Tea and illness

This is the theme I've been on lately, scaling back exposure to tea due to a nasty sinus infection.  It's been a rough week.  I'll describe how I took it, although I'm not sure the insight will add much to what everyone else already experiences.

I switch over to a lot of tisanes when I'm sick.  That mild and varied flavor range works for me, and there's always the hope that some of it might actually help in some herbal remedy sense.  Even if that doesn't apply drinking a warm liquid does help, and staying hydrated, and contact with a positive range of sensation is nice when you tend to get caught up in experiencing symptoms.  It's completely unnatural to drink a good bit of water at any temperature when you're sick, but it works much better to drink two or three good sized mugs of a mild tisane.

Mamaki, olena (Hawaiian turmeric), and ualoa (not what I was just drinking)

A Hawaiian extended family member (who sort of adopted my wife into theirs, versus the other way around) passed on some soursop tisane from a local Hawaiian producer awhile back.  It doesn't taste like much (I don't think--but maybe it does and I can't tell), but the label says it's good for helping with sleep and boosting immune response. 

Al with Keo; it has been too long, he is hard to pick up these days

this reference mentioned in this related post on Hawaiian tisanes and potential effects

I had a couple of Moychay (Russian producer) compressed tisane cakes on hand, so I've been mixing those in.  One was willow herb / fireweed and the other some sort of blend I didn't check the contents on (the label is in Russian).  A fruit version bar I already finished earlier would've been ideal; I was concerned about how well that would keep so I drank the last of it a few months ago. 

a Moychay tisane bar, which I reviewed here

We bought a lot of chrysanthemum tea in China on that last visit so I drink that alone or mixed in, or once combined with shu pu'er to split the difference.  When I'm not sick mixing sheng and chrysanthemum seems to make a lot more sense, even though I rarely do that, but when you're sick whatever it seems you'll tolerate well is the right thing.


Stopping caffeine entirely brings on a headache and crash, but if the plan is to lie around sick all day that crash can work out.  I only quit tea entirely one day but did drink very little of it for a few, so this served as one of a few small breaks from caffeine that I try to take every year.  Maybe there is no reason to do that but as I see things it can't hurt, and maybe there is a good reason I'd never be completely clear on.  Developed tolerance for level of caffeine doesn't seem to shift as much for some drugs, like alcohol tolerance, at least to me, but I'm sure that would vary by person.  I don't think that caffeine interferes with a healing process when sick, to be clear, I just don't think there is any point in ingesting a stimulant then, and maintenance of a dependency doesn't necessarily count as a good reason.

It's interesting trying teas and noticing how much flavor drops out when you've lost that much sense of taste.  In the last three days I tried a Vietnamese sheng I've been drinking for awhile, and a modest quality aged Yunnan version, and an even better Da Xue Shan.  In all those cases I really did enjoy what came across, more and more each day.  White tea might work in a similar way; even for losing half or more of the flavor the rest might still be nice.  The shu pu'er and chrysanthemum mix I had when I was much sicker was nice, although combining that with sheng makes more sense to me when I'm well, although that I tend to only try a couple times a year, at the most.  Of all those teas the aged sheng was novel for so much of that character being mineral taste (what gets picked up by the tongue) versus aromatic components, I just wouldn't drink really exceptional tea while sick.

The worst part is dropping out my tasting and review habit.  Even that works better for having such a low energy level and fuzzy mind; I feel like I'm about 75% clear while I write this initial draft, which isn't so bad, since I'm usually only ever about 90% clear on a good day.  I'm not sure when that last 10% ever kicks in; not too often.  There's a lot of tea I'm excited to get to--kind vendors have sent a lot of samples lately--and it will just have to wait.

Now that I think about it making an herbal version of masala chai might be nice.  Willow herb / fireweed even oxidizes, unlike most tisanes, so it would be as close as any to a "real tea" version.  I reviewed a version of one in a blog post, and a better pressed version in a Moychay site article.  That spice blend would be nice when sick, drinking a version made from cardamom, clove, ginger, fennel seed, and cinnamon, with just a touch of salt to balance it. 

using fresher, more-whole spices is better but whatever you have on hand will do

Even simmering herbs for 15 minutes is a lot of messing around when your energy level is completely bottomed out, but even during the first draft of this I was in a different middle-ground, recovered enough that using a limited quantity of black tea would also be fine.  An online masala chai recipe mentioned an easy way to get around that; start the tea (or tisane) and herbs simmering, turn off the heat and let it sit for awhile, then reboil and let it sit again (with related posts on making that  here and here).

