Researchers associated with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently announced that three types of herbal tea have significantly health benefits. These brews – chamomile, peppermint and hibiscus tea – have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and even anti-cancer properties.

A team of scientists at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging in Boston publicized these findings in an issue of the journal Agricultural Research.

Researchers found that chamomile tea appears to kill microbes and prevent blood clotting. The soothing nature of the brew has been discussed for centuries.

Peppermint and hibiscus tea were also found to cause positive changes within the body. The team discovered that, in test tubes at least, peppermint has a number of inhibitory effects. These include reducing the growth of bacteria and the spread of viruses, slowing the expansion of tumor cells, dampening the severity of allergies and providing the body with antioxidants.

Hibiscus performed well, too. It appeared to lower blood pressure in adults with hypertension. Researchers concluded that herbal teas and extracts may be better for the body than they are already thought to be.

The antioxidants found in tea extracts can also prevent oxidative damage caused by free radicals, which are charged ions that destroy vital molecules within the body.