USEFUL ROOIBOS TEA or red tea is harvested during the summer (Southern Hemisphere). It is alkaline.
Most of the tea is picked manually. The tea is then bruised and cut using tobacco cutting machines. At this stage, Rooibos is still green. Fermentation is essential in order to enhance the flavor of the tea. Rooibos is fermented in mounds and then spread out to dry in the sunlight. Fermentation turns the tea red. Rooibos’ nick name “red bush” does not apply to a live plant since it is green until it is fermented. In the final process Rooibos is sterilized by steam, dried in commercial dryers, sifted and packaged. Rooibos tea contains no colors, additives or preservatives, making it a natural beverage. It contains no caffeine. According to studies conducted in South Africa and Japan. Rooibos has been shown to aid in health problems such as insomnia, irritability, headaches, nervous tension, and hypertension. Studies also show that this tea relieves anti- spasmodic agents, which can relieve stomach cramping and colic in infants. In South Africa Rooibos has been used to treat allergies such as hay fever, asthma and eczema very effectively. It is also used to treat irritated skin. Rooibos is brewed and placed directly on infected areas. Rooibos contains anti - oxidants which can help slow the aging process and boost the immune system. Rooibos is a great thirst quencher and is an excellent beverage for active people, including children. This tea contains no oxalic acid, making it a good beverage for people prone to kidney stones. Rooibos contains the minerals, copper, iron and potassium, calcium, fluoride, zinc, manganese, alpha- hydroxy ( for healthy skin ) and magnesium ( for the nervous system ) are also components of this tea. In South Africa pregnant women and nursing mothers drink Rooibos because it contains no caffeine.

South African fruit cooler

1 tsp. of Rooibos tea or one tea bag.
1/2 fresh orange
1 tsp. - tupelo honey- if needed
1 glass filled with ice
Boil water
Pour boiling water over Rooibos tea and steep 2- 5 min
Pour tea into a glass filled with ice,
squeeze 1/2 orange and stir.

USEFUL VERONICA TEA (an alternative for black tea used in war time when black was scarce). This herb is useful for cystic kidneys and cystic livers.
USEFUL SAFFRON TEA order is really great for helping relieve symptoms from cystic livers. When I first tried it, I found it bitter. Now my system relaxes with each sip. This keeps blood vessels patent; lays down new vessels, lowers blood pressure, relieves pains from cystic organs, and really helps cystic livers - of great benefit. To download a medical research article about the positive effects of saffron, click here. This article done with animal studies and saffron extract . . Suggests that . . ."The results obtained in the present investigation suggest that the saffron extract and its active constituent, crocin, have an overall protective effect against kidney ischemia/reperfusion injury in a rat model."
SAFFRON TEA 1/4 teaspoon of saffron 1 cup of water simmer until it is reduced to a half a cup. Strain and sip. Here is a link to a few more saffron recipes.

USEFUL THYME TEA is a very nice tea, especially lemon thyme. I enjoy a small cup following a meal. It was offered on the menu in Paris at Robuchon's bistro.

USEFUL CHAMOMILE Chamomile tea is a pleasant tea when flavored with a touch of tupelo honey. It is very relaxing at the end of the day and is said to decrease inflammation surrounding kidneys. This is a perfect tea for cystic organs. My favorite tea at the moment is Chamomile Citrus by Mighty Leaf.

