Herbal Tea Hundreds of different herbs have been used in beverages. These are called herbal teas. Tea professionals and connoisseurs usually prefer to restrict the name "tea" to real tea - the leaves from a Camellia Sinensis plant. In the tea industry, herbal tea is often called:

A) Herbal infusion which simply means a drink made by steeping an herb in hot water.
B) Tisane (pronounced "tee-zahn") which in French means any herbal drink.

Some common herbs that are used as tisanes are peppermint, chamomile, rose hips, lemon verbena, and fennel. A number of companies specialize in producing herbal blends. Many tea companies also sell tisanes. Some exaggerated claims have been made for the medicinal properties of herbal infusions. Even so, some herbs do have generally recognized benefits. For instance, rose hips contain vitamin C; chamomile helps with relaxation; and peppermint has a noticeable soothing effect on the stomach. Herbs can also cause problems. Chamomile, for example, can cause allergic reactions in people who are allergic to ragweed. There are no absolutes in tea. Of the hundreds of millions of people around the world who savor tea on a daily basis, each interprets it slightly differently. Some love the flavor, some the ceremony, some the meditative state of mind it fosters.