Eight days after first becoming sick I'm mostly back to normal.  It's nice how illness helps you appreciate little things, like a normal energy level, or tasting food and tea again.

Hawaiian tisane / "herb teas" and health benefits

Awhile back I reviewed a Hawaiian tisane (herb) blend, a combination of mamaki and wapine (a version of lemongrass and something else less familiar, with details in that post about what that is).  It was from a Hawaiian close family friend from a producer called Rocky Farms, located in Waimanalo. 

usually there were a few people around, but not different than this (credit)

That family friend (an extra uncle, sort of an in-law to me since they took in my wife more than me) lives in Waimanalo, and that whole small community area looks like you stepped into a postcard.

Since these posts tend to run long I'll go with that theme and quote a part of that post content about an herb here (referenced from here, with even more information here):


Mamaki is a native Hawaiian nettle species known as an ancient miracle herb. Mamaki tea is best known for its refreshing, smooth taste and medicinal uses. It is known to act as an antioxidant that promotes healthy cardiovascular functions, lowers stress and fatigue levels and acts as a mild laxative. It is also commonly used to reduce allergy symptoms and promote liver Health.


It's hard to evaluate those sorts of health claims, and more typical for tea reviews to just not bring them up.  I won't get far with a flavors review here, instead dealing more with accounts of health benefits (not endorsing or rejecting those, just sharing them), and more about local related resources in Oahu.

I think tea (the Camellia Sinensis kind) and other herbs probably are very healthy but it's hard to go further than that with specific guesses, or to research the subject.  Input turns up but it can be hard to place.  If the claim is that an herb helps with an upset stomach of course that can be tested, or a laxative effect can be, but for most of those already listed in that short passage would be more difficult to evaluate. 

a vendor photo with more information, apparently sold as RTD (credit)

Review

The herb blend I tried tastes like those herbs.  Turmeric stands out a little, but then it might not seem to as much without appearing on the label.  The flavor is mild with some complexity, with a bit of sweetness and decent balance, nice enough.  The other flavor range reminds me of floral flavors that aren't necessarily sweet or overly aromatic, like chrysanthemum or chamomile.  There's also a vague, light spice background element, not one that's easy to place.  I'd probably drink light oolong that's in the same general range instead for taste if it came down to just that, and of course people do make health claims about those too.  It's pleasant tasting enough that I'd also drink it just for taste if I had it around, and for me it's nice to have tisanes--herb teas, to some--in the evenings sometimes, since I avoid caffeine then.

That's all I'll cover for flavor description.  To me health claims are more interesting, even if I tend to not accept those as necessarily accurate.  That skepticism is based on experience with lots of claims being made about tea, which seem to extend too far for all of them to be accurate.  For "real tea" those are based on traditional practices or medical care, sources like Traditional Chinese Medicine.  That could be a good input, but one ends up suspecting that some of the modern marketing function may have tied back to previous marketing functions instead of an earlier form of higher knowledge.  The framing doesn't help, references to "qi" and "internal heat / wind," but really valid practices framed in contexts that have been replaced with modern models could still be just as valid and accurate. 

Back to description

Per the written note this contained that mamaki (version of nettle), olena (Hawaiian version of turmeric), and ualoa.  That vendor picture of the same Mala blend listed it as uhaloa, olena, and wapine (lemongrass), so off by one ingredient.  I could swear the mamaki is common to both, as shown in this earlier blend photo, but then later it does look more like uhaloa (see later description and photo):

reviewed in the last post

Wapine is the lemongrass; easy enough to spot, and it does seem to turn up in this second Mala blend.  It would be easy to mix the herbs up when sending a note with it; no matter.  Let's review the turmeric (olena) health claims then come back to uhaloa.

Olena / turmeric health claims

Turmeric is regarded as some sort of miracle health input per some "progressive" or non-mainstream health sources.  Not as if it's a research summary site but let's see what WebMD makes of that (summarized):

possibly effective for hay fever, depression, high cholesterol, osteoarthritis, itching (pruritus).


They then go on to list out as many conditions there is evidence it doesn't help with (surely based on other hearsay claims that it does), and a list twice as long related to benefit claims there just isn't good evidence to support or imply are probably not accurate.  Note that the general theme there is that they are citing what has been confirmed through research as likely (in the initial claim), and rejecting what seems unlikely based on research.  WebMD isn't a research status summary; one can do better, but the point here is to get a feel for where these claims stand, not try to ground them.

