Guest guest Posted January 15, 2008 Report Share Posted January 15, 2008 Hello Susan, I recently was reading about pine needle tea. Seems simple enough to make > and is supposed to have some health benefit to it. I'm curious because I do > love the scent of pine and was wondering what a pine needle tea would taste > like. Has anyone ever made it and if so did you add anything to it? Susan > I often had pine needle teas while in Turkey. The taste is similar to the odor. Some folks used sugar and some used honey. In the Near East and in Greece there are many things flavored with pine .. teas, candies and liquers. I can't provide references for proven therapeutic properties but it is not harmful .. and they have been used for centuries in that area .. so there is obviously some benefit. Y'all keep smiling. :-) Butch .. http://www.AV-AT.com <http://www.av-at.com/> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 16, 2008 Report Share Posted January 16, 2008 Thank you, Butch. I think I'm going to give it a try. Susan , " Butch Owen " <butchowen wrote: > > Hello Susan, > > I recently was reading about pine needle tea. Seems simple enough to make > > and is supposed to have some health benefit to it. I'm curious because I do > > love the scent of pine and was wondering what a pine needle tea would taste > > like. Has anyone ever made it and if so did you add anything to it? Susan > > > > I often had pine needle teas while in Turkey. The taste is similar to the > odor. Some folks used sugar and some used honey. In the Near East and in > Greece there are many things flavored with pine .. teas, candies and > liquers. I can't provide references for proven therapeutic properties but > it is not harmful .. and they have been used for centuries in that area .. > so there is obviously some benefit. > > Y'all keep smiling. :-) > > Butch .. http://www.AV-AT.com <http://www.av-at.com/> > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 16, 2008 Report Share Posted January 16, 2008 My FIL says he used to drink alot of pine needle tea while living in refugee camps during WWII in Eastern Europe. It was one of the only sources of Vit C they had in the camps. We've tried it before while camping - the taste is ok, not great. Cindy Jones Sagescript Institute, llc http://www.sagescript.com Herbal Distillates, Botanicals, Microbiology > I recently was reading about pine needle tea. Seems simple enough to make > > and is supposed to have some health benefit to it. I'm curious because I do > > love the scent of pine and was wondering what a pine needle tea would taste > > like. Has anyone ever made it and if so did you add anything to it? Susan > > > > I often had pine needle teas while in Turkey. The taste is similar to the > odor. Some folks used sugar and some used honey. In the Near East and in > Greece there are many things flavored with pine .. teas, candies and > liquers. I can't provide references for proven therapeutic properties but > it is not harmful .. and they have been used for centuries in that area .. > so there is obviously some benefit. > > Y'all keep smiling. :-) > > Butch .. http://www.AV-AT.com <http://www.av-at.com/> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 16, 2008 Report Share Posted January 16, 2008 I've read that it is supposed to very high in vitamin C and people used to drink it to prevent scurvy. Thanks, Susan , " Cindy Jones " <cindyjones1 wrote: > > My FIL says he used to drink alot of pine needle tea while living in > refugee camps during WWII in Eastern Europe. It was one of the only > sources of Vit C they had in the camps. We've tried it before while > camping - the taste is ok, not great. > Cindy Jones > Sagescript Institute, llc > http://www.sagescript.com > Herbal Distillates, Botanicals, Microbiology > > > I recently was reading about pine needle tea. Seems simple > enough to make > > > and is supposed to have some health benefit to it. I'm curious > because I do > > > love the scent of pine and was wondering what a pine needle tea > would taste > > > like. Has anyone ever made it and if so did you add anything to > it? Susan > > > > > > > I often had pine needle teas while in Turkey. The taste is > similar to the > > odor. Some folks used sugar and some used honey. In the Near > East and in > > Greece there are many things flavored with pine .. teas, candies > and > > liquers. I can't provide references for proven therapeutic > properties but > > it is not harmful .. and they have been used for centuries in that > area .. > > so there is obviously some benefit. > > > > Y'all keep smiling. :-) > > > > Butch .. http://www.AV-AT.com <http://www.av-at.com/> > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 16, 2008 Report Share Posted January 16, 2008 The natives in the Great Lakes area would drink pine needle tea ( Balsam) when they had a cold. It has terpenes. C-M Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 16, 2008 Report Share Posted January 16, 2008 The locals kept early explorer Jacques Cartier and his crew alive by feeding them pine needle tea. They all would have died of scurvy without it. Cartier tried telling the folks back home in France about pine needle tea, but of course everyone knew that life saving remedies cannot possibly come from " savage heathens " . Earth knows how many sailors died needlessly from scurvy in the next few centuries. Ien in the Kootenays http://freegreenliving.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 17, 2008 Report Share Posted January 17, 2008 Exactly how would you go about making pine needle tea? Jan G _____ On Behalf Of Ieneke van Houten Wednesday, January 16, 2008 6:35 PM Re: Re:Pine Needle Tea The locals kept early explorer Jacques Cartier and his crew alive by feeding them pine needle tea. They all would have died of scurvy without it. Cartier tried telling the folks back home in France about pine needle tea, but of course everyone knew that life saving remedies cannot possibly come from " savage heathens " . Earth knows how many sailors died needlessly from scurvy in the next few centuries. Ien in the Kootenays http://freegreenliv <http://freegreenliving.com> ing.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 17, 2008 Report Share Posted January 17, 2008 You can use almost any kind of pine, spruce, or fir - but not Yew. Tina _www.essentialherbal.com_ (http://www.essentialherbal.com/) _Essential Herbal Blog_ (http://theessentialherbal.blogspot.com/) _click here to download a FREE back issue_ (http://www.essentialherbal.com/March%20April%202007.pdf) **************Start the year off right. Easy ways to stay in shape. http://body.aol.com/fitness/winter-exercise?NCID=aolcmp00300000002489 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 17, 2008 Report Share Posted January 17, 2008 Dear all, WHICH type of pine needles did they use? there are several types of pine needle trees.... Penny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 17, 2008 Report Share Posted January 17, 2008 Wow, Cindy! That's a fascinating bit of history! Every once in a while I hear something like that and it reminds me of how glad I am to be living where I live. Very fortunate, indeed! Dede , " Cindy Jones " <cindyjones1 wrote: > > My FIL says he used to drink alot of pine needle tea while living in > refugee camps during WWII in Eastern Europe. It was one of the only > sources of Vit C they had in the camps. We've tried it before while > camping - the taste is ok, not great. > Cindy Jones > Sagescript Institute, llc > http://www.sagescript.com > Herbal Distillates, Botanicals, Microbiology > > > I recently was reading about pine needle tea. Seems simple > enough to make > > > and is supposed to have some health benefit to it. I'm curious > because I do > > > love the scent of pine and was wondering what a pine needle tea > would taste > > > like. Has anyone ever made it and if so did you add anything to > it? Susan > > > > > > > I often had pine needle teas while in Turkey. The taste is > similar to the > > odor. Some folks used sugar and some used honey. In the Near > East and in > > Greece there are many things flavored with pine .. teas, candies > and > > liquers. I can't provide references for proven therapeutic > properties but > > it is not harmful .. and they have been used for centuries in that > area .. > > so there is obviously some benefit. > > > > Y'all keep smiling. :-) > > > > Butch .. http://www.AV-AT.com <http://www.av-at.com/> > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 17, 2008 Report Share Posted January 17, 2008 , Penny <pennyclear75 wrote: > > Dear all, > WHICH type of pine needles did they use? there are several types of pine > needle trees.... Penny > I've read that you can use any type of pine or spruce needle. One caution I came across did say to avoid Scots Pine tea if you are prone to skin irritation. Everything I've read so far indicates that you simply crush the needles, add them to boiling water and steep (some say 10 minutes, others say longer). I've read to steep