USEFUL LINDEN FLOWER Linden (tilleul). Linden flower is said to promote perspiration and for this reason it is said to have diaphoretic effect, helping the body to strengthen the immune system. I have not found it to be dehydrating but rather an overall warming effecting and soothing effect. Linden?s reputed antispasmodic action, particularly in the intestines, has been confirmed in at least one human trial. This tea is considered safe for children and there are no known reasons to avoid it during pregnancy or while breast-feeding. Even the bark of the Linden tree is useful; homeopathic medicine uses it to treat kidney and gout stones. Uric acid forms painful gout crystals deposited in the joints, is elevated in PKD polycystic kidney disease. I do not know if it is elevated in polycystic liver disease alone. I suspect that linden flower tea is high in potassium. Linden tree bark charcoal is an excellent absorbent, which is particularly useful in absorbing toxins. It also calms a stressed digestive system allowing digestive enzymes to be produced and released. Indigestion and nervous vomiting are also treated with this ingredient. Acid reflux is common with PLD polycystic liver disease. Linden (tilleul). Linden flower is said to promote perspiration and for this reason it is said to have diaphoretic effect, helping the body to strengthen the immune system. I have not found it to be dehydrating but rather an overall warming effecting and soothing effect. Linden?s reputed antispasmodic action, particularly in the intestines, has been confirmed in at least one human trial. This tea is considered safe for children and there are no known reasons to avoid it during pregnancy or while breast-feeding.
USEFUL LEMON JUICE squeezed in a cup of warm or hot water.
USEFUL ROSE HIPS AND HIBISCUS TEA This is dedicated to Brian who asked the question about rose hips and hibiscus tea. Avoid Celestial Seasonings Red Zinger and other rose hips hibiscus. Their mixture contains licorice, hawthorne berries and more that raise blood pressure. Try to find a pure rose hips hibiscus tea.
USEFUL Rose hips contains vitamin A, D, E and is particularly high in C (more than oranges), essential fatty acids, antioxidant flavonoids, iron, anti-inflammatory, prevent urinary tract infections, and soothing to drink. To read about rose hips click here. During World War II when imports of citrus products to Great Britain were limited, tons of rose hips were harvested there from the wild to make rose hip syrup as a vitamin C. In AD 77 the Roman writer Pliny recorded 32 disorders that responded to treatment with rose preparations. Medieval herbals contained many entries that tell of the restorative properties of rose preparations. The anti-inflammatory properties of rose hips have recently been shown to be useful in the treatment of patients suffering from knee or hip osteoarthritis. Scientists in Denmark reported that patients who daily consumed standardized rose hip powder (made from dog rose) experienced significantly less joint stiffness and pain, and an improved general well-being and mood after 3 to 4 months of treatment. Rose hips also contain carotenoid pigments, plant sterols, tocotrienols and a very high level of anthocyanins, catechins and other polyphenolics, known phytochemicals to protect against cancer and cardiovascular disease (CVD). They also contain up to 5 % by weight of pectin, a soluble fiber that protects against CVD. In clinical trials, rose hips were seen to reduce C-reactive protein levels, associated with a lower risk of CVD.
Here is a recipe to help with bladder infections

4 bags of rose hips hibiscus tea bags
4 cups of hot water - add tea bags to hot water and allow to steep for ten minutes. Then add the following ingredients:
4 cups of cranberry juice
slice of lemon
tupelo honey for added sweetness if desired
USEFUL Hibiscus is used as an offering to goddess Kali and Lord Ganesha in Hindu worship. Dried hibiscus is edible, and is often a delicacy. Hibiscus has antihypertensive properties and was recently tested in a double blind trial with lisinopril. I was amazed that researchers did a double blind study with hibiscus and ace inhibitors and found hibiscus to be beneficial in that hibiscus did not raise potassium levels while continueing to block the angiotensin receptor site, a contributor to high blood pressure especially in PKD'rs.

Alternative Medicine Review June, 2007
Clinical effects produced by a standardized herbal medicinal product of Hibiscus sabdariffa on patients with hypertension. A randomized, double blind, lisinopril-controlled clinical trial

A. Herrera-Arellano
USEFUL Hibiscus sabdariffa L. (Malvaceae) has been used in different countries as an antihypertensive medication. Pharmacological work has demonstrated that this effect is probably produced by an inhibition of the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE). Two clinical trials have confirmed the antihypertensive effect using watery infusions, in which a natriuretic effect was also detected. To compare therapeutic effectiveness, tolerability, and safety, as well as the effect on serum electrolytes and the ACE inhibitory effect of a herbal medicinal product prepared from the dried extract of H. sabdariffa calyxes (HsHMP) with those of lisinopril on patients with hypertension (HT), a randomized, controlled, and double-blind clinical trial was conducted. Patients of either sex, 25-61 years of age, with hypertension stage I or II, were daily treated for 4 weeks with the HsHME 250 mg of total anthocyanins per dose (experimental group), or 10 mg of lisinopril (control group). Outcome variables included effectiveness (diastolic blood pressure [DBP] reduction, >or = 10 mmHg), safety (absence of pathological modifications in the biochemical tests of hepatic and renal function), tolerability (absence of intense side effects), effect on serum electrolytes, and effect on ACE activity. Basal analysis included 193 subjects (100 in the experimental group), while outcome variable analysis integrated 171. Results showed that the experimental treatment decreased blood pressure (BP) from 146.48/97.77 to 129.89/85.96 mmHg, reaching an absolute reduction of 17.14/11.97 mmHg (11.58/12.21%, p < 0.05). The experimental treatment showed therapeutic effectiveness of 65.12% as well as tolerability and safety of 100%. BP reductions and therapeutic effectiveness were lower than those obtained with lisinopril (p < 0.05). Under the experimental treatment, the serum chlorine level increased from 91.71 to 95.13 mmol/L (p = 0.0001), the sodium level showed a tendency to decrease (from 139.09 to 137.35, p = 0.07), while potassium level was not modified. ACE plasmatic activity was inhibited by HsHMP from 44.049 to 30.1 Units (Us; p = 0.0001). In conclusion, the HsHMP exerted important antihypertensive effectiveness with a wide margin of tolerability and safety, while it also significantly reduced plasma ACE activity and demonstrated a tendency to reduce serum sodium (Na) concentrations without modifying potassium (K) levels. Further studies are necessary for evaluating the dose-dependency of HsHMP and for detecting lower effective doses.
Planta Med 2007;73:6-12.

