ACCORDING to new research, there's more to a cup of camomile tea than you may think.

Scientists have just discovered that camomile - renowned for its soothing, calming qualities - can also ward off colds and acts as a mild sedative to ease muscle cramps.

Used for thousands of years for medicinal purposes, the herbal tea, made from the scented flowers and leaves of the camomile plant, now has scientific analysis behind its healthy reputation.

Researchers at Imperial College, London, gave 14 volunteers, both men and women, five cups of camomile tea daily for two consecutive weeks.

It was found that drinking the tea increased levels of hippurate, a by-product of certain plant-based compounds known as phenolics, some of which have been associated with increased antibacterial activity.

This helps explain why the tea appears to boost the immune system and fight infections.

Drinking camomile tea also increased levels of glycine - an amino acid known to relieve muscle spasms, including menstrual cramps, through relaxing the uterus.

Lead researcher Dr Elaine Holmes, says: 'This is one of a growing number of studies that provide evidence that commonlyused natural products really do contain chemicals that may be of medicinal value.' Here, we look at what the other teas have to offer. A humble cuppa could be the way to good health . . .

GREEN TEA AND WHITE TEA

FOR centuries, green tea has been hailed as a wonder drink, and science has recently been unravelling its mysteries. Green tea can help maintain health because it's so rich in antioxidants.

These mop up and destroy free radical cells in the body, the cells that go haywire under everyday influences such as smoking, overexposure to sunlight and pollution.

White tea is made from the bud of the tea plant rather than the leaves and contains an even greater potency of antioxidants than green tea. Research by the Linus Pauling Institute of Oregon State University shows white tea to have a better protective effect than green against colon and rectal cancer.

A regular intake of green or white tea can also accelerate weight loss.

Clinical studies conducted by Dr Abdul Dulloo, of the University of Geneva in Switzerland concluded that green tea raised metabolic rates and speeded up fat oxidation by up to 4 per cent.

Last year, a team at the University of Newcastle's Medicinal Plant Research Centre - led by Dr Ed Okello - found that both green and black tea inhibited the activity of enzymes connected with the development of Alzheimer's.

Green tea continued to have its inhibitive effect for a week while black tea's properties lasted a day.

NETTLE

ITS name may not sound too gentle on the palate, but nettle tea provides a rich source of iron, folic acid and B vitamins. Just a few cups a day helps keep the bowels in good and regular condition. It is also known to be anti-asthmatic when drunk with a little honey.

REDBUSH (ROOIBOS) AND HONEYBUSH

COLLECTED by hand and grown only in the South African highlands, research by Jeanine Marnewick, a biochemist at South Africa's Medical Research Centre, revealed that this distinctive tea contains cancer-fighting elements.

Both Redbush - and its relative - Honeybush - were shown to have considerable antimutagenic properties and could reduce numbers of pre-cancerous cells.

Redbush contains a variety of antioxidant substances - some of which are entirely exclusive to the plant. As well as being caffeinefree with a low tannin content, the tea contains iron, fluoride and Vitamin C.

A small amount of Redbush tea added to milk can soothe babies and help ease the symptoms of colic.

Mothers in South Africa have long been aware of the benefits, and it is traditional to give children lukewarm fusions of this wild herb.

Honeybush is used to treat indigestion and sleeplessness. But recent research has also identified many beneficial chemical compounds - including antioxidant and antiviral properties. It also helps lower cholesterol.

DANDELION

DANDELION cleanses the blood and is diuretic - making it the ideal tea to drink during a New Year detox. It also contains high levels of potassium salts, and even greater levels of vitamin A than carrots and spinach.

RASPBERRY LEAF

DRINKING one or two cups of raspberry leaf tea a day is of extra benefit to women in the final stages of their pregnancy and can even be sipped throughout labour.

It is believed to help tone the walls of the uterus, providing strength during labour and helping to shorten the second stage. A 1999 study carried out at Westmead Hospital, Sydney, found that taking raspberry leaf may have reduced the likelihood of gestation problems among all 108 participating mothers, and reduced the need for a Caesarean or forceps delivery.

However, expectant mothers shouldn't use it until the last two months of their pregnancy.

LIQUORICE

LIQUORICE contains many positive properties and research has shown it to be more effective than many conventional drugs at healing gastric ulcers, provided it is taken on an empty stomach.

In Japan, it is used in research to help treat cases of chronic Hepatitis C.

But the most common medicinal use for liquorice is in helping to fight ailments such as sore throats, coughs and bronchitis.

It encourages the production of anti-inflammatory hormones, useful after a course of steroid therapy. It has also been proven effective in treating menopausal symptoms, regulating menstruation and easing menstrual cramps.

PEPPERMINT

PEPPERMINT tea is known to aid digestion. Caffeine-free - it has a fresh, cool mint taste and aroma.

Russian herbalists also use it to treat gallbladder inflammation as well as flatulence.

ECHINACEA

ECHINACEA is a functional ingredient used in teas rather than an infusion itself. It's an immunity booster, an anti-inflammatory, a detoxifier and a wound healer.

It is usually taken to ward off colds and flu but is most effective taken regularly in periods of no more than six weeks - otherwise its ability to fight viruses is diminished.

From Healthy.net