Brazilian Mint Tea
Brazilian Mint Tea as a Painkiller: Growing and Using
The more you read about herbs, the more fascinating they become. The medicinal properties of various herbs have been known for a long time. In fact one of the major uses for herbs is as part of a medicinal garden. The medicinal properties of ginger, the green tea herb Camellia sinensis and the valerian herb (To name just a few) are well known. Likewise tisanes and teas made from herbs have countless benefits. Well recently gardeners have some great news. They can add an extra herb to their long list: Brazilian Mint Tea also known as Hortela.
Traditional medicine in Brazil has known for years about the benefits of drinking Brazilian Mint Tea, however it has taken those outside Brazil a while to catch on. Healers in the areas where it grows have prescribed the drink for everything pain related for centuries and it is a common drink given to people with influenza.
The pain killing properties were recently reported in the journal Acta Horticulturae. According to a test performed by Newcastle University the pain relief was not significantly different from painkillers. This is amazing news for herbal medicine specialists who now have proof of its effectiveness.
The taste of Brazilian Mint Tea is the only thing that potentially stands in its way, as despite being related to mint lacks its delicate flavor and instead has a slightly unpleasant taste somewhat similar to rosemary (Which belongs to the same family).
Growing Brazilian Mint Tea
Growing Brazilian Mint Tea is similar to growing any of the garden mints. It also has a similar tendency to try and take over the entire garden! This is also a good thing, because as a result the plant has evolved to grow in the kind of poor quality soils that would kill another species. To protect the rest of the garden from rampaging mint, many gardeners grow these herbs in pots or inside. It is great for gardeners in smaller places as it requires little sunshine. The only drawback being that it requires relatively hot temperatures, so make sure it is not too cold.
Once some growth has established itself, it is time to prevent the herb from directing its resources into flowering. This can most effectively be done by snipping off the buds whenever you see them. A large amount of buds is a sign that your plant is ready to be harvested. As a plant that likes the dark, the best time to harvest it is in the early morning as a lot of its flavorful oils cannot survive in the suns rays. It can be harvested and dried out by hanging it upside down in a cool, dry place. Once dried, it can then be crumbled and water added to make Brazilian Mint Tea. To really get the full extent of the effects, it is recommended that the Brazilian Mint Tea is left for 30 minutes before it is consumed! That may sound excessive, but it is the surest way to get the maximum medicinal benefits from it.