It's very difficult to do isolated studies on people to prove nutritional or preventative claims, so unless there is a clear linkage to a negative effect it's hard for research to come to a firm conclusion.  Studies can show what a limited input over a short time causes, or test high doses on rats.

Another article there on WebMD is more positive, and more colorful and speculative:


A tablespoon of ground turmeric offers 29 calories, nearly a gram of protein, 2 grams of fiber and 6 grams of carbohydrates. It contains minerals such as manganese, phosphorus and potassium. Turmeric also contains magical nutrients -- the kind that practically cast spells to keep you strong and healthy.

Turmeric is used in Ayurvedic medicine to treat inflammation -- both inside and out. Uses include cancer prevention and treatment as well as treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and infections.  Curcumin, a substance in turmeric, is being researched for cancer prevention and treatment, and has shown promise in animal studies... 


That one Hawaiian herb vendor (Maui Medicinal) lists even more potential benefits on their page.  Turmeric probably is a beneficial dietary input, even without the benefit of magic.  Let's move onto the last one, uhaloa.

the live version (photo credit)

Uhaloa background and claimed health benefits

The University of Hawaii related site I referenced in that earlier post passes on a full description (that's one of my alma maters, by the way; I went to UH Manoa awhile back):

Waltheria indica var. americana (uhaloa)

ʻUhaloa (Waltheria indica) belongs to the Malavaceae or Mallow family, sometimes placed in Sterculiaceae, or Cacao family. The genus Waltheria has some 60 species, 53 of which are from the Neotropics (the Americas). Two species are native to the Hawaiian Islands...

Hawaiian Names:  ʻAlaʻala pū loa, hala ʻuhaloa, hiʻaloa, kanakaloa are all alternate names for the commonly used ʻuhaloa...

Modern Use:  Medicinally, in the Hawaiian Islands ʻuhaloa is still used even if other traditional plants are not always in use. [6] When mixed with certain other plants ʻuhaloa is used for sore throats, bronchial infections, and asthma. [1,2] The bitter roots are used much like aspirin is today. [2]

This plant is used throughout the Americas. One reference source outlines the importance of Walthera indica: "A tropical shrub, the whole plant (roots, leaves, buds and flowers) is used against chronic asthma. This plant has anti inflammatory and antifungal properties. Other uses include: cortex (root bark); chewed as a very effective natural medicine for sore throat. Internally for arthritis, neuralgia, common cold, cough, bronchial phlegm or mucous, diarrhea, eye baths, fatigue; used as a bitter tonic." [5]

that does look right (photo credit)

Interesting!  That Rocky Farms picture source adds more to the health claims listed on that package:

'Uhaloa tea with bark. The leaves & flowers serves to treat (asthma), arthritis, neuralgia and pulmonary complications like bronchial phlegm, mucous and chest congestion. The bark is chewed to help with sore throat.

I also spoke with the Office of Hawaiian Affairs about doing research and they sent a really interesting looking reference citation, well worth following up for anyone interested in the subject (from "Native Planters in Old Hawaii:  Their Life, Lore and Environment," by E. S. Craighill Handy and Elizabeth Green Handy):

mamaki and uhaloa are mentioned

That book costs $700 on Amazon; you'd have to really want it.  All the claims do seem to align, but then that doesn't confirm them as accurate since it could relate to common sourcing.  I bet these herbs are very healthy, and it would only matter if effectiveness related to one condition was limited (or related to a different cause, so only ineffective in one case), if someone was trying to use that as a cure or preventative for something in particular.  

Rather than stick with the review of health claims, which is hard to extend further, I'll switch topics and say more about local medicinal herb resources there in Hawaii (East Oahu, more specifically, still in that same area).

Waimanalo's Community Herbal Medicine Garden

Looking around at subject references, most specifically related to that Waimanalo origin area, turned up mention of the Waimanalo Health Center there, focused on renewing use of medicinal herbs.  A recent media article described that background:

lotus?  it's a random picture from that Center's FB page.

Lāʻau lapaʻau is the traditional Hawaiian practice of healing using plants. Practitioners list an arsenal of more than 2,500 plants used for various human ailments.   

“Lāʻau lapaʻau is a fading art. I wouldnʻt say dying art, but its fading,” says [Ikaika] Rogerson, “Hopefully by being able to teach the community even just the basic different varieties of lāʻau that we have within the community and how to use it then maybe itʻs an alternative...an alternative to purchasing pills.”