USEFUL lemongrass, lemon thyme, and lemon verbena. Lemongrass grows in warmer climates. Chamomile grows like a weed as a ground cover. Lemon verbena is useful for bouts of herpes zoster when made into a cream called Melissa cream. This grew in the blueridge mountains of Virginia. When fall is over, hang it upside down in the garage and allow it dry. Then crumble the dried leaves, pour hot water over it; allow it to steep in a crock pot for a refreshing tea. A crock pot will keep these tea infusions a long time while allowing them to steep at incredibly low temperatures which maximizes their potency.

MINT TEA Mint tea, peppermint, spearmint are lovely teas to drink that are very refreshing. In the South of the USA, Southerners drink mint juleps. CAUTION However if one has reflux the mint family of teas increases acid reflux, commonly associated with enlarged cystic organs.

TEAS TO AVOID

AVOID Chaparral tea. This tea causes kidney decline and kidney damage.

CELESTIAL SEASONINGS AVOID many of the Celestial seasonings teas as they are a bit tricky. Most Celestial seasonings are harmful to cystic organs in some ways. Pure chamomile is fine. Rose hips and hibiscus teas are also fine provided they are not flavored with licorice. Check ingredients carefully, most contain licorice, hawthorne berries and other herbs that raise blood pressure.
ORANGE ZINGER AVOID
 Ingredients: Hibiscus, rose hips, blackberry leaves, hawthorn berries, orange peel, natural tangerine flavor with other natural flavors, and ascorbic acid (vitamin C). 
The ingredients of orange zinger and lemon zinger include hawthorn berries. This makes my normally low blood pressure spike to 140/90. RED ZINGER AVOID 
Ingredients: Hibiscus, rose hips, lemongrass, licorice root, natural flavors, and citric acid. 
 Licorice root another herb that raises blood pressure.
BENGAL SPICE AVOID Ingredients: Cinnamon, roasted chicory root, roasted carob, natural spice and vanilla flavors with other natural flavors, dates, ginger root, cardamom, black pepper, cloves, and nutmeg Cinnamon lowers cholesterol but in some sensitive individuals with reflux from enlarged cystic organs this causes an increase in symptoms especially if drunk late at night. Ginger raises blood pressure, however galangui or Thai ginger seems fine.
ROASTAROMA SPICE CAUTION is one I particularly enjoy. It too contains cinnamon, allspice and star anise all possible irritants to acid reflux. 
 Ingredients: Roasted barley, roasted barley malt, roasted chicory root, roasted carob, cinnamon, allspice, and star anise.
TRUE BLUEBERRY HERB TEA 
Ingredients: Hibiscus, rose hips, orange peel, natural blueberry flavor with other natural flavors, blackberry leaves, blueberries and blueberry leaves True blueberry seems fine without any herbs that might cause symptoms.
ENGLISH TOFFEE DESSERT TEA CAUTION UNK 
Ingredients: Roasted carob, roasted barley, roasted chicory, natural English toffee flavor with other natural flavors, cinnamon, luo han guo, and milk thistle. 
 This contains luo han guo, a tropical fruit. I am not sure but is this longan? If it is longan then this tea by Celestial seasonings is also fine. I looked at its picture on the web and it resembles longan, but I am not sure. It also contains gluten for those on gluten free diets. Milk thistle is a known liver herb useful for liver cysts. Luo han guo -
Maximum safe dosages for young children, pregnant or nursing women, or those with severe liver or kidney disease have not been established. OPCs (oligomeric proanthocyanidins) may have some anticoagulant properties when taken in high doses, and should be used only under medical supervision by individuals on blood-thinner drugs. When taking Coumadin (warfarin), heparin, Trental (pentoxifylline), or aspirin, high doses of OPCs might cause a risk of excessive bleeding. AVOID if taking anti-coagulants. 
CAFFEINE FREE HERB TEA AVOID contains licorice and hawthorn, two herbs that cause spikes in blood pressure.
HONEY VANILLA CHAMOMILE AVOID contains licorice.
MORE TEAS TO AVOID CAF-lib EARL GREY HERBAL TEA ingredients blackberry, roasted chicory root, natural flavors, hawthorn berries, hibiscus. AVOID hawthorn spikes blood pressure. AVOID if pregnant. Blackberry leaves in the first trimester may cause miscarriage.
ORIGINAL CAF-lib HERBAL TEA TEA ingredients blackberry, roasted chicory root, natural flavors, hawthorn berries, hibiscus. AVOID hawthorn spikes blood pressure. AVOID if pregnant. Blackberry leaves in the first trimester may cause miscarriage.

Last updated Wed April 16, 2008 3:45 PM

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