FamilyOTC Health and Beauty Products

Peppermint is a perennial plant that produces light purple flowers and green leaves with serrated edges. Commonly used as a flavoring in products such as candy, chewing gum, toothpaste, and ice cream, peppermint also has been used traditionally to cool the body by promoting sweating, which can help support the respiratory system. Peppermint has also been widely used to support digestion and to soothe an occasional minor upset stomach.

Assam is a black tea named after the region of its production: Assam, India. Assam tea is created specifically from the plant Camellia sinensis var. assamica. This tea, most of which is grown at or near sea level, is known for its body, briskness, malty flavor, and strong, bright color.

Spearmint Leaf has been used for culinary and medicinal purposes since the time of the ancient Romans. It is mildly soothing and relaxing overall. Ayurveda says that this herb can help to clear the mind and senses. Like all mints, spearmint is a mild !@&*# that can help support the respiratory system.

Cinnamon Bark comes from a small evergreen tree that is native to Sri Lanka. Cinnamon is a pungent, sweet and hot spice that can warm and invigorates the body and support function of the respiratory and digestive systems. It can also help to promote circulation to the joints and support immune function.

Ginger Root, the underground stem, or rhizome, of the plant Zingiber officinale, has been used in many herbal traditions since ancient times. In Ayurveda, ginger is known as the wonder herb, and it's no wonder, since Ayurveda uses ginger for a wide variety of conditions, including supporting digestion. Historically, ginger root was one of the most respected herbs for supporting joint health. Ginger has also been traditionally used to support healthy peripheral circulation, so it can help warm up cold hands and feet, and will also promote sweating when that is needed.

Cardamom seed is a uniquely flavored culinary herb in the ginger family. But cardamom seed is more than its delicious flavor. This herb is warming and has been traditionally used to support healthy stomach and digestive function as well as the respiratory system.

Not only is Black Pepper one of the most widely used culinary spices in the world, it also has a long history of use in traditional herbal medicine. A spicy herb that can help support digestion, it also supplies antioxidants, which can help to reduce free radicals. As a diuretic, black pepper can support water balance in the body.

Stevia is a genus of about 240 species of herbs and shrubs in the sunflower family native to subtropical and tropical South America and Central America. The leaf is used primarily as a sweetener in South America. Locals there use it as a substitute for sugar for those who can't use sugar. Various glycosides, including stevoside - which is about 100 to 200 times sweeter than sugar - provide the sweetness. It is widely used as a non-sugar sweetener in other areas of the world, particularly in Japan.

Kola nut (Cola acuminata) is the seed kernel of a large African tree. The nut is reddish gray in color, about an inch in size, and grows in long pods containing from five to twelve seeds each. It is widely popular in the tropics to support energy, and folks in West Africa use the nuts as a social snack, chewing them raw.

Guarana seed (Paullinia cupana) is from a climbing evergreen that's native to the Amazon regions of Brazil and Venezuela. The indigenous people of the Amazon have traditionally used Guarana to help decrease fatigue. Guarana is thought by herbalists to be energizing, but less jangling than coffee.

Clove Buds are the aromatic dried flower buds of a tree in the Myrtle family. The English name clove derives from Latin clavus (nail), as the shape of the buds resembles small nails. Clove bud is widely used as a spice in ancient Asian herbal traditions. With a warming quality, clove supports circulation and digestion.

Bring water just to boiling and steep 4 to 6 minutes. For a stronger tea, use 2 tea bags. Drink 2 to 4 cups a day.