Remedium n.5 – Focus

Remedium n.5 – Focus is for contemplative moments. It helps clearing your mind and re-elaborating your thoughts in your study sessions. This herbal tea’s balance of scents and aromas can restore harmony in your breaks or before a meditation session. Focus supports you all day if you love the sweetness of peppermint and basil but if you’re also looking for the freshness of verbena and the moldavian balm. The journey into taste takes us to the Mediterranean area thanks to rosemary and the delicate scent of rhodiola rosea. The final notes of mate, gingko and centella asiatica make this herbal tea a full-bodied beverage with slightly astringent hints.

Verbena, Verbena Officinalis
Centella asiatica, Centella asiatica
Ginkgo Biloba, Ginkgo Biloba
Mate, Ilex paraguariensis
Peppermint, Mentha piperita
Moldavian Balm, Moldavian Dragonhead
Basil, Ocimum Basilicum
Rhodiola Rosea, Rhodiola Rosea
Rosemary, Rosmarinus officinalis

Peppermint, Mentha x piperita

Variety of the genus mentha, peppermint is a plant of European origin which is now cultivated and beloved all over the world; rich in enzymes and flavonoids, it owes most of its beneficial properties to menthol. Appreciated by ancient Egyptians and Greeks, peppermint improves breath and digestion, boosts your nervous system, protects the liver and intestines and relieves the symptoms of flu, colds and diarrhea. When infused, peppermint leaves release the typical aromas and essences and give a pleasant freshness.

Rosemary, Rosmarinus officinalis

Rosemary is a classic plant of the Mediterranean culture and it’s been appreciated for its soothing and medicinal properties for centuries; in medieval culture it is attributed magical properties and it was well known for its various uses and applications. Rosemary is rich in sodium, flavonoids and essential oils and has beneficial properties for the digestive and circulatory system. When infused it improves digestion thanks to its astringent properties and it promotes liver functions.

Ginkgo, Ginkgo biloba

Ginkgo is a prehistoric plant (it dates back until 250 millions years ago) appreciated for its healthy and beneficial properties; its therapeutic and nutritional uses bloom in ancient traditional Chinese medicine and at the beginning of “Western” phytotherapy (herbal medicine). When infused, its leaves release low ginkgolides concentrations which have natural invigorating and antioxidant effects with a light digestive action. Ginkgolide B is the main character here: it acts on microcirculation and it has a strong antioxidant action.

Verbena, Verbena Officinalis

Verbena (Verbena Officinalis L.) is native to Europe and widespread in Italy up to 1400m. In Italy it’s also called “Erba Colombina” or “Erba Crocina” and it has historically been used for its beneficial properties in Roman times when it was considered sacred; as a consequence, all the sacred plants such as laurel, olive and myrtle were called verbena. Flowers and leaves of verbena have always been used as ingredients in herbal teas and preparations with draining, analgesic, antipyretic, calming and diuretic properties. The upper parts of the flowers are used in decoctions or gargling against sore throat.

Centella asiatica, Centella asiatica

Centella asiatica (or Hydrocotyle asiatica) belongs to the Apiaceae family and it’s widely used in traditional Chinese medicine and Ayurveda.Centella asiatica has anti-inflammatory and hypotensive properties. Its oral intake is recommended to improve memory and cognitive abilities but also against fatigue and anxiety and for the treatment of trauma, wounds and circulation problems. Finally, centella asiatica is recommended against sunstroke, tonsillitis, pleurisy, hepatitis, stomach pain, indigestion, but also asthma, anemia and diabetes. When applied to the skin, it turns out to be really useful against wounds and scars, including stretch marks associated with pregnancy.