anywhere from 1 tbls to a " handfull " of needles. I myself would start on the low end and work my way up if I thought it seemed too diluted. I'm still reading to see if there are any needles that shouldn't be used. Susan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 17, 2008 Report Share Posted January 17, 2008 I also just read this; one article indicates to only drink evergreen teas in moderation as they can be toxic while another article indicates any variety of tree can be used as pine/spruce are not toxic. It also suggests cutting up the stems to be brewed in the tea as well. Perhaps an herbalist will help sort this out. Thanks, Susan , Penny <pennyclear75 wrote: > > Dear all, > WHICH type of pine needles did they use? there are several types of pine > needle trees.... Penny > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 17, 2008 Report Share Posted January 17, 2008 Just put a handful of green pine needles in your teapot and cover with boiling water. Steep for 3-5 minutes - or longer if you want more astringency. As with all teas, its really just to your tastes. I'm pretty sure that all pine's are edible (or non toxic). Cindy Jones Sagescript Institute, llc http://www.sagescript.com http://sagescript.blogspot.com > > Exactly how would you go about making pine needle tea? > > > > Jan G > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 17, 2008 Report Share Posted January 17, 2008 How would I know a YEW if it did not come up and bite me??? I guess I am not very good at determining which pines are which On Behalf Of essentialherbal Thursday, January 17, 2008 2:29 PM Re: Pine Needle Tea You can use almost any kind of pine, spruce, or fir - but not Yew. Tina _www.essentialherbal.com_ (http://www.essentia <http://www.essentialherbal.com/> lherbal.com/) _Essential Herbal Blog_ (http://theessential <http://theessentialherbal.blogspot.com/> herbal.blogspot.com/) _click here to download a FREE back issue_ (http://www.essentia <http://www.essentialherbal.com/March%20April%202007.pdf> lherbal.com/March%20April%202007.pdf) **************Start the year off right. Easy ways to stay in shape. http://body. <http://body.aol.com/fitness/winter-exercise?NCID=aolcmp00300000002489> aol.com/fitness/winter-exercise?NCID=aolcmp00300000002489 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 17, 2008 Report Share Posted January 17, 2008 --- susan <ripple95 wrote: > I myself would > start on the low > end and work my way up if I thought it seemed too > diluted. Personality is SUCH a funny thing ;-) *I* would be tempted to use lots of pine needles and dilute if too strong! Although I heartily agree with the sense of the above and constantly fight the " more is better " of my personality because I firmly believe " less is better " ! Being a homeopath (MUCH less is better ;-) I would NOT use: Thuja occidentalis aka Western Hemlock aka lots of other names (see below) http://www.holisticonline.com/Herbal-Med/_Herbs/h302.htm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thuja_occidentalis http://www.cnr.vt.edu/DENDRO/dendrology/syllabus/factsheet.cfm?ID=118 http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/duke_energy/Thuja_occidentalis.html Because of the VERY strong homeopathic indications: http://homeoint.org/books/boericmm/t/thuj.htm (Note: Sorry, homeopathy and its philosophy and materia medica may be Greek to those not alreay familiar with homeopathy, if you are one, please take my advice, or ask me for more info.) Unless, of course, I desired to treat those indications and I really knew what I was doing. KD ______________________________\ ____ Looking for last minute shopping deals? Find them fast with Search. http://tools.search./newsearch/category.php?category=shopping Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 17, 2008 Report Share Posted January 17, 2008 Hello Kunzang, Just a slight correction to your post below. Western Hemlock is Tsuga heterophylla and Thuja occidentalis is Arborvitae or Northern White Cedar. Western Red Cedar is Thuja plicata. These are correct Latin binomials. Certainly homeopathic dilutions of any of these would not carry toxicity. An herbal tissane or tea is quite different. The essential oils are the potentially harmful substances and the needles of all of these trees are where the essential oils are concentrated. Thuja occidentalis has been studied in random double blind studies as effective for URI (upper respiratory infection) as a tissane in combination of Echinacea purpurpea. (A Randomized