Experts, drawing attention to the importance of paying attention to the shelf life of medicinal plants to benefit from their healing properties, state that this applies to all plants, otherwise there could be significant losses in their beneficial active ingredients. Experts state that the beneficial active ingredients in plants, especially linden, from the previous year can significantly decrease, and emphasize that care should be taken to consume newly harvested plants. Dr. Tuğba Kaman, emphasizing that there are many blends offered as winter tea in the market but the plants inside may differ from what is stated on the label, warns that some plants can alter the effects of medications and invites people to be careful when consuming herbal teas.
What to pay attention to when buying and storing herbal teas?
Dr. Lecturer Tuğba Kaman, Head of the Medicinal and Aromatic Plants Program at Üsküdar Üniversitesi Vocational School of Health Services (SHMYO), made evaluations regarding what should be paid attention to in the consumption and storage of winter teas, which are frequently consumed during the current winter months.
Many plants strengthen immunity
Dr. Tuğba Kaman noted that supporting the immune system is the first measure that comes to mind to protect against conditions such as colds and flu. She stated, “Many plants that strengthen immunity, help treat colds, detoxify the body, facilitate digestion, and are relaxing or soothing are available in nature for winter illnesses.” Dr. Tuğba Kaman said that many plants such as echinacea, mallow, licorice, chamomile, linden, and sage can be utilized.
Attention should be paid to shelf life
Dr. Kaman stated that attention should be paid to the shelf life of medicinal plants to benefit from their healing properties. She warned, “This applies to all plants. Otherwise, there could be significant losses in their beneficial active ingredients (phytochemicals). Since the beneficial active ingredients in linden from the previous year will decrease significantly, when procuring it, we should ensure it is newly harvested, i.e., from that year. Also, since humidity, light, and heat cause our plants to spoil, plants should be stored in a cool, dry, and dark place in a tightly sealed container.”
Plants sold openly should not be purchased!
Dr. Tuğba Kaman emphasized that one of the most important issues to pay attention to is obtaining plants from reliable sources. She said, “There are many blended teas offered as winter tea in the market, but the plants they contain may differ from those stated on their labels. For example, the plant referred to as chamomile is usually not medicinal chamomile. Due to species confusion, some can cause poisoning. We should not buy plants sold openly, whose harvesting, drying, and storage methods we do not know. For blended teas, the proportion of each plant is often not specified. We also should not buy blended teas if we do not know what plants are used in their content and in what proportions they are prepared.”
Those with chronic illnesses must consult their doctors
Dr. Tuğba Kaman also touched upon the points to consider when consuming winter teas. She warned, “Although many benefits of medicinal plants are known, we must be aware of risks such as herb-drug interactions, contraindications, and toxicity that may arise from their active ingredients. Especially those with chronic illnesses and those on regular medication should pay particular attention to this and should not use them without consulting a doctor.”
Can alter the effects of medications…
Dr. Tuğba Kaman noted that echinacea, a powerful antiviral plant, can cause allergic reactions in some people. She added, “Also, people with autoimmune diseases and liver disorders should avoid using it. Ginger can prolong bleeding time, so caution should be exercised when used with aspirin and blood thinners (such as warfarin). Sage, when consumed with certain medications, can alter their effects. It is considered harmful for pregnant women, nursing mothers, and young children to consume. Also, individuals with hypertension and palpitation complaints should use it cautiously.”
Hypertension patients, beware!
Dr. Tuğba Kaman emphasized that thyme is also one of the plants that should be used with caution because it can alter the effectiveness of medications used by hypertension patients. She warned, “A risk of dehydration has been reported when linden is used with diuretic medications. Licorice root can interact with medications that regulate blood pressure. Its use should not exceed 4-5 weeks. Additionally, as a side effect, it can lead to arrhythmia, hypertension, headache, sodium retention, edema, and when taken with diuretics, hypokalemia, meaning a serious deficiency in blood potassium levels.”
When preparing herbal teas, the water temperature should be 80 degrees Celsius
Dr. Lecturer Tuğba Kaman, Head of the Medicinal and Aromatic Plants Program, concluded her remarks by also mentioning some mistakes made while preparing herbal teas:
“Herbal teas are the most common and easiest way to benefit from plants. Not just for winter tea, but generally, if we want to get the maximum benefit from herbal teas, we should pay attention to preparing them with the appropriate method. For delicate parts of plants like flowers and leaves, the infusion method is suitable. In this method, the water temperature should be around 80 °C, and it should be steeped for 5-10 minutes, then strained and consumed.
For hard tissues like roots, barks, and rhizomes, preparation by boiling (decoction) is the most suitable method. In this method, cold water is poured over the plant parts (drug), boiled for 15-20 minutes over low heat, then strained and consumed.
For mucilaginous plants (such as marshmallow root, mallow, flaxseed), the cold water soaking method, i.e., maceration, is suitable. In this method, we should prefer distilled water (purified water) or boiled, cooled water. Unless specific information is shared, it should be prepared with 2-3 grams of plant per 100 ml of water.
To prevent the loss of aromatic active ingredients in plants, the lid of the teapot or cup used for steeping should be closed. And we should always ensure it is freshly prepared and consumed.”