New Study by MUBS Researchers Highlights Benefits of Herbal Teas in Medical Treatments

By Izy Abdul Hal, 21 May, 2021.

A new study published in the peer-reviewed journal Frontiers in Pharmacology highlights the beneficial role of herbal teas from Lebanon and the Mediterranean in medical treatments. The article by MUBS’s Dr. Latifa Attieh and her colleagues, titled “A Comparison Study on Traditional Mixtures of Herbal Teas Used in Eastern Mediterranean Area”, has officially been published as an original research article on the 23rd of April 2021.

Dr. Attieh has delved deep into the traditional and industrial role of flowers in the herbal teas of both Greek and other Mediterranean cultures, and reported that flowers are not simply an aesthetically pleasing plant, but they also offer medical properties, aromas, and flavor.

The research has found that industrial variations of these flowers have led to poor versions of these herbal teas that are ‘extremely simplified’ and leads to the ‘degradation of traditional herbal mixtures’ states Dr. Attieh. The study has suggested that flowers be given scientific labels so that the misplacement and replacement of ingredients can be avoided.

Samples of plants used for experimentation were collected in Syria with the help of Gonzallo Matilla and Maria Gomez in Turkey; samples from Iranian plants were also collected in collaboration with medical experts in Greece for the sake of combinatorial analysis.

In the study, Dr. Attieh draws our attention to the powerful natural properties of flowers as aerial plants that provide stomach relief; floral teas that are used to treat colds and constipation, and other elements of flowers that are used in the manufacturing of sedative medicines.

This leads us to the question- are herbal teas all that they seem? Dr. Attieh clearly states that they are not just a warm drink. Depending on the mixture and combination style of the roses and chamomile flowers in each culture (Iran, Greece, and Turkey) – these herbal teas carry out different effects. Collectively, these herbal teas entail medical potential that should be further studied.

So, the question still remains, what is the best tea to drink? Well, you will have to read the article to find out:

https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphar.2021.632692/full

 

If you would like more information about this topic, please contact Dr. Latifa Attieh on lattieh@mubs.edu.lb