Tea Time: Immunity Boosting

**In Tea Time, Owl's Brew provides information about various teas & botanicals, and how you can incorporate these into your wellness routine**

Some of you may (or may not!) know that we actually started as a tea company, Brew Lab Tea. Jennie (our co-founder) is a certified Tea Sommelier. She spent years blending and brewing teas for restaurants and coffee shops in New York City. Some blends were for flavor, some for function and some just for fun.

For our first Tea Time, we've asked her to give us a rundown on the best immunity boosting teas, botanicals and spices -- and a few fun ways we can incorporate teas and botanicals into our quarantine.

All of the teas and tisanes listed here should be easily found at your local grocery store or online, but make sure to read the ingredients! You're looking for whole ingredients (organic if possible) - natural flavors won't give you the benefits you're after.

Green Tea

I'm sure you've all heard about the myriad of benefits you can get from drinking Green Tea, and an immunity boost is high on the list. Green Tea is chock full of polyphenols (antioxidants), which stave off free radicals. Some studies also suggest it has anti-microbial properties, and might inhibit the growth of bacteria and viruses in our systems as well.

How to Enjoy

Brew yourself up a cup. It's delicious hot or cold. There are lots of green tea options available at your local grocery store. If you prefer your green tea spiked, try our Wicked Margarita.

Ginger

Ginger is not only delicious, but it is loaded with nutrients and bioactive compounds that can benefit your body and brain, including anti-inflammatory properties, reducing nausea and helping fight symptoms of the common cold, to name a few. Gingerol is the bioactive ingredient in ginger, and has been shown to help lower the risk of infections, including some research that suggests it might be effective against RSV virus (a common cause for respiratory infections).

How to Enjoy

Similar to green tea, you can find lots of teas at your local store that have ginger in them. You can also purchase fresh ginger and brew fresh ginger in hot water (maybe with a little lemon!). Hello, immunity.

Ginger is also great for the whole family, so brew them up some ginger tea, or throw some fresh ginger in your dinner!

Chamomile

Chamomile is best known for it's soothing properties. It's been shown to aid in reducing stress and help you fall asleep faster, which we could probably all use a little bit of these days! Some studies suggest that it may boost the immune system as well and if you inhale steaming chamomile, it may actually help reduce the symptoms of the common cold.

How to Enjoy

Brew yourself a cup of chamomile tea before bed (we love it with a little raw honey), or try a chamomile steam if you are feeling a little stuffy!

Bonus Round

You can also brew chamomile tea to a concentrate, and add it to your bath. Over this quarantine, Jennie has been brewing a chamomile-lemon balm-lavender for her little kids several nights a week. Just brew chamomile (and any other ingredients) in a regular size pot of boiling water, about 3x as much as you would use for a regular cuppa, and let it steep for 30 minutes. Jennie then uses a French Press to pour it in for the children's bath time. Chamomile soothes the skin, lemon balm is antibacterial, and the scent is very calming pre-bedtime.

Echinacea

Did your mom ever tell you to take echinacea when you felt a cold coming on? Well she was probably on to something. Echinacea is loaded with antioxidants, and probably best recognized for it's immune boosting benefits. Several studies suggest that it may help your immune system fight viruses as well and even help you recover faster. We're taking Echinacea about 3x a day.

How to Enjoy

Most grocery stores will have an echinacea tea, or you can order on Amazon. You may also be able to find echinacea in a concentrated form to add to water, or just take on it's own. It's caffeine free and great for the whole family (recommended for children over the age of 12).

Turmeric

You might have seen Turmeric lattes popping up on the menu at your local coffee shop recently, and for good reason. It's delicious and has a laundry list of benefits. Fun fact, it's also a cousin of ginger! Turmeric has been shown to help soothe the gut, and is loaded with B6, iron and potassium. Research around Curcumin (a compound found in turmeric) suggest that it may help fight off a variety of viruses, including the flu.

How to Enjoy

Turmeric is generally sold in powder form. We love it in a latte (warm up your favorite milk and stir in), or as "golden milk" with coconut milk and a little honey. You can also add it your stir fries, soups, or smoothies! Or buy turmeric root & DIY!

Anything with Citrus

Lemon and orange are common ingredients in tea blends. You may see lemon peel or orange peel on the ingredient list (or you can even add a squeeze of fresh citrus into your favorite tea). Citrus is loaded with Vitamin C, and

excellent for helping boost your immunity.

How to Enjoy

Either purchase a tea with dried citrus or add a squeeze of lemon or orange to your favorite tea. We love lemon with Chamomile Tea,

Green Tea, or even a Black Tea. Or try an orange squeeze in a White Tea. A citrus boost is always in order.

Lemongrass

Lemongrass is loaded with Vitamin C, which helps boost immunity. It also has antibacterial and anti-fungal properties, that may help you with symptoms of the common cold. It's also very calming!

How to Enjoy

You can buy fresh lemongrass and steep it for 5 minutes in hot water. There are also lots of preprepared teas that contain lemongrass, if you prefer that!

*Please note, these benefits have been studied in small groups and should not be used instead of any doctor recommendations or as treatment to any ailments. You should consult a professional before drinking any teas, herbs or botanicals if you are on medication, pregnant or treating an ailment.