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Ever wonder if you can dry your tea leaves after you steep them for later use. Find the answer here.

What teas help with the side effects of chemo therapy?

Because treatments and side effects differ, we recommend consulting your physician before using any of these teas if you are on ANY medication.

Ginger

We have been singing the praises of ginger and they make their appearance in many teas. They have been used in Asian and Indian cuisine for thousands of years, but also offer medicinal properties according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. Ginger has also been used to treat digestive problems, nausea and diarrhea – which can help with symptoms of nausea associated with chemotherapy treatments. Overall, ginger was the top single herb we found in our research..

Recommended Teas:

Lemon Ginger Cooler – A Pu-erh White Tea blend loaded with ginger and lemon pieces.
Ayurvedic Stimulating - A blend of herbs, with ginger as the primary ingredient.

 Peppermint

Peppermint is well known in treating indigestion and gastrointentinal disorders like irritable bowel syndrome. Peppermint tea can be used to prevent nausea, vomiting and anxiety which are common side effects of chemotherapy treatment.

Recommended Teas:

Peppermint
Morrocan Mint

Licorice

Licorice has been a medicinal herb for more than 5,500 years, according to Castleman. It appeared in the "Pen Tsao Ching," a Chinese herbal manual written in about 3,500 B.C., as a remedy for malaria, respiratory distress, liver problems and cancer. Today, this herb may enhance the function of your immune system. There has been some study in using the compounds in Licorice to shrink tumor growth.  Consult your physician if you plan to use licorice as an herbal remedy to enhance the effects of chemotherapy drugs. It may cause muscle weakness, and inhibit your body's production of anti-stress hormones.

Recommended teas:

Ayurvedic Anti-Strain
Ayurvedic Calming

Milk Thistle

The liver breaks down toxins and ultimately chemotherapy drugs. Milk thistle has been explored as a liver stimulant and may help reduce inflammation of the liver caused by repeated chemo treatments. Milk Thistle is a component of our Detox tea. Milk Thistle should not be taken with certain cancers like uterine or prostate, so we reiterate speaking with your doctor.

Recommended Tea:

Detox

Valerian Root

Insomnia is often a side effect of chemotherapy. Valerian root is one of the main ingredients in our Relax blend, along with other herbs that support a relaxed state. Herbal practioners claim that valerience root can lesson tension, anxiety and promote sleep.

Recommended tea:

Relax (Chill out) – Coming Soon

  References

• American Cancer Society: Chemo -- What It Is, How It Helps
• Cancer.Org guide to alternative medicine
• "The Healing Herbs"; Michael Castleman; 1991
• University of Maryland Medical Center: Ginger
• AltMD.com: Integrative Medicine for Chemotherapy Side Effects
• University of Maryland Medical Center: Milk Thistle
• National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine: Ginger
• University of Maryland Medical Center: Peppermint

A reader asks about Pu-Erh and Penicillin

Dr. Oz discusses Detoxing with Dandelion

Some insight on several re-steeping methods.