This is part of why I'm open and optimistic about use of herbs either as a medicinal or dietary supplement.  I can't be certain that traditional herbs could be used as directly as conventional medicine (which isn't ideal either), but there's a long history of plants used effectively for both purposes.

People on the skeptical side point out that if a compound is confirmed to have a benefit it's adopted for use but that misses part of the point.  If that skeptic is eating a McDonald's based diet along with a handful of pills a day they're not going to be nearly as healthy as someone eating a balanced diet that includes fresh fruits, vegetables, diverse foods, and some herb / tisanes for additional input.  I don't buy that taking any number of pills a day would provide a similar benefit.

olena / turmeric (source credit)

They mention this about turmeric in that last article:  

'Olena or turmeric, one of the most versatile plants in traditional Hawaiian herbal medicine can be used for a number of ailments. Juice is extracted from the root and can be used to enhance the immune system and purify the blood.

Detox skeptics might feel a little "triggered" by that last claim since the kidneys and liver purify the blood, not medicine or supplements, but again valid health benefits and accurate use of updated models and terms are two separate issues.  According to that WebMD source turmeric is shown through research evidence to lower triglyceride levels and possibly reduce cholesterol, qualified as follows:

Turmeric seems to lower levels of blood fats called triglycerides. The effects of turmeric on cholesterol levels are conflicting. There are many different turmeric products available. It is not known which ones work best.

Not a strong endorsement, that middle part, but then this is passing on multiple sources of research evidence for study still in progress as a very short summary, and "findings conflict" would be a natural result.

Post-script; trying to apply all that

This has always been the part that's a problem for me; how to apply that information.  That Hawaii.edu plant background database looks great, quite solid as such content goes, but it doesn't seem like it would work well to scan through that and know what herbs to use for treatment or preventative purposes.  You could try, but it seems limited and not designed for that.

I've talked to a couple of people trained in the use of herbs as both (herbalists?) and of course their recommendation is to go to someone with similar training and get consultation input.  I'm usually skeptical when answers inevitably turn to "just pay me" but in this case there aren't many good options.  Progressive-minded health enthusiasts (odd putting that in any phrasing) tend to pick and mix what they want to buy into, from a broad range of sources, the herbal health equivalent of salad bar faith.  Maybe that works. 

I didn't get around to talking to her but Leina‘ala Bright seems to work in a similar capacity in the Waimanalo Health Center I'd mentioned (although I really don't know her duties or their range of services).  Some input in a reference they passed on from her research at UH adds more about why turmeric probably really does live up to at least some of the claims:

That source includes a reference of her as a researcher and "Cultural Practitioner of Lomilomi, Lā‘au Lapa‘au;" that works.

Incorporating use of tisanes might work better than one might expect for the same reason tea is almost certainly living up to a lot of it's variously grounded cited benefits:  if you replace soda with tea you are at least eliminating a negative with a neutral input, even if not a positive one, and some of the component benefits are probably real.  Anyone replacing boba tea--powdered, artificially flavored, heavily sweetened, products containing powdered milk or other fats and thickeners--with real tea is taking a similar step.

I recently had an opportunity to use this herbal tisane more directly, when I picked up a stomach problem from my kids and threw up a few times.  I was wary of drinking even water because not long before I'd seen my daughter try to drink water with the same condition and it didn't work out.  I drank a mug of this tisane (related to some of this research saying one herb calms an upset stomach), and my stomach did feel much better, and then I was able to handle another small glass of electrolyte solution. 

the morning Kalani was sick; I think positive outlook alone helps a lot

I'd love to be able to incorporate herbs and other tisanes in a way that makes more sense over the long term but at least making that start into useful application was nice.

Hawaiian tisane blend: Mamaki and Wapine herbs

A family friend (or extended adopted family, really) sent me some tisanes from Hawaii awhile back ("herb teas," to some, or some others don't like to share that word).  They're from the Rocky Farms HI producer.  One I had tried, when I was sick, since that makes for a nice time to drink a tisane / herb tea.  I'll take this in an unusual order, and cover what I thought of it in a review, then get back to what it is.

"Uncle" Al, on the left, with the Koolau Serenaders

with my son, awhile back.  we should visit more

Review

With a tisane it can be described as tasting exactly like the ingredients, those herbs, but I'll compare it to others.  I could probably just quote Wikipedia articles about these herbs and it would do as well.

One part tastes a little like licorice, another not completely removed from mint.  It's probably closest overall to lemongrass.  Maybe I should check what it is again; it could just be that (yep; the part that looks like lemongrass and tastes like lemongrass is actually that--solid reviewing skills).

