9:30 Coffee Break: Tea and Herbal Remedies
by Jill Riley and Brian Oake
April 20, 2016
There has been a lot of talk about substances like green tea and various herbs and their health benefits.
According to conventional wisdom, tea — and green tea in particular — is often said to be good for your health due to antioxidants found in tea that are said to lower risk for heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. But the Harvard Medical School says it's important to keep this in perspective. "Tea consumption, especially green tea, may not be the magic bullet, but it can be incorporated in an overall healthy diet," says Qi Sun, assistant professor in the Department of Nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health.
The situation is similar when it comes to herbal remedies. According to the National Institutes of Health at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, herbs are plants or plant parts used for their scents, flavors or therapeutic properties. Herbal medicines are dietary supplements used to maintain or improve health, and they often sold as tablets, capsules, powders, teas, extracts, and fresh or dried plants.
But the National Institute of Health issues the caveat that many people believe that products labeled "natural" are always safe and good for them, but this is not necessarily true. The NIH advises people who are thinking about using herbal medicine to get information on it from reliable sources. Make sure to tell your health care provider about any herbal medicines you are taking.
But all this informative talk about tea and herbal medicines has reminded us that a lot of songs also make reference to tea and herbs.
So for today's 9:30 Coffee Break, what songs do you want to hear refer to tea, herbs or herbal medicine? Send us your requests.
Songs Played
Scarborough Fair/Canticle - Simon & Garfunkel
Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Grows) - Edison Lighthouse
Lavender - Ray LaMontagne
I Am Chemistry - Yeasayer
Mellow Yellow - Donovan
Sweet Leaf - Black Sabbath
Incense and Peppermints - Strawberry Alarm Clock
Do you deserve a Coffee Break? We at The Current's Morning Show think you do, and we want to bring coffee and treats from Black Coffee and Waffle Bar to your workplace. Let us know why you'd like a Coffee Break – or request your own idea for a future topic.