Inflammation in our body can cause all kinds of health issues including arthritis, gout, heart disease, fatigue, chronic pain and much more. There are several healthy herbs and plants that can be made into tea that studies have shown to have anti-inflammation properties that can alleviate many of these health problems and promote better health.
Inflammation is the cause for many health problems and diseases including premature aging. A recent study found three plants can reverse inflammation and the health problems associated with inflammation and can also be anti-aging.
How Inflammation Affects our Health
Inflammation can be a good thing, but when it happens in our bodies without reason, it can cause many health problems. Inflammation is good when it promotes healing by bringing blood and healing white blood cells to an injured area like a bruise or a cut.
This is the redness we see when we are injured or bruised. But then there is inflammation for no apparent reason in the body and it can cause many health problems and illnesses. Some of the health problems associated with inflammation includes:
- Arthritis
- Gout
- Lupus
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Myocarditis, which is inflammation of the heart and can cause mild chest pains Inflammation of the blood vessels (vasculitis) causing rashes, headaches and possibly organ damage
- Bronchiolitis causes inflammation of the tubes that brings air into the lungs and can cause shortness of breath.
- Heart disease
- Diabetes
- Alzheimer’s
- Certain cancers
- Abnormal fatigue and aches and pain
Plants that Reverse Inflammation and aging
A study conducted at Kingston University in London, England and printed in the Journal of Inflammation showed three plants do in fact have anti-aging properties and can reverse inflammation [1].
The study was conducted to find out how efficient the extracts of certain plants were at reducing inflammation and their possible antioxidant properties. The plant extract used in this study were:
- White tea in the form of freeze dried powder
- Witch Hazel in the form of dried aerial herb
- Rose tincture
- White tea eye gel
Basically, the study measured the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties of these three plant extracts. Oxidation is one reason for wrinkles of the skin and other damage to our bodies and this is why antioxidants are so important to our health.
When we get a cut, arthritis or a tissue injury or bruise, the body produces a cytokine called interleukin 8. This cytokine puts the white blood cells to the injured area to start the healing process. If this process continues or starts for no apparent reason, inflammation starts and can cause the above mentioned health problems.
The study used human skin cells with these plant mixtures to find out the anti-inflammation and antioxidant effects on skin and how well each of them reduced the inflammation and oxidation process.
These three plant extracts were found to significantly decrease the production of interleukin 8 and reducing inflammation. These plant mixtures were found to considerably suppress damage to the skin with white tea showing the best anti-inflammation results.
Other studies found that white tea (camellia sinensis Kuntze), Rose (Rosa alternifolia L.) and witch hazel (Hamamelis virginiana L.) were found to have high antioxidant and anti-aging properties.
This is why you find these plant extracts in many skin care products. Flavonoids and phytochemicals in many foods like grains, fruits and vegetables can also reduce inflammation and the associated health problems caused by inflammation.
Other Plant and Herbal Remedies to Reduce Inflammation
In the previous study at Kingston University that tested 23 plants and herbs for anti-aging and anti-inflammation found the following results [2].
The best anti-elastase properties were white tea, cleavers, burdock root, bladderwrack (a type of seaweed) and anise and angelica. The best Anti-collagenase properties were found in white tea, green tea, rose tincture and lavender.
The best plants that had the highest antioxidant (TEAC) properties were white tea, green tea, rose tincture and rose aqueous.
Anti-Inflammation and Anti-Aging
The standard American or western diet is believed to promote unhealthy inflammation that causes many health problems. If you suffer from any of the symptoms of inflammation, changing your diet to a healthier diet will certainly help. Along with a diet change, you can reverse the damage of inflammation with these three plants.
Both studies show that just drinking white tea can have anti-aging and anti-inflammation health benefits since white tea has shown the highest anti-aging, anti-inflammation and antioxidant properties of all herbs and plants that were tested.
When looking for commercial skin products, you should look for any of these three plants in the ingredients that can protect your skin from aging, wrinkles, UV damage and inflammation.
By adding these healthy herbs and teas to your daily diet can help relieve health issues that are related to inflammation.
About the Author
Sam Montana is a certified Food Over Medicine instructor from the Wellness Forum Health Center and certified in optimal nutrition from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
Copyright © 2011-2019 Sam Montana
Resources:
[1] Journal of Inflammation - 2011, 8:27 doi:10.1186/1476-9255-8-27 “Antioxidant and potential anti-inflammatory activity of extracts and formulations of white tea, rose, and witch hazel on primary human dermal fibroblast cells”. Tamsyn SA Thring1, Pauline Hili and Declan P Naughton
[2] PubMed - Thring TS, Hili P, Naughton DP. Anti-collagenase, anti-elastase and anti-oxidant activities of extracts from 21 plants. BMC Complement Altern Med. 2009 Aug 4;9:27. doi: 10.1186/1472-6882-9-27. PMID: 19653897; PMCID: PMC2728709.
