NOW - Caring Tea

Product Notes:

"NOW" may not be the first name you think of when it comes to teas (since it's more associated with natural health supplements, essential oils, and skin care products), but it should be recalled that they originated as a small chain of health food stores in the Chicago region in the 1960s and were first formed as NOW Foods in 1968 (and indeed still have a food division).

Their current line of wellness-oriented teas (which have been around since at least 2020 in both the USA (where they're made) and Canada, prior to the Caring Tea designation) draws extensively on what they've learned about supplements over the past 50+ years since then.

They're made with the highest quality Non-GMO ingredients from around the world, with the same types of traditional medicinal herbs and mushrooms that can be found in their and some other high quality supplement brands, and without any artificial colours, flavours, preservatives, or sweeteners.

In other words, they're not designed just to produce a pleasant flavour to encourage more fluid intake, but for a more enduring beneficial effect. And while they're certainly not alone in this approach, they have a very competitive price point, with 48 grams of herbs in 24 two gram bags in every box, compared to only 20 or even just 16 bags of various weights in some alternative brands.

The Caring Teas also help preserve our environment, by being packaged in 100% recyclable cardboard boxes made from recycled materials, without being wrapped in cellophane, and the tea bags themselves are of premium quality, being unbleached, with a no-staples design, so they, too can be recycled (or at least composted).

Although there are five others in this line, altogether, with just one or two ingredients each (Elderberry; Hibiscus; Senna; Turmeric Ginger; and Pau D'arco, which can be brought in by special request), the three blend we have selected to stock to date and their primary ingredients and purposes are:

1) Red Raspberry (for Everyday Wellness): this type was formerly called "Women's Righteous Raspberry" because some of its ingredients, particularly Red Raspberry Leaves and Fenugreek, have been traditionally used to facilitate childbirth and breast milk production or to relieve menstrual cramping, but those two also have other properties (raspberry leaf has a high tannin content, which may help improve the tone of various types of tissue, and fenugreek is also used to promote healthy digestion and overall wellness) and its other ingredients are used to relieve anxiety (Lemon Balm leaves) and to provide antioxidants (especially Vitamin C) and fight inflammation and indigestion (Rose Hip seed pods) and to help lower blood pressure and fluid retention (Hibiscus).

2) Rooibos, Reishi Mushroom (for general Well-Being): To help support your immune system and help you regain your balance in response to stressful events, this variety combines several types of Adaptogens (Reishi and Cordyceps mushrooms, plus Eleuthero root, also known as Siberian Ginseng) with Lemongrass leaves (both for flavour and relieve digestive distress), and of course the top-billed Rooibos, whose physical characteristics and possible anti-oxidant and cardio-protective effects are discussed in these videos.

3) TLC (for Seasonal Wellness): Subtitled as "Throat & Lung Care" in the US market, this type is indeed geared to helping you contend with the Cold & Flu season, with a blend of protective and soothing herbs, including many already well-associated with that purpose here in North America – Elderberry, Licorice Root, Slippery Elm, Eucalyptus,  Echinacea, and Ginger – and one that might not be so familiar: Tulsi (Holy Basil), which is drawn from the Ayurvedic tradition in the East.