Product Review

 -- Herbal Tea, Product Review --

 

I love drinking tea, especially now in the cooler season - but also make my own iced teas from the herb and tea cupboard in the warm months. My mom used to make her own teas from her herbal farm, and I retain special memories of time spent with her over a cup of fragrant tea with colorful flower petals floating on the surface. So when I had the opportunity to review some of Buddha Herbs tea products I jumped on it. We originally started discussion about this project back in late October 2013 and I received a delivery at my doorstep on December 2^nd. Sadly the packaging was a bit excessive as the products arrived in a larger-than-necessary, but recyclable, cardboard box. Interestingly their products do arrive in packages of 2, sealed together with a thin layer of recyclable plastic.

In the package I found 2 of each of the following:

Chamomile (retails $10.99 US)

Natural Slim (retails $10.49 US)

Raspberry Tea (retails $10.79 US)

ST John Wort Tea (retails $10.99 US)

Green Tea with Herbs (retails $10.99 US)

I tried each product myself several times and served them to visitors and to my husband Dave, and asked them for their feedback as well. You can read what this research revealed below:

Natural Slim: this one is described as a “herbal dietary supplement”. Ingredients include: green tea, rosemary, oregano, and lemon. This blend is reputed to help reduce weight by boosting metabolism and aiding digestion. The packaging states “substances found in green tea known as catechins trigger weight loss by stimulating the body to burn calories. …(And have) also been shown to have anti-inflammatory and anti cancer properties.”  Rosemary is well known to slow down the body’s ability to break down fats that come from daily meals, helping you feel fuller longer – the herb is also a digestive aid. Oregano is also an antioxidant and antiseptic, while lemon offers citric acid - which also promotes digestion and weight loss.

Chamomile (100% organic) as we all know is a natural relaxant and is useful for anxiety, stress and also for better sleep. I often drink this tea before bedtime and it also helps if I wake in the night and have difficulty falling asleep. I tried this tea first when the package arrived, as I’m so familiar with this tea – it had a stronger flavor than most other brands from the super market, however the individually wrapped bags leaked a little fine powder into the tea. I didn’t mind, but it was noticeable.

Raspberry tea (made from raspberry leaves) supports the female body by aiding a healthy menstruation and strengthens the uterus, and helps male issues of slowing testosterone production. This tea has a fruity, fall leaf scent but tastes like tree leaves. I like mixing the tea up a bit with something more flavorful like a fruit blend tea or mint blend tea. Raspberry leaves offer additional nutritional benefits through iron, calcium and vitamins A & E. Because raspberry leaves speak to your hormonal system, people on hormone medication, who are pregnant or nursing a baby may want to double check with a pharmacist or doctor before ingesting this regularly. I have heard that women who are about to give birth often use this herb to ease the birthing process, taking it about 3 weeks prior to expected birth date. I tried using the tea just before and during menstruation and found it quite useful in reducing symptoms ranging from bloating to cramps.

St John Wort has a long history among indigenous herbs to aide in balancing emotional and nervous systems. If you are already taking an anti-anxiety or depression medication then consult a pharmacist or doctor on whether this herb will react with or inhibit your prescription. This tea has a light, green flavor.

Green Tea with Herbs (chamomile, thyme, peppermint – all organic) contains fewer bags than the others listed here (20 bags per box) is considered to be a wonderful antioxidant beverage that can protect against free radicals while providing additional energy. As we learned from the weight loss tea (above) this blend will also aide people who are looking to control their body weight.

Now a little about the company:

The family-owned company (http://www.buddhasherbs.com) is based in New York (US) believes in the power of nature and tries to offer as many organic ingredients as possible. They hope that as a company they can play a role in “making society become healthier and wealthier in body and spirit”. Their site offers more information about their products and assures their customers by offering a 100% satisfaction guarantee. Each box offers between 20 - 22 individually wrapped bags of tea, most are caffeine free (except those that contain green tea) and have no artificial flavor or color, no sugar, fat, sodium or protein, and are calorie free. Tea bags are hermetically sealed without glue or staples in a waxed paper envelope, compostable envelope and tea bag. No artificial ingredients. The site also offers a variety of vitamins and other supplements that you might want to check out. The company cares about where they source their materials from and only purchase from the most reputable suppliers and all stages of production are GMP certified (good manufacturing practices). Buddhas Herbs is proud to let people know of their 100% satisfaction guarantee for their products. Additionally, there is a reward program for regular customers available, for additional savings.

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