Why use the highest grade and quality of herbs?
Herbs are beautiful and powerful, but they’re also misunderstood. It’s easy to assume that if it says ‘peppermint’ on one box of tea and ‘peppermint’ on another, both options must be the same; the choice is a matter of what flavour combination, brand, or price you prefer – right? No, it’s not that straightforward.
The quality spectrum
Herbal teas and supplements vary greatly in quality – they might all contain actual herbs, but the full make up of each herb, such as the essential oil content, may be lacking. As a result, the tea or supplement may not be as powerful (or tasty) as it could be; it might be completely ineffective, with no nutritional value at all.
One reason for the difference is down to the long road herbs can take from being grown to reaching you. Herbs need to be produced with care from the start, but standards vary enormously around the world. For example, overly harsh drying can rob the herb of its best qualities; too little can leave moisture causing mould to grow. Herbs are also graded according to their quality, reflecting the amount of extra care that go into assuring standards.