Been wondering ‘what is Verveine tea?’ Verveine tea, or lemon verbena, is a popular French drink with various medical benefits and a unique history.
I love medicinal drinks; they have always got me through the day. If you are looking for a new delicious and healthy drink, why not try Verveine Tea?
Verveine tea, also known as lemon verbena, is a drink that is popular in France. It has excellent health benefits that make it great for fighting colds and satiating your palette.
Keep reading to learn the health benefits of Verveine Tea and whether this tasty drink is right for you!
Ever wondered about tea terminology? Check out our article on words for tea lovers.
Verveine’s Origins: The Herb of Love
So, what is Verveine tea? We can find out by looking at its origins and uses in different cultures.
People first discovered this flower in the ancient study of medicine. It provided medicinal and healing properties to those who applied it topically or ingested it.
People must have had stronger stomachs back then!
These properties gave it a reputation as a sacred plant. It was used in ceremonial and religious practices and became known as the herb of the cross and the herb of love.
Christians believed this plant was the one that treated Jesus Christ’s wounds when he was on the cross. Romans used the branches of the flower to purify temples, and Aztecs used the plant as a treatment for headaches and insomnia.
You might also be interested in our guide on Magic coffee.
Introduction to Middle Age Medicine and Tea
Fast forward to the middle ages, and people used the vervain flower in magicians’ and witches’ potions.
They made potions for protection and used them as aphrodisiacs because of the flower’s reputation as the herb of love.
People once used the plant as a cure-all to treat a variety of organs, swelling, inflammation, jaundice, and gum infections. However, with the development of modern medicines, people began to forget about the plant.
In the middle of the 17th century, when European explorers discovered it being cultivated in South America, people began looking into Vervain plants again. This discovery led to its production and consumption in Verveine Tea.
5 Health Benefits of Verveine Tea
People have discovered several significant health benefits to Verveine Tea.
#1: Sleep Aid
Since Verveine tea is caffeine-free, people use it as a drink to help them sleep. The tea has a calming effect. It is used to suppress the adverse side effects of anxiety and insomnia that prevent a good night’s sleep.
#2: Colic Infants
Studies have shown that Verveine tea has better effectiveness than a placebo at calming crying and aiding sleep in infants.
However, the causes of infant colic syndromes are often unknown. Causes can stem from a host of problems, including food allergies, stomach tract issues, gas formation, and intestinal cramping. So, while the tea can help ease symptoms, it should not be used as a cure.
#3: Exercise Recovery
A study on Verveine tea showed that people who use the lemon verbena from Verveine tea recover the strength and stamina of their muscles after participating in exhaustive exercise.
This fact makes it a perfect post-workout drink to help your muscles recover quicker and build back stronger for the next bout of physical activity.
#4: Digestion
Verveine tea helps the body with saliva and stomach enzyme production, which allows people to cure instances of upset stomachs and heartburn.
People often use Verveine tea as a digestive stimulant to overcome food sensitives or the consumption of spoiled food. The tea is also used to calm nerves that result in a queasy stomach.
#5: Bring Down Fever
Verveine tea can reduce fever because it contains biologically active ingredients that suppress the body’s ability to produce a fever.
Verveine tea makes an excellent all-natural stop-gap to reducing fever if you want to avoid an over-reliance on prescription medicine.
Best Ways to Drink Verveine Tea
Now that we have answered the question, “what is Verveine tea,” let’s look at the best ways to drink it.
Verveine tea is quite versatile as a drink. It can be prepared hot or cold with various extra ingredients to enhance the flavor.
People sometimes prepare it with natural honey to lightly sweeten it. People also often use sugar, agave nectar, or stevia as sweeteners.
Just a few leaves of Vervain in boiling water is enough to make a tea. If you want a more robust flavor, you can double or triple the number of leaves you use.
If you plan to make an iced Verveine tea, you will want to double or triple the recipe since less of the flavor will be activated in an iced tea.
People can also enjoy the tea using chopped leaves. Using chopped leaves results in the tea releasing more flavor from the leaves, giving you a more robust and bitter taste.
If you enjoyed this article, have a look at the best teas for relaxing.
