Yerba Santa Tea – A Native American Traditional Tea
Yerba Santa Tea
Yerba Santa is a low growing flowering plant that grows in California, Oregon, Mexico, and in some parts of Nevada near the Sierra Nevada Mountains. This plant loves growing in mountain areas and is seen growing along side the road much of the time.
Native Americans used Yerba Santa Tea all the time for healing, then it was adopted by the Spanish and for healing. The natives would smoke or chew the herb for asthma and other lung complaints.
7 Health Benefits of Yerba Santa Tea
1. Expectorant
Yerba Santa Tea is a powerful expectorant and decongestant that works well for colds, flues, and any other kind of lung problem.
Also works well for allergies, bronchitis, and asthma helping to open up the lungs for easier breathing.
2. Anti-inflammatory
Yerba Santa Tea is a good anti-inflammatory and works well for topical rashes and poison oak. And it’s sometimes used in combination with a mixture of salt and vinegar for these applications.
3. Urinary Tract Infections
Because Yerba Santa is a good anti-inflammatory it also helps with inflammation of the bladder and urethra.
4. Hemorrhoids
Yerba Santa Tea can also be used to topically treat painful veins associated with hemorrhoids.
5. Natural Mouth Wash
The leaves can be sun dried and chewed giving the breath a nice sweet smell. It starts out a little bitter but after chewing a few more times it becomes very sweet.
6. Full of lots of good stuff
Yerba Santa contains lots of phenolic compounds including zantheridol, homoeriodictyol, chrysocriol, eriodonel, fatty acids, glucose, and plant sterols. Most of these are powerful flavonoids that help to prevent disease. And there are new studies underway using Yerba Santa for treating cancer.
7. No Known Side Effects
At this point in time there are no known side effects of Yerba Santa Tea, but as always it should not be used by nursing mothers or pregnant women.
How to Use Yerba Santa Tea
Making Tea – You can collect the plants in the summer time and allow them to air dry. Don’t stack them together… they need lots of space to dry well. Then crush about 1 to 2 teaspoons and steep in hot water for 5 to 10 minutes… your tea is ready.
Tincture – You can also infuse Yerba Santa into alcohol for making tinctures.
Edible – You can also chew on Yerba Santa straight, it has a nice sweet and slightly spicy flavour that most people enjoy.
Spiritual Uses – The Native American’s used Yerba Santa for smudging and for clearing away spirits and powerful emotions. It’s also said to help with depression and opening a spiritual door to the divine.
Finding – Most people go out and find their own Yerba Santa for tea… but it can also be ordered on-line or asked for at your local health food store.
This article is meant to get you started… so you can do more research on your own… dig a little deeper and find what works for you. This article is for educational purposes only, I strongly recommend that you seek advice from your own GP, private doctor, or medical specialist for any ailment, illness, or medical condition.
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Dr. Paul Haider – Master Herbalist and Spiritual Teacher for over 20 years, helping people to recover and feel healthy. You can also find Dr. Haider on FB under Dr. Paul Haider, Healing Herbs, and at www.paulhaider.com – feel free to contact him any time. Also check out Dr. Haider’s radio show at http://www.thesourcecenterradio.com/The-Relaxed-Soul.html
