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In fairness, I don't have a huge problem with Traditional Medicinals. They do make pretty tasty herbal teas, and herbal teas are, well, tasty. Outrageous health claims luckily don't make the tea taste bad. I just wish Traditional Medicinals could be a little more like Celestial Seasonings... you know, CS talks about the flavor and rambles on about their "blendmaster" and stuff, and only occasional hints at pharmacological activity (and really, is it controversial that maté is a stimulant and valerian root is a mild depressant? I'm thinking the few claims Celestial Seasonings makes are probably reasonable). TM on the other hand is all about the woo.
They do make a pretty impressive ginger tea, though, you gotta give them that...
I haven't tried any of the TM teas because, with all the woo, I'm afraid some of them may have actual active (and dangerous) ingredients. Does the ginger tea you like have any dubious ingredients? I might try it. I find most herbal teas tasteless, though I love CS Bengal Spice and like a few other CS and Stash teas.
ReplyDeleteI'm pretty sure it's just dried ginger. (Of course, you can make your own ginger tea by boiling fresh ginger, but it takes awhile and is probably not much cheaper)
ReplyDeleteI also rather like TM's Throat Coat. I do find it soothing to my throat, even if that turns out to be just a placebo. (And it may not be; pretty much any warm semi-viscous liquid will temporarily provide some comfort for a sore throat)
You've got a point about possible active ingredients. Hrm...
Just ginger sounds fine, but I'd want to check out the ingredient list of the Throat Coat tea.
ReplyDeleteMostly I stick with CS or Stash for my herbal teas (and the Chinese grocery store for green and jasmine teas), but Yogi lemon ginger tea is pretty good served hot with a bit of honey or else as ice tea, and it doesn't have anything suspicious-sounding in the ingredient list.
I think the "slippery elm bark" is what makes the Throat Coat tea so soothing. If you squeeze the teabag with your fingers after steeping it'll feel sorta slippery (or slimy, depending on your take on it) and it's that goo that makes it feel good on a raw throat. Interestingly, slippery elm is also an abortifacient
ReplyDeleteJust to clarify, slippery elm must be inserted into the cervix to act as an abortifacient. Drinking Throat Coat is unlikely to cause an abortion... heh, although the box does say not to drink it during pregnancy :P
ReplyDeleteI think you are right about the "slippery elm bark"... it has a similar effect of putting tea in honey (which also gives it a little bit of viscosity) but more so.
ReplyDeleteFWIW, I made the comment about how I liked the Throat Coat before you picked some up from Wegmans the other day... :)