Tea and infusion
Tea is the oldest and simplest way to get something out of a plant: water dissolves whatever is water-soluble. That is also its limit — anything that will not dissolve in water stays in the herb. What matters is which part of the plant is in front of you. Soft leaves and flowers are poured over (an infusion), hard roots, barks and seeds have to be simmered (a decoction), and mucilage-rich material such as marshmallow root is steeped cold, because heat destroys the mucilage.
How it is done
- Allow one to two heaped teaspoons of dried herb (roughly 1.5 to 2 grams) per 150 ml cup. For fresh herb use three times as much — it is mostly water.
- Pour boiling water over leaves and flowers and let them steep for five to ten minutes.
- Roots, bark and seeds instead go into cold water, are brought to the boil and simmered gently for ten to fifteen minutes.
- Steep mucilage-rich material such as marshmallow, mallow and linseed in cold water for one to two hours, stirring occasionally, and warm it only briefly afterwards.
- Always cover the cup. With plants that carry essential oil — chamomile, peppermint, thyme, fennel — the active part otherwise leaves as steam.
- Strain and drink slowly. Bitters such as wormwood, gentian and centaury about half an hour before a meal, because they work through the sense of taste; antispasmodic umbellifers rather afterwards.
What this form suits
Water dissolves tannins, bitters, mucilage, flavonoids, saponins and part of the essential oils. Resins, fatty oils and many alkaloids largely stay behind — that is what a tincture is for.
Where it ends
A medicinal tea is not harmless simply because it comes from a plant. Most are meant for a few weeks, not months; tannin-rich preparations can interfere with the absorption of iron and of medicines when taken continuously. If complaints last longer than a week, get worse, or come with a fever, that needs a doctor. In pregnancy, while breastfeeding and for small children many plants carry their own restrictions — they are listed on the individual plant page.
Storing it
Drink freshly made tea the same day. Store dried herb dark, dry and well sealed; flowers and leaves lose noticeable strength after about a year, roots and barks keep longer.
Plants used this way
137 plants in this database have at least one documented use in this form. Not on this list: toxic and legally controlled species — and, for plants carrying a caution, any internal use resting on folklore alone. Everything remains reachable through the search and the plant index.
Agrimony herb infusion for mild diarrhoea and digestive complaints — astringent effect of catechin tannins, positively assessed by Kommission E.
Classic Commission E indication: astringent infusion of lady's mantle herb for mild non-specific diarrhea, mediated by ellagitannins (agrimoniin).
Short-term occasional constipation
Infusion of dried leaves (1–2 tbsp per 250 ml boiling water, steep 10 min) for relief of mild symptoms of mental stress, sleep difficulties, and mi…
Soothing cold macerate for dry tickly cough and irritation of the oral and pharyngeal mucosa.
Classic digestive tea for bloating, mild GI cramps and fullness.
Infusion of the herb for mild, acute diarrhoea.
Bitter tea to stimulate digestion and bile flow for fullness and flatulence.
Ginseng is promoted for cognitive function, fatigue and immune support.
Very mild folk-medicine tea for spring cures and mild respiratory irritation — traditional use without modern evidence.
Traditional use as an aquaretic (irrigation therapy) for supportive treatment of mild urinary complaints — EMA HMPC monograph (traditional use).
Infusion or decoction of the dried rhizome is used traditionally for diarrhoea and dysentery.
Traditionally, black radish juice mixed with honey was used as a cough remedy and expectorant.
Leaf infusion of dried blackcurrant leaves, traditionally used for minor joint complaints.
Mild dyspepsia and mild gastrointestinal spasms
Traditional tea from the herb to relieve mild symptoms of mental stress and as a gentle sleep aid.
Classic for excessively heavy, prolonged or too frequent menstrual bleeding (menorrhagia, metrorrhagia) as well as symptomatic post-bleeding and ca…
Classic digestive tea for bloating and mild cramps.
In European folk medicine, hornbeam leaves were used as a mildly astringent tea for mild fever and sore throat.
Tea from flowering aerial parts has a mildly sedative and nervine action.
