Botanical name: Camilla sinensis Other names: tea Family: theaceae Part used: leaf Taste (rasa): bitter and astringent Characteristic (guna): light Energy (veerya): cooling  Action (karma): stimulant, diuretic, appetite suppressant Dose: Infuse 1 teaspoon per cup of boiling water. Contraindications:  do not have after 3:00 pm if suffering from insomnia.

Ref: ‘Ayurvedic Medicine’ by Sebastian Pole; ‘Ayurvedic Pharmacology & Therapeutic Uses of Medicinal Plants’ by Vaidya V.M. Gogte; ‘Yogi of Herbs’ by V. Lad & D. Frawley; ‘Herbs Are Special’ by Isabel Shipard.