Saturday, October 28, 2017

Herbal Teas- The Perfect Bone Strengthener ?



I wanted to add more bone building and strengthening vitamins and minerals to my diet . I was reading some articles that suggested infusing herbal teas is a great way to do it. 
Herbal teas are made from nutritive herbs that have pleasant tastes and are easy to make.

You are probably most familiar with herbs like chamomile, peppermint, and hibiscus which are commonly found in commercially sold tea bags, but herbs like dandelion, nettle and oat straw are less familiar and usually need to be ordered on line or purchased in some health food stores .

These wonderful herbal teas come in bulk and are prepared by making an infusion.
Infusing tea is as simple as boiling water, adding the tea and allowing it to steep for a specified amount of time. Generally an hour or longer.




It seems that the vitamins and the minerals that are stored in the roots and leaves of the herb have traditionally been used for centuries by herbalists who suggest remedies to their clients for the medicinal and nutritive benefits.

This formula is known as a bone building formula  because herbs like nettle and dandelion, oatstraw, and horsetail are rich in calcium, magnesium, and other nutrients needed for bone building or mending. Also for hair, teeth, nails.




Bone building Herbal Teas

These are the main nutrients found in each herb, but they also contain other nutrients in lesser amounts plus trace nutrients
***Oatstraw- rich in calcium and magnesium ( oatstraw is not gluten free unless labeled certified gluten free)
Nettle leaf- Vit C and D , Calcium Magnesium and zinc
Dandelion leaf- rich in Vit A , C, and D and iron, zinc, and magnesium
Horsetail- contains silicon which is necessary for good bone density
Stevia leaf tea- a natural herb that adds a sweet taste without affecting blood sugar levels and also contains vitamins and minerals. This is not the powder- this is the actual leaf cut up.

The herbs are often sold in bulk and are dried and cut so they are ready to use for tea. I like making tea because I find it easily digestible making it perfect for me with celiac. ( however, I would never try something new without checking with your medical doctor first especially if you are taking medications)

Recipe for Bone Building Tea Infusion

I like to make my tea infusions in a mason jar. Caution: I Make sure to rinse the jar with warm water first ( so I don't add boiling water to a cold jar) and place a metal spoon to help distribute heat in the jar before adding the boiling water. I cover loosely, but never seal the with its lid ( I use a different cover)


1. Mix together 1 tablepsoon of each herb (  nettle, dandelion, and horsetail ) and add to mason jar.
2. cover with 8 cups  of boiling water ( I let the boiling water cool for a few minutes)
3. Cover and steep for 4 hours or overnight is best.
4. Strain and Drink 3-4 cups daily ( refrigerate to store for up to 3 days)

If you prefer using tea bags: I would only use only when traveling-bc there are only small amounts in each bagNettle leaf tea bag

***Please note that Nettle leaf and Stinging Nettle leaf are the same product ( they use the name interchangeably)

I read more ideas on how to use tea for bone building on Susan Weed  who is an herbalist who teaches about using tea for nutrition. I recently listened to a lecture and she said it is best to steep your tea separately like a container of nettle and a container of horsetail. She also recommends red clover tea .

Read the reviews on Amazon of the benefits people share 
If you read the reviews on Amazon by individuals using these products, they will help you understand how beneficial nutritive herbal teas are. In addition to helping build and mend bone growth, the nutrients in these teas ( and other teas) people are using them for  allergies, edema, hair, nails, joint pain, muscle pain and more -

I am not an expert- I am just starting to use nutritive herbal teas- so I will keep you posted on the results and benefits. I'm looking to strengthen my nails, bring more vitality to my hair, and strengthen my bones - I will let you know as soon as I see ( or don't see) results.

Nettle leaf Tea:

Dandelion Leaf Tea:

Horsetail :

*** my good friend Laura and Co- Author of Food No Matter What is an expert on making herbal tea infusions. She suggested to me that I grind ( not to a powder) the loose tea in a coffee grinder before infusing. ( I believe it is to make the tea stretch further) Laura correct me if I am wrong! - gotta give Laura a plug for her newest book which is an actually an exciting time travel book

Frontier Natural Products Organic Horsetail Herb (Shavegrass) Cut and Sifted -- 16 oz

Frontier Stinging Nettle Leaf - Cut & Sifted - Organic - 16 Ounces

Dandelion Leaf Cut & Sifted Organic - 1 lb,(Frontier)

Disclaimer: I am not a doctor and I am not trying to diagnose or treat disease. The information in this post and on my blog are strictly for educational purposes. I am sharing what I am doing. Always consult your doctor before taking herbs or making any changes in your diet especially if you are taking medication. Herbs can interfere with medicine- so check with your doctor before trying any herbal tea.


I'm sharing this post on Weekend Cooking at  Beth Fish Reads where anyone can share a food related post!


I am an affiliate for Amazon and like most bloggers will receive a very small compensation from Amazon if you click on a link from my blog and make a purchase. It helps me defray the cost of running a blog. ( this does not affect your cost in any way) I appreciate your support- thanks


Food No Matter What! Stories & Recipes for Perfect Dining in an Imperfect World

The Summerman Time Travel Matchmaking Agency - Book One: Open for Business

37 comments:

  1. I know herbs have amazing healing properties but I never knew some could strengthen bones. Thanks for the info!

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    1. It was new to me too and since I tend to be on the Vegan side, I need more calcium, iron, etc.

