Simply Nature Organic Herbal Tea Supplement

Last Updated on January 4, 2024

It’s January, which means we’re in the midst of cold and flu season. It also happens to be a time when people are looking to improve their diet and physical health after a lot of holiday indulgences. Besides spotting all kinds of exercise gear at Aldi, this time of year also brings various health foods and supplements to the discount grocery store. For at least the second year in a row, I’ve noticed some limited-time organic herbal teas on the shelves.

Aldi sells traditional teas such as black tea, English Breakfast tea, and green tea all year. They also rotate in specialty teas such as a holiday tea assortment, loose leaf varieties, and flavored green teas. The organic herbal tea currently in stores has a focus on health, in particular on “detoxing,” building immunity, or promoting sleep.

Simply Nature Organic Herbal Tea Supplements cost $2.89 for a box of 16 tea bags at the time of publication, which comes out to about 18 cents per tea bag. The net weight for a box of tea ranges from 0.85 ounces to 1.13 ounces.

These are Aldi Finds, which means they’re only stores for a short time, and Aldi won’t ship them to you if you can’t find them at your local store.

The teas come in three varieties:

• Detox — which the package states contains “burdock root, dandelion root, dandelion leaf and stinging nettle leaf to cleanse impurities and support liver cleansing process.”
• Immunity — which the package states contains “echinacea purpurea herb to help support a healthy immune system.”
• Sleep — which the package states contains “organic chamomile flower, passionflower herb, and valerian root to promote relaxation.”

Each package notes: “These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.”

Whether herbal teas really live up to the hype is an open question that requires more well-designed research trials. In the meantime, tea is usually a better option than soda or other sugary beverages, and WebMD points out that in addition to herbal teas, many standard teas on grocery store shelves such as green tea, black tea, and oolong tea may also have their own health benefits.

All of these particular herbal teas from Aldi are kosher and are certified organic by Quality Assurance International. They all have certain flavors in common, with lemongrass or lemon balm and various types of mint showing up in all three.

Read on for more information about each tea variety.

Simply Nature Organic Detox Herbal Tea Supplement

Simply Nature Organic Herbal Detox Tea Supplement ingredients and directions. (Click to enlarge.)

This tea contains 600 mg of organic burdock root, 600 mg of organic stinging nettle leaf, 300 mg of organic dandelion root, 100 mg of organic dandelion leaf, and 360 mg of a proprietary blend of organic lemongrass leaf, spearmint leaf, and peppermint leaf.

The jury may be out on detox teas because the body has its own natural system for getting rid of toxins. With that said, let’s take a look at the reported properties of some of the ingredients in this tea. WebMD states that burdock might help fight bacteria and swelling, it’s used in traditional Chinese medicine to eliminate toxins and “purify the blood.” Stinging nettle may be used for diabetes or osteoarthritis, while dandelion may decrease swelling.

The box indicates adults and children age 12 and older can drink up to 2 cups daily for a duration of no more than 4 weeks. The package states to consult your doctor prior to drinking if you have certain health conditions or are breastfeeding (see notes on the image of the package above). Do not drink if you are pregnant or taking certain medications.

To brew this tea, bring fresh cold water to a rolling boil. Pour 8 fluid ounces of water over one tea bag and steep for 10-15 minutes before removing the tea bag.

I can smell the lemongrass and lemon oil in this tea, although the lemon scent and flavor aren’t as pronounced as in the immunity-boosting tea (more info on that tea below). To me, this tea tastes more like a medicinal tea; it’s not fruity and doesn’t taste like chamomile or other herbal teas I’ve had. Perhaps the best way to describe it is that it tastes like plants. It does not taste bad. Just different. In terms of flavor, it’s my least favorite of the three herbal teas described in this post.

Simply Nature Organic Immunity Herbal Tea Supplement

Simply Nature Organic Herbal Immunity Tea Supplement  ingredients and directions. (Click to enlarge.)

This tea contains 1,095 mg of organic echinacea purpurea herb, 37.5 mg of organic echinacea purpurea herb dry extract, and 337.5 mg of a proprietary blend of organic lemongrass leaf, licorice root, and spearmint leaf. It also contains organic lemon oil.

WebMD states that echinacea is possibly effective at preventing some colds, but it won’t shorten the duration of a cold you already have. Studies on echinacea’s effectiveness are mixed.

The box indicates adults and children age 12 and older can drink up to 4-6 cups daily for a duration of no more than 8 weeks. The package also notes to consult your doctor before drinking this tea if you are pregnant or breastfeeding or have certain health conditions (see notes on the image of the package above). Don’t use the tea if you’re allergic to plants within the daisy family.

To brew this tea, bring fresh cold water to a rolling boil. Pour 8 fluid ounces of water over one tea bag and steep for 10-15 minutes before removing the tea bag.

I steeped this tea for 10 minutes, which was plenty of time to infuse flavor and color. It has a slight sweet taste, with noticeable notes of lemongrass and a flavor similar to chamomile tea. I can taste just a hint of spearmint. It’s got good flavor.

Simply Nature Organic Sleep Herbal Tea Supplement

Simply Nature Organic Herbal Sleep Tea Supplement ingredients and directions. (Click to enlarge.)

This tea contains 646 mg of organic chamomile flower, 342 mg of organic passionflower herb, 38 mg of organic valerian root, and 874 mg of a proprietary blend of organic spearmint leaf, lemongrass leaf, and lemon balm leaf.

WebMD says chamomile has been used in traditional medicine to ease anxiety. Some people use passionflower to help with anxiety and to promote sleeping. Valerian may also have sedative properties. For persistent difficulties sleeping, the Mayo Clinic recommends dealing with underlying causes such as poor sleep hygiene habits, psychological issues, or medical issues such as sleep apnea. As someone who has struggled with insomnia in the past, I agree that it’s better to address root causes, although a small amount of noncaffeinated tea before bedtime probably won’t hurt as long as your bladder can handle it.

The box indicates adults and children age 12 and older can drink up to 3-4 cups before bed. (Although if you can drink that many cups of tea and not make bathroom trips all night, I applaud you.) The package says you should not drink this if you’re allergic to plants in the daisy family. Check with your doctor before drinking if you’re pregnant or breastfeeding. The box also states you should not drive or operate heavy machinery or “become involved in activities requiring mental alertness after consuming this product.”

To brew a cup, bring fresh cold water to a rolling boil. Pour 8 fluid ounces of water over one tea bag and steep for 5-10 minutes before removing the tea bag.

This tea has the most minty scent of any of the three herbal teas here. I drank a cup a couple of hours before bedtime. I felt relaxed after drinking it, and I fell asleep right away when I went to bed. It’s hard to say whether it was the tea or a placebo effect, but either way, if you’re having trouble falling asleep, this tea might help.

The Verdict:

Simply Nature Organic Herbal Tea Supplements come in three different varieties: detox tea, immunity tea, and sleep tea. What you want to purchase depends on what your goals are, but be aware that the health claims of some herbal teas aren’t as well supported by scientific research as they could be. Also be aware that both the detox and immunity teas have recommended duration-of-use limits on the packaging, and the sleep tea advises you not to drive or use heavy machinery after drinking it. You should also be careful about drinking these if you’re pregnant or breastfeeding or have certain health conditions.

In terms of taste, all of these teas contain some combination of mint and lemongrass or lemon balm. Some taste better than others, with the detox tea being my least favorite flavor.