Matè, Ilex paraguariensis

Mate or yerba mate is an infusion obtained from the leaves of Ilex paraguariensis A. St. Hill. National drink in Argentina and Brazil, mate is almost a ritual, like coffee for Europeans., for its natural caffeine content. Mate extracts are able to activate the so-called TGR5 receptor which is involved in the regulation of basal metabolism and energy consumption and which also boosts the immune system. The making of mate is pretty simple: the ends of the twigs are cut and exposed to heat in order to inactivate the enzymes; in this way the leaves can keep the typical green color. They are subsequently dried and chopped, ready to make herbal infusions.

Moldavian balm, Moldavian Dragonhead

Moldavian balm is a plant which is native to the southern regions of Siberia and the Himalayan area, now spread also in Central and Eastern Europe. It is well suited to cold climates, arid soils and valley floors in both alpine and subalpine areas. Usually it’s 60 cm high, but it reaches up to one and a half meters in height. With its typical dark green leaves, Moldavian balm has lilac-colored flowers with a calyx of 10 cm which is typically tubular bilabiate. Dried flowers and leaves are used to flavor foods and drinks; just by rubbing a moldavian balm leaf you can feel the intense citrus scent thanks to the high content of citrals.

Basil, Ocimum Basilicum

Native to tropical Asia, basil is a plant that – passing through the Middle East – has spread throughout Europe, especially in Italy and southern France; from here it reached all of Europe. There are many properties associated with basil, a plant which is omnipresent on tables of Mediterranean kitchens: considered to be pretty miraculous, it has analgesic, bechic, diuretic, as well as sedative and – last but not least – aphrodisiac properties. Useful against insomnia, asthma, bronchitis, coughs, colds, flu and headaches, basil can increase breast milk during breastfeeding and to soothe the discomfort of insect bites.

Rhodiola Rosea, Rhodiola Rosea

Originally from Northern Europe and North Asia, rhodiola rosea was formerly used in traditional Russian medicine and in Scandinavia as it was considered very useful in the treatment of common cold. Its first uses date back to Vikings times: historical sources mention rhodiola rosea’s invigorating properties which were used as a restorative remedy after prolonged physical exertion. Among the recommended applications, rhodiola is also useful against headaches and fatigue. In the “Materia Medica” by Linnaeus, infused rhodiola is described as an excellent astringent and useful to relieve pain of the oral cavity. The root of the plant is considered to be a panacea in the treatment of skin diseases.

References:

• Wagner, H., & Ulrich-Merzenich, G. (2013). Evidence and rational based research on Chinese drugs. Wien: Springer.
• Fitoterapia, impiego razionale delle droghe vegetali, F. Capasso G. Grandolini A.A. Izzo Springer
• Bates SH, Jones RB, Bailey CJ, Insulin-like effect of pinitol, British Journal of Pharmacology 2000; 130(8): 1944-1948
• Kamara BI, et al., Polyphenols from honeybush tea, Journal Agricultural Food Chemistry 2003; 51(13): 3874-3879
• Kenneth M. Klemow, Andrew Bartlow e Justin Crawford, Herbal Medicine: Biomolecular and Clinical Aspects
• Barnes Joan, Anderson A. Linda, Phillipson David J. Herbal Medicines, Pharmaceutical Press 2007.
• Blumenthal M., Goldberg A., Brinckmann J (Ed). Expanded Commission E Monographs, American Botanical Council and Integrative Medicine Communications 2000.
• European Scientific Cooperative on Phytotherapy (Ed). Melissea folium, ESCOP Monographs on the Medicinal Uses of Plants Drugs, Centre for Complementary Health Studies, Université d’Exeter 1996.
• Franchomme P. et Pénoël D. L’aromathérapie exactement. Encyclopédie de l’utilisation thérapeutique des huiles essentielles. (L’aromaterapia esattamente. Enciclopedia dell’utilizzo terapeutico degli oli essenziali).
• Roger Jollois Éditeur 1990 Pizzorno JE Jr, Murray Michael T (Ed). Textbook of Natural Medicine, Churchill Livingstone 2006
• Organisation mondiale de la santé (Organizzazione mondiale della sanità). WHO monographs on selected medicinal plants, vol. 2, Suisse, 2002.