Did you know that herbs and spices have been historically used for centuries for their antimicrobial properties to increase the safety and shelf life of food products by acting as a shield against pathogens and bacteria that would otherwise spoil the foods? Plants with antimicrobial properties have also been long used in traditional medicine as treatment for viruses and bacterial infections! Here at Tea & Honey, we like to keep things as natural as possible, so when our throats start to itch and our noses begin to get a little sniffly, we brew up a pot of one of our medicinal tisanes... and take a few teaspoons of raw honey for good measure!

This month we are featuring one of our newer tisanes, and one that we think will help many in our communiTEA during this cold and flu season; Inhale.

Inhale was created using only the best organic and wildcrafted ingredients known to support the respiratory system and soothe the nervous system. Who doesn’t need a little of that this time of year? You may be wondering what these magical herbs and spices are and why they are beneficial… so here’s the rundown!

The main ingredient and rockstar in Inhale is *Blue Vervain. This herb, from the Verbenaceae family, has anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antispasmodic, and analgesic properties and has long been used to treat upper respiratory infections. Blue Vervain acts as an expectorant and can help expel mucus and phlegm that accumulate in the respiratory tracts. We’ve included peppermint to help this whole process along, by soothing the throat, opening the sinuses, and helping to break down mucus. Perhaps one of the more unexpected ingredients, licorice, is known to help relax bronchial spasms, and may provide alleviation from upper respiratory infections.

Now to spice things up! Ginger, revered for its anti-inflammatory properties, also helps to break down mucus and improve circulation to the lungs.  Fennel seeds are packed with anti-inflammatory volatile oils and antioxidants that can help keep the risk of a cold or the flu at bay. Cinnamon and cardamom, both antibacterial and antimicrobial, can help prevent a bacterial infection that could affect the lungs. They also taste pretty amazing! Cardamom has the added benefit of being analgesic, it is not only cooling and soothing but also acts as a powerful anti-inflammatory. And that’s it! As you can see, Inhale is an all natural herbal infusion made up of some pretty amazing antibacterial, antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory ingredients.

Now for our little testimony… Our Queen Bee, Hayley, caught a cold when we were blending new tisanes last spring; before this hit the shelves she decided to put it to the test. She drank this infusion 3-4 times a day for a couple of days and by the third day she was feeling great! Now, we’re not saying that this tisane is going to make your sickness disappear immediately but it may help shorten the duration of your cold or flu! So, what do you think? Will you come in and enjoy a deep breath with this uplifting, purifying herbal infusion?

On sale from 1/15/20 - 2/11/20 for $2.50 by the cup and $10 for a bag!

* Blue Vervain is not recommended for use during pregnancy or lactation.