Boy, this was a tricky one to rate. I’d originally bought it to send to our daughter. I’d already seen a box in her tea cupboard & saw she was low. But the bag I’d bought it in got misplaced and packed away. It resurfaced recently, so I thought I would try it, rather than send an older box!
This is where I wondered what was in it. “Huh! Eleuthero—I wonder what that is. I’ve never seen that before in any of the other herbal teas I’ve had.” Quite frankly, after reading about it on WebMD (you can look it up there), I got pretty worried why there were NO NOTICES on the box that people with certain medical conditions should NOT drink it. You’ll be glad to know that " Eleuthero is likely safe when used for up to 3 months. ..There isn’t enough reliable information to know if eleuthero is safe to use for longer than 3 months." WebMD also notes “There isn’t enough reliable information to know if eleuthero is safe to use when pregnant or breast-feeding. Stay on the safe side and avoid use.” Likewise they discourage use by people with heart conditions, high blood pressure, diabetes & certain medications, like those for blood clotting!
Quite honestly, it seems to me that Celestial Seasonings—a very reliable long-standing herbal tea-blending firm—should have SOME kind of caution or warning on their label for this tea. It’s a reminder that just because something is “natural”, comes from nature—doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be careful and look twice to make sure it’s right for us or for our families.
Eluthero is the first ingredient listed, so by law that means by weight there’s more of it than any other ingredient, then the second by second-most, and on down the line. Here is the list of ingredients: ‘ELEUTHERO, PEPPERMINT, CINNAMON, GINGER, CHAMOMILE, LEMONGRASS, LICORICE, CATNIP, TILIA FLOWERS, NATURAL LEMON FLAVOR WITH OTHER NATURAL FLAVORS, HOPS, PYRIDOXINE HYDROCHLORIDE (VITAMIN B6) AND CYANOCO-BALAMIN (VITAMIN B12).
Even if that main ingredient has been “softened” by all the others, I wonder if someone who has low blood sugar (which eleuthero can further drop) or who takes a blood thinner (which eleuthero can also affect)—if someone with those conditions really liked this tea—could it affect them if they were to drink a lot of it, especially daily?
The "BLENDMASTER’S NOTES" say: “This soothing blend begins with eleuthero, an Asian herb popular for centuries because of the sense of calm and wellbeing it imparts. We’ve added cooling peppermint, spicy ginger and tangy lemon flavor to create an uplifting and restorative blend that can bring harmony to any moment of your day.”
I didn’t find it that enjoyable. It’s pretty odd and medicinal-tasting: woody, kind of bitter, and very hard to describe since it’s truly out of the ordinary realm of teas. I did not taste the lemon, or cinnamon, or ginger—tho maybe that weird taste kick could have been from the ginger. I don’t know how catnip or tilia flowers taste, so it’s possible I detected them, but thought it was something else. There are two vitamins added: B6 and B12—also not usual for herb teas!—so perhaps the addition of those serve to counteract or balance?
Whatever, this is a weird tea. It’s not really unpleasant, but the overwhelmingly medicinal quality doesn’t make it something I’d want to reach for again. Plus after having spread drinking this over three months, so that I didn’t risk my blood sugar levels, I’m just glad this box is over. And I never felt more relaxed than I would over a cup of regular tea.
Have a cup of good quality decaf tea with lemon & honey instead.
Flavors: Astringent, Bitter, Camphor, Cedar, Chemical, Fennel Seed, Ginseng, Heavy, Hops, Leather, Licorice Root, Malty, Medicinal, Menthol, Mint, Pungent, Resin, Thick, Wet wood
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It’s been years since I’ve tried this, but at the time, I think I was a little underwhelmed.
Most herbs, spices, and even foods can impact preexisting conditions and/or medications. Amount and frequency have a big impact, so variety in both teas and diet can help reduce risk. It is still always worthwhile to check new ingredients, or if there is anything to adjust in your diet if a new condition crops up or you start a new medication. You sometimes hear this summed up in the saying, “food is medicine.”
It’s been years since I’ve tried this, but at the time, I think I was a little underwhelmed.
Most herbs, spices, and even foods can impact preexisting conditions and/or medications. Amount and frequency have a big impact, so variety in both teas and diet can help reduce risk. It is still always worthwhile to check new ingredients, or if there is anything to adjust in your diet if a new condition crops up or you start a new medication. You sometimes hear this summed up in the saying, “food is medicine.”