Controlled Trial. JAMA. 2003;290(21):2824-2830) Thuja plicata aka Western Red Cedar, on the other hand, is much more toxic and to my knowledge has never been tested. It is primarily used in incense and smudging. I am a certified herbalist (as well as holding several certifications in aromatherapy), and I studied homeopathy with Dr. Bruce Berkowsky for about 7 years (not degreed as a homeopath, however). I am very familiar with the theory and principles and I use miasmic considerations when creating personalized aromatic blends, along with the anthroposophical tenets of Rudolf Steiner. I have been following the actions in the UK to remove the ability of homeopaths to receive licensing and I fear that this movement will eventually come to the US. Are you in the US? What is your opinion about this movement in the UK? Be well, Marcia Elston Samara Botane/Nature Intelligence, est. 1988 http://www.wingedseed.com Online 3/95 http://www.aromaconnection.org Group Blog 2/07 " Historically, the most terrible things - war, genocide and slavery - have resulted from obedience, not disobedience. " Howard Zinn > > > On Behalf Of Kunzang Dechen > Thursday, January 17, 2008 2:05 PM > > Re: Re:Pine Needle Tea > > > --- susan <ripple95 wrote: > > I myself would > > start on the low > > end and work my way up if I thought it seemed too diluted. > > Personality is SUCH a funny thing ;-) *I* would be tempted to > use lots of pine needles and dilute if too strong! Although > I heartily agree with the sense of the above and constantly > fight the " more is better " of my personality because I firmly > believe " less is better " ! > > Being a homeopath (MUCH less is better ;-) I would NOT > use: Thuja occidentalis aka Western Hemlock aka lots of other > names (see below) > http://www.holisticonline.com/Herbal-Med/_Herbs/h302.htm > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thuja_occidentalis > http://www.cnr.vt.edu/DENDRO/dendrology/syllabus/factsheet.cfm?ID=118 > http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/duke_energy/Thuja_occidentalis.html > > Because of the VERY strong homeopathic indications: > http://homeoint.org/books/boericmm/t/thuj.htm > (Note: Sorry, homeopathy and its philosophy and materia > medica may be Greek to those not alreay familiar with > homeopathy, if you are one, please take my advice, or ask me > for more info.) > > Unless, of course, I desired to treat those indications and I > really knew what I was doing. KD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 18, 2008 Report Share Posted January 18, 2008 --- Marcia Elston <samara wrote: > Hello Kunzang, > > Just a slight correction to your post below. > > Western Hemlock is Tsuga heterophylla and Thuja > occidentalis is Arborvitae > or Northern White Cedar. Western Red Cedar is Thuja > plicata. These are > correct Latin binomials. Thank you, Marcia, I heartily encourage and accept this kind of correction. I admit I got the " western hemlock " common-name from a website and did not confirm with my own materials as they are still packed from a move just before the holidays. (Move is a 4 letter word! ;-) Plus I also admit that the new versions of botanical and perhaps pharmaceutical plant names occasionally have me flummoxed. I am from an OM background, use PinYin or Wade-Giles for those herbs, and have probably got a very antiquated mental inventory of western latin botanical names. I also know that those names have recently changed, and further that new DNA tests have changed some plant classifications drastically too. <sigh!> Sooooooo much interesting and important info, so little time! > Certainly homeopathic dilutions of any of these > would not carry toxicity. Yes. What you obviously understand that others might not, in my experience, is that while gross substance toxicity is not an issue with homeopathic remedies, there are huge issues with using homeopathic remedies that the average person is not able to evaluate. Homeopathy is so contra-intuitive for those raised in a culture of “modern science.” For those who have not or do not care to learn about homeopathy and its own paradigm of the Law of Similars, it's better to stick with commonly used herbs or take some time to understand the seemingly backwards world of homeopathy. > An herbal tissane or tea is quite different. Yes. Unfortunately, there are so many people that think herbology and homeopathy, and even nutritional supplements, are all the same thing. However, I am getting away from the original question which was