old as the Cup itself – and still popular. But what exactly is it about the drink in between Lifestyle and Wellness, Drug and food to themselves?
“Something Warm to drink seems to be a basic human need, especially when he feels a hit,” explains Ursula seller mountain of the Federal chamber of pharmacists.
“The Ritual of the Teezubereitens and drinking is relaxing and can make you after a stressful day go down. The strengthening of quasi-indirectly, the immune system,” says Prof. Robert Prince, Director of the Institute for Pharmaceutical biology of the University of Frankfurt am Main.
Tea food or medicine?
Legally speaking, there are two different types of tea: tea as a food, for example, rose hips, herbal or black tea, and herbal tea.
“Food teas you find in the supermarket. These teas are allowed to like all foods – do no harm, but no one should expect you to have a pharmaceutical effect,” explains sellers mountain.
Medicinal teas to buy, especially in the pharmacy. Occasionally, teas, according to the label over-the-counter medicines, and can also be found in the supermarket or in drug stores.
So a mint tea, the food stands in the drugstore, right next to a peppermint tea, which is according to the label a medicine.
“Medicinal products, also medicinal teas, wear on the pack is a registration number assigned by the Federal Institute for drugs and medical products – in short, BfArM,” explains pharmacist seller mountain.
Clear Quality Requirements
The quality of the plants is different. For medicinal teas only made of dried parts of plants may be used, the strict requirements of the Pharmacopoeia to fulfill.
Tested not is made according to the Pharmacopoeia only the content of the content, but also, for example, whether or not impurities are mixed in.
“The quality of a herbal tea are several times higher than Lebensmitteltee,” explains Robert Prince. “Every single Teecharge that a manufacturer brings to the market, will be strictly examined.”
Example chamomile tea: used For medicinal teas, the Pharmacopoeia prescribes the use of the flowers.
“The chamomile tea that you buy in the supermarket, are mostly mixed herb, leaves and stems attached. It tastes like chamomile, and this is enough for a food completely,” says seller mountain.
“A herbal tea with medicinal effect, on the other hand contains only flowers, and therefore also its content of essential Oil and other valuable substances is greater.”
Heat transported ingredients
Who likes to drink a tasty beverage with chamomile flavor, with the tea from the supermarket, so good and cheaper to operate.
Who expects of tea, a supportive effect, for example, in the case of gastro-intestinal complaints, uses perhaps, rather than drugs approved teas from the pharmacy.
Pharmaceutically seen is an aqueous tea is hot extract: water-soluble substances are withdrawn under the influence of hot water from the plant into the water.
“Tea makes for me sense, if you get the ingredients with hot water from the medicinal plants, and these develop in the body have an effect,” says Prince.
Hard proven effectiveness of tea
But how effective is herbal tea actually is? The Problem: Clinical studies with tea are tricky. “Each prepares his tea, depending on the amount of tea, the brewing time and the water temperature is a little different,” says sellers mountain.
For many teas, the plausibility of the principle is, therefore, rather than scientific evidence. “The compositions of medicinal teas are known, can be say that medicinal teas can help with mood disorders,” says Prince.
Herbal tea is a gentle therapy. “The ingredients in the tea to support the self-healing forces of the body, especially in the case of self-limiting diseases, such as, for example, in the case of a cold,” says seller mountain.
“In addition, tea has hardly any side effects. The discomfort will be alleviated, and sound pleasant.”
Deutsche Presse-Agentur (dpa)
*The contribution to “SIP: As healthy tea for your body and mind is released” is from FitForFun. Contact with the executives here.