Herbs for Medicine and New “Chartreuse” Tea Blends

Photo: Flickr, Thorsten (TK)

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It wasn’t until meeting Rakan, marketing distributor of Chartreuse tea, an herbal tea company that specializes in combining USA grown herbs into healing, medicinally effective concoctions, that I came to discover the true historical relevance of plant leaves, seeds, flowers and extracts.

Ancient Egyptians used herbs ritually for cosmetics and beauty, cleansing, cooking, medicine and mummification. It is said that chamomile and thyme made the dead, decaying body smell better while frankincense may have actually effectively preserved the tissues. Among the most popular herbs: caraway, fennel marjoram, licorice, anise, juniper, cumin, pomegranate botanicals and chamomile. The mummification of important Tibetan Lamas also made use of herbs, saffron and borneal. Japanese priests associated with the Shingon Tantric Buddhist sect traditionally self-mummified; this is accomplished by consuming pine resin for three years and nothing else, then the body is dried out with candles, starved, and entombed.

Founded by two “tea ladies,” Linda and Carla, Chartreuse Tea company is unique because it uses 100% organic herbs, unmodified and uncontaminated by sewage or toxic fertilizers and 75% of their product is grown in the United States.

“Meadowsweet and willow bark herbs are the basis for Aspirin,” notes Linda, the founder and expert on the effects of particular herbs. “Herbs have many nutritional benefits like B vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, disease fighting that have been overlooked.” Peppermint clears the lungs the liver, fennel, cumin, ginger aid digestion, energize, relax, warm the nerves and all spectacularly enhance our food at mealtimes. “Mountain Green” herbal tea blend, which consists of Organic green rooibos, orange peel and lemon myrtle, has 50 times more antioxidants than green tea and remains the company’s top seller.

Herbs are still used as medicine by 80% of the world.

Ayervedic Medicine derived from the Indian subcontinent, also utilizes herbs in remarkable, pathologically esoteric ways. Among the most popular to this branch of medicine are Indian natives boswellia, turmeric, gotu kola and myrrh. Traditional Chinese Medicine also implements herbal practices known to the civilization for over 5,000 years; it does so to ensure harmony among the Four Natures (Yin/Yang and cool to hot), the Five Tastes (pungent, salty, sweet, bitter and sour) and the twelve Meridians, (each of which correspond to one of the twelve organs in the body). Some of the most common are herbs like Echinacea, gingko biloba, reishi, dong quai, and garlic. Today, Double-blind, placebo-controlled trials ensure the scientific accuracy of how traditional Chinese practices inspired medicinal sects such as Acupuncture and TCM. This leads to the prescription, combination, and marketing of their ancient herbal remedies.

Most locally, however, is the Chartreuse tea, which is available at Amazon, Whole Foods, Plum Markets and Trader Joes. This eco friendly tea can provide the healing benefits of medicinal herbs. With rich, heavy Wintery blends, like “Moroccan Spice” or “Desert Omani” and “Peaceful Bliss,” you can cure your cold with “The Red C” and still embark on an herbal, joyful experience of renewed inner sensation and health.