basically: are there any pine-type herbs best avoided. So the reason I mentioned the homeopathic indications of Thuja is not the issue of toxicity, which obviously exists, but still was not my point. My point, perhaps made unclearly, was that herbs and other gross substances can have homeopathic actions even if that is not intended and because the homeopathic action is often invisible to a non-homeopath, the few herbs/substances which could act dramatically in the homeopathic sphere are best left alone by the layman and/or non-homeopath IMHO. A strong miasmic remedy such as Thuja is one of those, even in an herbal tincture or tea, IMHO, again. BTW my favorite resources about the homeopathic actions of gross substances and/or of extremely low potencies are Matthew Wood & Compton Burnett. For instance, Matthew Wood has a few case studies in his books about how one single drop of an herbal tincture (not even a Mother Tincture) acted curatively when it was the similar. > The > essential oils are the > potentially harmful substances and the needles of > all of these trees are > where the essential oils are concentrated. Given this, would be interesting to " prove " a remedy made from an EO, methinks. > Thuja occidentalis has been studied in random double > blind studies as > effective for URI (upper respiratory infection) as a > tissane in combination > of Echinacea purpurpea. (A Randomized Controlled > Trial. JAMA. > 2003;290(21):2824-2830) Thuja plicata aka Western > Red Cedar, on the other > hand, is much more toxic and to my knowledge has > never been tested. It is > primarily used in incense and smudging. > > I am a certified herbalist (as well as holding > several certifications in > aromatherapy), and I studied homeopathy with Dr. > Bruce Berkowsky for about 7 > years (not degreed as a homeopath, however). Sorry, I am not familiar with Dr. Berkowsky. I am fortunate to be a student of Jeremy Sherr as well as a few others less well known but also exceptional teachers, most in the lineage of Thomas Maughan. > I am > very familiar with the > theory and principles and I use miasmic > considerations when creating > personalized aromatic blends, along with the > anthroposophical tenets of > Rudolf Steiner. My goodness, how very interesting! I know much less than I would like about Rudolf Steiner but am a huge fan! He was such a renaissance man--some even say he was arguably another Leonardo! > I have been following the actions > in the UK to remove the > ability of homeopaths to receive licensing and I > fear that this movement > will eventually come to the US. Are you in the US? > What is your opinion > about this movement in the UK? Sorry to say I am grossly uninformed on the current trends in the UK. Due to many responsibilities I have been focusing on my own process for the last several years. From what I have heard, though, I do believe that all of us not already co-opted by “powers that be” (Big Pharma, CODEX, FDA, etc.) are under siege. Either we will prevail (unlikely IMHO), or we will have to move farther up the mountain--a particularly Taoist reaction which I favor as both recent and ancient historical trends show us that shaking your fist in front of the tanks often has some severe acute repercussions. > Be well, > Marcia Elston And you too. Sorry to end on such a depressing note. KD ______________________________\ ____ Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Mobile. Try it now. http://mobile./;_ylt=Ahu06i62sR8HDtDypao8Wcj9tAcJ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 18, 2008 Report Share Posted January 18, 2008 Marcia or Kunzang, being a lay-person I admit I am confused by your posts. Are you saying that there is a toxicity to the leaves, needles or other plant materials used to make tea? I was interested in what Marcia said about the essential oils being in the needles. I wouldn't make a tea with pine eo, but is it OK using the needles as the concentration of eo is not there in the small amount of needles used for tea to be harmful? Thanks if you can clear this up for me. Susan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 18, 2008 Report Share Posted January 18, 2008 Pine needles are very resinous. because of that I would not go overboard and a handful of it in a teapot ( what size?) seems way to much. I would not even use a handful of dried mint leaves to make mint tea.. As said before, start with a little bit, than see.. Also this is not something to use all the time, all day long.. Thee are some phytochemicals in it that I can't remember right now that are strong. BUT, it might be a good idea to add some to other herbs you use when having a cold and making tea. Experiment be cautious C-M Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 18, 2008 Report Share Posted January 18, 2008 hey all. i saw an episode of " survivor man " (les stroud) on the science channel and he made a pine needle tea. said it was nouroshing and not good to the pallet. but he did comment on the vitamin C content of it. curious to know what it tastes like.