Traditionally the crushed black conk is simmered as a long decoction (tea), drunk in Russian and Siberian folk medicine as a remedy for gastrointes…
Loss of appetite and dyspeptic complaints (bloating, flatulence, mild digestive weakness) and as adjuvant in disturbances of bile flow - bitter the…
Prepared as a tea, cinnamon bark helps relieve spasmodic gastrointestinal complaints and mild diarrhoea.
Clove tea (2–3 whole cloves per 250 ml hot water, steeped 10 min) acts warming, expectorant, and mildly antiseptic in colds with cough and digestiv…
In Brazilian and African folk medicine, the leaves of Indian coleus ('falso boldo') are used as a tea for digestive complaints, liver ailments, and…
Classic bitter tea (amarum) for loss of appetite and mild digestive complaints — taken before meals.
Traditional fumitory tea to increase bile flow for indigestion such as fullness, flatulence and slow digestion.
In the folk medicine tradition of Europe and the Middle East, crushed coriander seeds are used as tea for flatulence, colic and nervous tension.
In traditional folk medicine of the Balkans and Caucasus, decoctions of the fruit were used against diarrhea, dysentery, and fever.
Traditional herbal medicine for flushing the urinary tract as supportive treatment of minor urinary complaints and to help prevent kidney gravel.
Traditional infusion of leaf with flower for nervous mild cardiac complaints (NYHA II supportive) after medical evaluation.
Traditional use for loss of appetite and mild digestive disorders such as bloating and flatulence.
Traditional infusion of dill fruits for dyspeptic complaints, flatulence and bloating — Kommission E positive verdict (1990).
In European folk medicine, compresses and washes with D.
Commission E gave Galeopsidis herba a positive assessment as a supportive remedy for mild catarrhs of the respiratory tract.
Infusion from dried herb for traditional support during colds and mild upper respiratory infections.
Traditional root decoction as expectorant for cough and bronchial catarrh — classic application in European phytotherapy (ESCOP, Wichtl).
Folk and traditional preparation of the comminuted root as a decoction for supportive use in exhaustion, tiredness and weakness.
Classic digestive tea for mild GI cramps, bloating, fullness.
Kommission E positive (internal): fenugreek seed infusion for loss of appetite and mild digestive complaints — mucilage-rich drug with bitter and a…
Irrigation therapy for mild urinary tract complaints (irritable bladder, infection prevention).
Flower infusion for feverish colds and influenza-like illness — Kommission E positive monograph based on natural salicylate compounds.
Infusion of dried wild strawberry leaves for diarrhoea, gastric complaints, and loss of appetite.
Ash leaf tea has traditionally been used in European folk medicine for mild joint complaints and rheumatic conditions.
Classic aromatic-bitter tea for loss of appetite, fullness, flatulence and sluggish digestion.
Bitter gentian root infusion (positively assessed by Commission E) for appetite stimulation and digestive secretion — unsweetened, before meals.
Root infusion or decoction of dried wood avens rhizomes for diarrhoea, stomach cramps and digestive disorders.
Ginger infusion per Kommission E for dyspeptic complaints — bloating, flatulence, sluggish digestion.
Traditional leaf infusion to support circulation and mental freshness — lower active constituent concentration than standardised extracts, EMA: tra…
The classic application of mullein flowers: the mucilage they contain forms a soothing film over irritated mucous membranes, while saponins ease ex…
Because of its mucilage content, the tea is traditionally drunk as a soothing remedy for irritating cough and upper respiratory catarrh.
For an infusion the pods are lightly crushed and steeped — on their own or together with black tea, ginger and cinnamon, as in Indian masala chai.
A herb infusion is traditionally drunk against gout and rheumatic complaints; the species epithet points to this traditional use.
Infusion of dried aerial parts (leaves, stems) is used in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) for upper respiratory tract infections, chronic cough,…
Traditional calming and sleep-aid remedy for nervous restlessness and mild sleep disorders.
Traditional use for temporary mental exhaustion — gentle infusion with low hyperforin content and accordingly lower interaction profile than extracts.
Infusion from flowering hyssop herb is the traditional remedy for bronchitis, persistent cough, and mucus congestion of the airways.
Main use (EMA monograph, 'traditional use'): the water-soluble mucilage polysaccharides lichenin and isolichenin form a protective film over the ir…
Traditional herbal medicinal product used to increase the amount of urine in order to flush the urinary tract, as an adjuvant in minor urinary trac…
Traditional infusion of dried walnut leaves for mild digestive complaints — short-term only, as juglone content is concerning with long-term use.
