We’re going back to the roots of wellness, literally.
In this new age of modern medicine, there are so many products out there that claim to treat various illnesses, help consumers lose weight, or promise to cleanse and detox the body. But those products themselves are often made in a lab with synthetic products. However, people have been using herbal remedies to help with those same issues since as far back as 60,000 years ago, according to research in the journal of Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine.
This week I tried two different teas from ZABICOLife, a herbal tea company. It was founded by Gladstone St. Auburn Etienne, a master herbalist who wants to introduce the magic of herbal remedies to the masses. The company has different blends that range from wellness teas to detox teas to even a CBD tea.
Gladstone hand selects every herb that goes into these products, making up different all-natural blends. There are no added dyes, preservatives, or natural flavorings. These teas also come loose, without a tea bag, so drinkers will need a tea strainer.
Each bag has a small paragraph about herbalism and Gladstone that lets consumers know that they fill every cup, “with good vibes and healing energy for your health and enjoyment.”
CBD-Infused Body Relax Tea
5 mg of CBD per serving
$59.99 per 50 gram bag (28 cups)
The first blend I tried was the CBD Body Relax tea. This is the only CBD-infused tea that the company offers. As its name suggests, it promotes relaxation and reduces anxiety. ZABICOLife also said the tea is THC free.
It is made with 100% organic, vegan ingredients including 140 mg of CBD (5 mg per serving), Hawthorn leaves and flowers, passionflower, chamomile, spearmint, lemon balm, and catnip.
I have never seen a tea with catnip; I was surprised it was in the ingredients. But upon further research, I found that catnip is not just something that makes cats go wild, it can actually be really calming for us humans too.
The brewing instructions suggest consumers should steep the tea for 10-15 minutes, and consume it 30 minutes before eating or an hour-two after a meal. Ten to 15 minutes is a long time to steep the tea (for comparison, other teas like green tea take 3-4 minutes). But herbal teas do tend to take longer and have better results when steeping for a longer period of time, reports Healthline.
After brewing, the tea was a greenish yellow color. The flavor was very reminiscent of a chamomile tea. It’s a bit earthy but in a good way. Overall it had a subtle flavor — just enough to make it enjoyable to drink.
As for the CBD’s effects, I felt very relaxed after drinking this tea. I wanted to just lie down and watch a movie. That said, this would make a great nighttime tea. The company uses these ingredients to aid relaxation — and the herbs are doing their job.
It’s important to note that while there was a certificate of analysis (COA), no actual lab results were available to confirm how much CBD was in the tea. The only information the COA provided about cannabinoid content was that there was “10% CBD by weight of powder.”
As such, it is unclear whether the product is THC-free, or actually contains the same amount of CBD as advertised.
4.5/5 emeralds
Rooibos Hibiscus Tea
$29.99 per 50 gram bag (28 cups)
The second tea I tried was the Rooibos Hibiscus Tea. This tea is supposed to help with a healthier lifestyle.
The ingredients include rooibos, hibiscus flower, lavender, rose petals, olive leaves, blueberries, and raisins. These ingredients have antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties, which is good for the heart, and both the digestive and immune systems, according to Healthline.
The brewing instructions were the same as the CBD tea, let it steep for 10-15 minutes, and consume 30 minutes before eating or an hour or two after eating. When brewing the tea it almost immediately turns a vibrant red color that is rather beautiful.
The taste when it first entered my mouth was kind of bitter. But as soon as I swallowed it, the taste changed to a more flowery and earthy hibiscus flavor. It seems to only be bitter when it was sitting in my mouth. I personally felt like this made it hard to drink. The taste as a whole was fine, but the bitter taste made it hard to even swallow for me.
3/5 emeralds
Final thoughts on ZABICOLife’s Herbal Tea
According to the Mad Tea Club, the average price of a cuppa is about 25-50 cents per cup. That said, ZABICOLife’s herbal teas are a little on the pricier end. But I do not consider the prices outrageous. Each bag is supposed to last for about a month, which comes out to less than a dollar per cup.
Important to note that these teas are antioxidants and therefore they do run through you. I would recommend drinking these in places where you will for sure have a bathroom nearby.
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