(though im thinking it probably tastes like mother nature's ass...lol sorry) good info to know i guess. sweet water and light laughter to all. peace everyday is a gift...but does it have to be socks? Looking for last minute shopping deals? Find them fast with Search. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 21, 2008 Report Share Posted January 21, 2008 Just jumping in for a quick comment (sorry, we're working overtime on a project) . . . To caution before you simply jump into making your own pine needle tea. All pines are not the same, i.e., Lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta) and common juniper (Juniperus communis) contain high levels of isocupressic acid that has been identified as the abortifacient component of ponderosa pine needles in cattle. There are many studies about Ponderosa pine causing cows to abort. Scotch Pine (Pinus sylvestris) is the essential oil of choice for aromatherapy, but this tells us nothing about ingesting tea from the needles. Hoping to have more time next week to comment further, but in the meantime, do some Google research on the different kinds of pines. Be well, Marcia Elston Samara Botane/Nature Intelligence, est. 1988 http://www.wingedseed.com Online 3/95 http://www.aromaconnection.org Group Blog 2/07 " Historically, the most terrible things - war, genocide and slavery - have resulted from obedience, not disobedience. " Howard Zinn > > > On Behalf Of Cindy Jones > Thursday, January 17, 2008 10:57 AM > > Re:Pine Needle Tea > > Just put a handful of green pine needles in your teapot and > cover with boiling water. Steep for 3-5 minutes - or longer > if you want more astringency. As with all teas, its really > just to your tastes. I'm pretty sure that all pine's are > edible (or non toxic). > > Cindy Jones > Sagescript Institute, llc > http://www.sagescript.com > http://sagescript.blogspot.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 21, 2008 Report Share Posted January 21, 2008 Thanks for all this info on pine needle tea from people. When you get back to us can you just explain about the eo's in the needles and how much is being ingested through tea? As I said I wouldn't make tea with the eo so I'm just curious how much eo makes it into tea from the needles. Sue , " Marcia Elston " <samara wrote: > > Just jumping in for a quick comment (sorry, we're working overtime on a > project) . . . To caution before you simply jump into making your own pine > needle tea. All pines are not the same, i.e., Lodgepole pine (Pinus > contorta) and common juniper (Juniperus communis) contain high levels of > isocupressic acid that has been identified as the abortifacient component of > ponderosa pine needles in cattle. There are many studies about Ponderosa > pine causing cows to abort. Scotch Pine (Pinus sylvestris) is the essential > oil of choice for aromatherapy, but this tells us nothing about ingesting > tea from the needles. Hoping to have more time next week to comment > further, but in the meantime, do some Google research on the different kinds > of pines. > > Be well, > Marcia Elston > Samara Botane/Nature Intelligence, est. 1988 > http://www.wingedseed.com Online 3/95 > http://www.aromaconnection.org Group Blog 2/07 > " Historically, the most terrible things - war, genocide and slavery - have > resulted from obedience, not disobedience. " > Howard Zinn > > > > > > > > On Behalf Of Cindy Jones > > Thursday, January 17, 2008 10:57 AM > > > > Re:Pine Needle Tea > > > > Just put a handful of green pine needles in your teapot and > > cover with boiling water. Steep for 3-5 minutes - or longer > > if you want more astringency. As with all teas, its really > > just to your tastes. I'm pretty sure that all pine's are > > edible (or non toxic). > > > > Cindy Jones > > Sagescript Institute, llc > > http://www.sagescript.com > > http://sagescript.blogspot.com > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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