Single component herbal teas

Single-component herbal teas are in fact herbs most frequently combined in mixtures or used alone. This group of teas is divided into several subgroups, depending on which part, i.e. organ of the plant it is prepared: flowers (flores); leaves (folia); above-ground parts, herbs (herbae); fruits and seeds (fructus et semina); crust (cortices); stems, rhizomes (radices, rhizomata) and other (diversa).

Medicinal substances found in herbs are extracted in a particular way of treating, brewing or steeping. Hard and rough parts of plants, such as: stem, crust, fruit or seed containing thermostable active substances, are prepared by brewing in certain amount of water (decocting). Duration of brewing varies for each herb and depends on active components of the plant. One spoonful of the plant with 250 ml of water is the most frequent dosage. After brewing the tea is filtered.

Other parts of plants categorized as tender structure organs, containing essential oils or other thermolabile materials, are prepared by steeping in brewed water (infuse). They should steep for a while in covered dish and filtered afterwards. One spoonful for adults (one teaspoon for children) is steeped in 200-250 ml hot water. Certain herbs such as linseed are prepared by steeping into cold or lukewarm water. They steep for an hour, occasionally stirred. These herbs contain slimy substances that should not be exposed to heat as they take more time to be extracted from the plant.

Single-component teas available at the herbal pharmacy are most frequently sold “draff” in 50 or 100 gr. with plants being chopped to specific size.