Communitea. The newest tea in my line of Dreamsweet Organic Medicinal Teas is truly a gift from the faeries that was conceived on the most recent new moon. A most incredible faerie shared the recipe of this tea with me and I haven't been able to stop drinking it.
Communitea is a special blend of five organic herbs that promotes spiritual grounding and communion. It is especially wonderful for gatherings with all your most treasured friends. Or for just drinking every day because you want to and because you can.
Speaking of herbal tea:
Healthy Brews
Recent studies have offered new evidence concerning the positive health benefits of herbal teas. A report presented at the annual conference of the American Heart Association showed a group of pre-hypertensive and mildly hypertensive adults had lower blood pressure as a result of drinking hibiscus tea. Since hypertension, or high blood pressure, is a problem affecting one- third of all U.S. adults, researchers are hopeful that drinking hibiscus tea may help in controlling blood pressure, although they emphasized more research is needed.
The study, funded by organic tea supplier Celestial Seasonings and the Agricultural Research Service (ARS), a scientific research agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), lasted six weeks and involved 65 volunteers, aged 30 to 70 years. The participants maintained their usual diet and activities. About one half of the group was randomly selected to receive three cups of hibiscus tea each day, while the others were given a placebo with artificial hibiscus flavoring and color. Blood pressure was measured regularly and the hibiscus significantly out- performed the placebo in reducing blood pressure over the course of the study.
As in the hibiscus study, scientists in a recent chamomile study are urging more research before final conclusions can be drawn -- but if the results of their work with rats can be repeated in other studies (including some on humans), chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla L.) tea may become valuable as part of a dietary routine to help prevent and manage diabetes.
The Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry reports that "The results [of this new study on rats] clearly suggested that daily consumption of chamomile tea with meals could contribute to the prevention of the progress of hyperglycemia and diabetic complications."
