Herbal tea

[11] Herbal teas can be made with any part of a plant, including fresh or dried flowers, fruit, leaves, stems, seeds or roots.

These parts may be steeped fully raw (as picked) or processed in some way (such as drying, roasting, crushing, tearing / cutting, steaming, etc.).

Herbal infusions may be made by pouring hot or boiling water over the plant parts and letting them steep for a period of time.

The infusion temperature and time can vary depending on the type of plant part used and their properties.

Herbal infusions may also be sweetened, spiced, salted, or combined with other additives, like milk or lemon juice.

However, many other common herbal teas have not been shown psychoactive properties when compared to placebos, though they may still have some physical effects.

[36] Some phytochemicals found in herbs and fruits can adversely interact with others and over the counter or prescription medications, among other ways by affecting their metabolism by the body.

Herbs and fruits that inhibit or induce the body's Cytochrome P450 enzyme complex function can either cause the drug to be dangerously ineffective, or increase its effective absorbed dose to potentially toxic levels, respectively.

[40][41] According to Naithani & Kakkar (2004), "all herbal preparations should be checked for toxic chemical residues to allay consumer fears of exposure to known neuro-toxicant pesticides and to aid in promoting global acceptance of these products".