Kommission-E-positive infusion of crushed juniper berries for mild dyspeptic complaints and adjunctive irrigation in bladder/urinary tract infections.
Infusion of 1–2 dried bay leaves for flatulence, bloating, and mild catarrh of the respiratory tract.
Calming tea for restlessness and mild difficulty falling asleep.
Classic calming tea — relieves mild stress symptoms, inner restlessness, and aids sleep.
In German and European folk medicine of the 18th and 19th centuries, a mild infusion of the bitter milky sap (lettuce opium, Latin lactucarium) fro…
In traditional Chinese medicine the mushroom is used as a decoction or tonic; it is traditionally associated with supporting the stomach, digestion…
Tea for heartburn and digestive complaints (dyspepsia) — short-term.
Traditional lovage root tea for irrigation therapy of mild urinary tract complaints and prevention of urinary gravel — positively assessed by Kommi…
Tea from the flowering herb (decoction or infusion) is used in folk medicine for diarrhoea and dysentery.
Corn silk (Stigmata maydis) — the filiform styles of the female maize flowers — is used worldwide in folk medicine as a diuretic tea.
Soothing tea for dry cough — the mucilage forms a protective film over the irritated airways of the throat.
Classic chamomile tea (Kommission E positive) for gastrointestinal spasms, gastritis and inflammatory disorders of the digestive tract.
Chronic venous insufficiency (CVI): heaviness, pain, nocturnal leg cramps, itching, swelling of the legs
Loss of appetite and dyspeptic complaints (bloating, flatulence, weak digestion) - bitter tonic taken before meals
Calming tea for nervous tension and nervous palpitations (after a doctor has excluded serious causes).
Traditional oat gruel as a gastric-sparing tonic food — established in folk medicine and still used in mild dietary regimens and naturopathic pract…
Tulsi tea from dried leaves and flowers has been used in Ayurveda for centuries as a rasayana (rejuvenating agent) and adaptogen.
Traditional olive leaf tea for supportive use in mildly elevated blood pressure and as a mild aquaretic — oleuropein is considered the principal ac…
Onion cough tea or onion decoction for cold-related cough and hoarseness: a traditional home remedy reputed to be expectorant and mildly antibacter…
Classic irrigation therapy using restharrow root infusion for inflammatory urinary tract complaints and prevention of kidney gravel — positively as…
Traditional folk-medicinal use as an aromatic infusion for dyspeptic complaints (bloating, flatulence, loss of appetite) and for catarrhal upper-re…
Classic Polpala infusion from Ayurvedic and Sri Lankan herbal practice — main use as diuretic and 'stone-breaker' (Pashanabheda) for urinary stones…
Irrigation therapy for mild lower urinary tract complaints
Calming tea for nervous restlessness and as a gentle aid to falling asleep.
Traditional infusion of fresh or dried rose geranium leaves for nervous restlessness, mild stress and nervously triggered digestive complaints.
Traditional infusion of fresh or dried apple geranium leaves as a gently calming evening tea with the characteristic fruity apple aroma.
Peppermint leaf infusion (Kommission E positive) for relief of digestive complaints including flatulence, dyspepsia and spasmodic gastrointestinal…
Dried, seed-free bean pods (Phaseoli fructus sine semine) are recognised as a herbal medicinal product under the German Kommission E and EMA-HMPC:…
Soothing tea for dry irritated cough and hoarseness.
The bark of the European aspen was traditionally used in European folk medicine as a fever-reducing and antirheumatic agent.
Classic expectorant root tea: triterpene saponins act reflexively as a secretolytic, easing expectoration of viscous bronchial mucus.
Infusion of dried sloe fruits used as a mouthwash or gargle for mild inflammation of the oral and pharyngeal mucosa.
Lungwort tea made from aerial parts is traditionally used in European folk medicine for coughs, bronchitis, and throat complaints.
Quince seeds (unbroken) soaked or briefly simmered in water yield a mucilage-rich decoction.
Decoction (long simmering) of the dried, chopped fruiting body used as a general tonic and immune-supporting tea in Traditional Chinese Medicine.