The flavor is nice, reasonably complex and balanced, but tisanes tend to give up complexity to real tea.  It's smooth in feel, decently full, but the overall flavor range is narrow, and tisanes tend not to transition, to change during brewing.  It's not that far off a version of basil.  That would be in between the Thai basil, which is close to mint, and the western sweet basil, but probably not quite as sweet as either, with the lemongrass supplying that part.  That's about all I'm getting.

This is as much about health benefits as flavor, it seems.  I can investigate those but a conclusion won't emerge, just some ideas about potential positive effects.

Health claims

Normally I don't do much with this subject, or I'd always be going on about traditional claims made related to "real tea."  But somehow it makes sense to me to mention this part for a tisane.  Or maybe it really doesn't, but I'll look up some hearsay anyway.


From the Maui Medicinal Herbs site:

Mamaki is a native Hawaiian nettle species known as an ancient miracle herb. Mamaki tea is best known for its refreshing, smooth taste and medicinal uses. It is known to act as an antioxidant that promotes healthy cardiovascular functions, lowers stress and fatigue levels and acts as a mild laxative. It is also commonly used to reduce allergy symptoms and promote liver Health.

From the Rocky Farms FB page

That overlaps a lot with the other description from the producer of the version I tried, Rocky Farms HI.  Two people saying it doesn't make it true but it sounds good.  I'm not sure what to make of the set of claims overlapping a lot but not matching perfectly.


It was possible to turn up a better source with more information, both a lot of botanical background on the plant (what it is in terms of category, where it can grow, etc.), and also a more neutral source of hearsay for health benefits, from a University of Hawaii based source:


Pipturus albidus, or locally named as māmaki or waimea

Dried or fresh māmaki leaves are used to make a mild but invigorating and healthy tea and one of few commercially available native herbs for consumption. The tea helps with listlessness. Māmaki leaves generally have a more pleasant aroma and taste than koʻokoʻolau. [2] The fresh or dried leaves for mamaki tea have been used to help with many internal disorders such as for the stomach, colon, bladder, liver, and bowels. [3]

Fruit is eaten as a laxative or for stomach, colon and digestive problems. [9]

Infused leaves can be used in treatment for high blood pressure, high cholesterol, liver problems, depression, bladder problems, bladder infections, and PMS. However, with some people māmaki can cause mild agitation or insomnia. [9]

Practioner David Bruce Leonard adds: "A remarkable friend, māmaki has a soothing effect on the nervous system in a similar way to jasmine tea. It works well for iritability or just to decompress after a day in Babylon." [9]



Mind you that's not an officially sanctioned university study source making those claims, it's a UH related information page citing another local reference source (two of them; those citation numbers).  It's conventional wisdom, like those Chinese traditional health claims, about oolong helping with weight loss and whatever else.

At least it's probably as well-grounded as WebMD.  Oddly in looking for a reference to the health benefits of Lemongrass I turned up this hearsay account of "real tea" health benefits from WebMD, just after typing that.  Let's hope that some of that is accurate.


I was really looking for their input on what health benefits lemongrass supposedly provides, from WebMD, about what it helps resolve:

High cholesterol. 
Yeast infection in the mouth (thrush). 
Stomach and intestinal spasms.
Stomach ache.
High blood pressure.
Convulsions.
Pain.
Vomiting.
Cough.
Achy joints (rheumatism).
Fever.
Common cold.
Exhaustion.
Headache.
Use as an antiseptic and astringent.

More evidence is needed to rate the effectiveness of lemongrass for these uses.

That's a lot.  From when I drank a lot of tisanes one site passed on their standard account of what herbs or other infusions were supposedly good for, from Alvita:


Native to India and tropical Asia, lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus ) has a wonderfully sweet, lemony aroma and zesty flavor that has made this herb a staple in Asian cuisine. Herbalists have also traditionally used tea brewed from lemongrass to soothe the digestive tract.*


Odd that a medical themed site that's ok with passing on hearsay lists out 15 benefits and a site actually selling the product lists only one, in this case.  It's definitely tasty; there's that.


I'm not endorsing any of these claims, just looking them up and passing them on.  The tisane was pleasant to drink, and I wouldn't fault someone for hoping the herbs do pass on those benefits, or taking the next step and accepting that they do.  Drinking that over soda has to be a huge trade up in health impact, and I wouldn't be surprised if this herb infusion does pass on more health benefits than plain water.  It's just hard to guess out which parts are more accurate than the others.