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  2. I typically drink Earl Grey or Lady Earl Grey tea. I am intrigued by this.

    Your comment re making my own bread, my husband is gluten free and loves bread that is why I am attempting to bake it. If it was me I'd skip it too.

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    1. Earl Grey is my favorite. I am not familiar with Lady Earl Grey- I 'll check it out.

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  3. Your description is interesting, although the evidence you cite is all anecdotal. I wondered if you had come across any studies that actually tested whether these infusions help with bone strength, and whether there is enough calcium extracted from the plant material in the infusion process? There are so many issues with the body's ability to receive calcium from various sources.

    best... mae at maefood.blogspot.com

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    1. I did read studies about the contents but not the absorption . I'll have to look into it.. thanks Mae

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  4. Good information. I need to make some of that tea with the bone strengthening herbs!

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    1. I've heard from many that it helps, but I don't know first hand yet-

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  5. Very interesting! I'm always on the lookout for bone building nutrients. Looking forward to hearing about your results and/or benefits.

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    1. Thanks Jama.. I hope it will at least be noticeable in my nails and hair

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  6. Judee--Note that the oatstraw that you linked to contains gluten (per info in the Q & A on Amazon). I really like the idea of getting bone-bulding nutrients through tea but, admittedly, I've been using the Perque BoneGuard supplement since my diagnosis (per my doctor's recommendation) and it was instrumental in helping me go from osteopenia to "normal" and still helps me maintain "normal" bones.

    Shirley

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  7. Thank you Shirley for pointing that out. Much appreciated and fixed.

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    1. Thanks for the fix, Judee. So many don't know about the gluten contamination with oat products and wouldn't think to check the gf status. I so appreciate you making that clear. Happy and healthy tea drinking!

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  8. Judee, my mother had a great interest in herbs and nutrition dating back to the 1940s when she was just a girl, so I grew up with that. I don't drink any of the herbal blends that people drink as "tea" (I drink black tea for pleasure), but we use infusions of herbs medicinally. Though I haven't tried this particular combination, in general we use a lot more of the herbs. If we followed our usual formula, we would use a tablespoon of each of the three herbs for 8 cups of water. But I'm going to try your teaspoon of each next time - it would certainly be more economical!

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    1. I think I am going to try it your way. I have read to put a Tablespoon of each in like 8 -10 cups of water but I also heard to put less. Since I am trying to accomplish a goal-- maybe I'll go stronger. Thanks for the tips!

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  9. Do you heat it up one cup at a time to drink it throughout the day? I've just started trying to add more calcium to my diet, and I do like herbal tea in the fall and winter.

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    1. I drink mine at room temperature but I'm sure you could heat it up when you want a cup.

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  10. This is such an informative post, I learned a lot from it.

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  11. great info here Judee. I have only ever tried just plain tea before. I am thinking of trying some herbal tea now :) Thanks for sharing at Creative Mondays.

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  12. Interesting post Judee. I have a few books on herbal infusions but need to be better about using them. ;-)

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    1. Deb,
      I am really getting into them because they make sense and I'm getting older and need a strong source of nutrients. Not sure taking pills is digested as well

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  13. Hi, as a tea blogger i found this post very interesting especially as I need to make sure I get my calcium intake. Thank yo for sharing #MMBC

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    1. Thank you for stopping by and commenting. I'll be sure to check out your tea blog too. From what I've read Nettle is a great source of calcium.

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  14. I will definitely be checking this out. I much prefer strenghtening my bones this way than by medicine.

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  15. I would love to see what you think of the tea after you have used it for awhile. Please keep us posted.

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    1. Debra,
      I agree and please reread my post and check out the information that I found from Susan Weed. Worth a look to benefit from her knowledge, teachings, and experience with herbs. She has written books

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  16. Cathy,
    Since I wrote the article , I have been doing more research and have come across Susan Weed's blog that is very informative ( I added her link into the post) . She teaches classes and has lots of experience with how the herbs work. I will keep you posted with a follow up review in 3 months!

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  17. Hi Judee, I've heard alot about the benefits of drinking herbal teas. The Greeks make herbal tea infusions for the benefits. I have to be honest and say I don't fancy nettle tea and dandelion tea, but I would never say never! Especially if it did me good.

    Thank you for linking up with the #MMBC.

    xx

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  18. I kind of don't mind the taste of herbal or dandelion tea, but you could sweeten it with a little honey or stevia . It might help

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  19. Hi Judee,
    This is a great informative post, I really enjoyed this post! Thanks so much for sharing your special post with us at Full Plate Thursday. Have a great weekend and come back to see us real soon!
    Miz Helen

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    1. Miz Helen,
      I'm so glad that you enjoyed the topic. I think it could be helpful to many women.

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  20. This is something I never would have thought of...can't wait to try it! Thanks for sharing on Friday Frenzy!

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  21. Colleen,
    I too am new to using herbal infusions but I have been using them for about 2 weeks and Nettle seems to be the most energizing for me..

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  22. I enjoy herbal teas. Glad to know that they are good for your bones! :) Thanks for sharing with SYC.
    hugs,
    Jann

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  23. Congratulations!
    Your post is featured on Full Plate Thursday this week. Your post will be pinned to our Features Board and hope you enjoy your new Red Plate. Thanks so much for sharing with us and come back to see us soon!
    Miz Helen

    ReplyDelete

Your comments are appreciated. I love knowing who is stopping by to read my posts! Have a great day.

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