The Kommission E has issued a positive monograph for Rhei radix (rhubarb root): at low doses (0.1–0.3 g crude drug) as a bitter and stomachic for d…
Traditionally used rose-hip tea as a vitamin-C-rich preparation for the supportive treatment and prevention of colds, flu-like infections and gener…
The dried calyces are traditionally used to make a tart red tea, drunk worldwide as a refreshing beverage.
Well-established traditional use for mild dyspeptic complaints such as bloating, flatulence and upper-abdominal cramps.
The traditional tea from the rootstock reflects the historical folk use as a strengthening remedy.
Blackberry leaf tea for non-specific, acute diarrhoeal diseases.
Decoction of willow bark (standardised to salicin) for low back pain, mild joint complaints and fever — positively assessed by Commission E; the EM…
In Mexican folk medicine, Salvia elegans (locally 'mirto' / 'mirto de monte') is a classical tea herb for anxiety, nervous restlessness, stress and…
EMA HMPC and Commission E: sage tea as traditional use for mild dyspeptic complaints such as bloating, heartburn and flatulence.
Traditional diaphoretic flower tea for feverish colds — perspiration-promoting use recognised by EMA as traditional use.
Tea infusion from dried great burnet root for diarrhea, dysentery, and mild peptic ulcers.
Traditionally used in Chinese medicine as a tonic for fatigue and cough and to support lung and kidney function.
In folk medicine, a tea from the leaves was occasionally used for diarrhoea.
Short-term occasional constipation
Folk tea from freshly crushed fruits for general liver support — silymarin poorly water-soluble, but digestive companions dissolve effectively.
Irrigation therapy with goldenrod herb tea for inflammatory urinary tract conditions and prevention of kidney gravel/calculi — positively evaluated…
Traditional infusion of leaves and herb tips for mild digestive complaints: flatulence, bloating, mild cramps.
In South American folk medicine, stevia tea was used for digestive complaints, bloating and general strengthening.
A tea from the flowering shoots has been used since antiquity for digestive complaints such as flatulence, abdominal cramps, nausea and diarrhoea.
Classic bitter tea for digestive complaints.
Tea contains caffeine and has a stimulating effect; it is traditionally consumed as a beverage for enjoyment and alertness.
Classic cough tea for productive cold-related cough — the essential oil has an expectorant and antibacterial action.
Traditional diaphoretic tea at the first signs of a cold.
Traditional diaphoretic tea for the onset of a cold.
Tannin-rich tea for acute mild diarrhoea — the tannins act astringently on the intestinal mucosa.
Infusion of fresh or dried leaves and flowers for urinary tract infections.
Decoction (long simmer) of the dried, chopped fruiting body as an immune-supporting tonic tea in traditional Chinese medicine (Yunzhi).
Turmeric infusion from ground rhizome as digestive tea — bitter taste, choleretic and carminative action.
Acute cough and bronchial catarrh
A decoction of field elm bark was traditionally used in European folk medicine for diarrhoea and intestinal catarrh.
Classic nettle leaf tea for mild rheumatic joint complaints and flushing therapy.
Bilberry decoction for mild diarrhoea as alternative to direct chewing.
Traditional infusion of valerian root for nervous restlessness and mild sleep disorders — classic folk medicine and EMA traditional use.
In folk practice, a small piece of vanilla pod or ½ teaspoon of scraped vanilla seed paste is stirred into hot milk or water and drunk as a calming…
Traditional cough tea for dry irritant cough and catarrh of the respiratory tract (EMA traditional use).
Traditional infusion of flowering vervain herb for catarrhal conditions of the respiratory tract — a constituent of the well-known combination prod…
Infusion of the flowering aerial parts (1–2 g per cup, steep 10 min) for mild colds, coughs, and catarrh of the upper respiratory tract.
Traditional internal herbal tea from flowering wild pansy herb for seborrhoeic skin disorders and cradle cap (infant seborrhoeic dermatitis) — list…
Taken internally for catarrh of the upper respiratory tract; the mucilage and tannins soothe irritated airway mucous membranes.
Traditional horehound herb tea as expectorant for cold-related and irritative cough, and as a bitter remedy for loss of appetite and dyspeptic comp…
Taken as a bitter tea from the dried flowering herb shortly before meals to stimulate appetite and digestion.
Bitter tea for temporary loss of appetite and mild digestive complaints.