11 Unbelievable Butterfly Pea Tea Benefits
Butterfly pea tea, also known as blue tea, is an herbal tea made from the flower petals of the Clitoria ternatea plant. The tea has a mesmerizing indigo color that comes from a compound called anthocyanin.
Apart from being visually striking, butterfly pea tea offers several health benefits. The Chinese have used it to help weight loss, blood sugar control, and skin health. If you are looking to add butterfly pea tea to your diet, here are its benefits:
1. Boosts Hair Growth and Strength
Many of us suffer from hair problems, and the most common one is excessive hair fall. Excessive hair fall is a sign of an unhealthy scalp. Other signs of an unhealthy scalp include dry hair and itchy scalp.
As mentioned above, butterfly pea tea contains anthocyanin. Anthocyanin increases blood flow to the scalp. This increased blood flow ensures that the hair follicles receive all the essential nutrients and oxygen to be healthy.
When our hair follicles receive the nutrients and oxygen they need, they become stronger and longer. Butterfly pea tea also removes harmful toxins from the scalp and hair follicles to create a healthy environment for hair growth.
2. Improves Digestive Health
Butterfly pea tea may help maintain a healthy digestive system. The tea has anthelmintic properties, which are effective against the growth of harmful bacteria.
Harmful bacteria can disrupt the balance of the gut bacteria community and cause chronic diseases, such as inflammatory bowel disease, obesity, and cancer.
The tea also stimulates the digestive enzymes, which are crucial for breaking down food and improving digestion. When food is digested well, our bodies can better absorb essential nutrients and maintain overall gut health.
3. Soothes Respiratory Problems
Common respiratory illnesses like colds and coughs can affect our daily lives. These illnesses are colds caused by a virus that inflames the membranes and thickens mucus.
Butterfly pea tea is a natural treatment for cough and cold. The antioxidants in the tea thin out the mucus so that it is easier to expel. Expelling excess mucus can help clear congestion, soothe irritated airways, and ease breathing difficulties.
4. Antioxidant Powerhouse
Butterfly Pea tea is chock full of antioxidant compounds that provide many health benefits. It contains kaempferol, which has remarkable anticancer properties.
It resembles an estrogen hormone that can be used for the therapy of hormone-regulated cancers such as ovarian, breast, cervical, hepatocellular carcinoma, and leukemia.
The anthocyanin in the tea also has anticancer properties. It may be effective in inhibiting the proliferation of cancer cells, such as colon and breast cancer cells.
5. Stress Relief
Butterfly pea tea can be consumed to reduce stress and promote relaxation. It has calming properties thanks to L-theanine.
L-theanine is an amino acid known for relieving symptoms of anxiety and depression by increasing the production of alpha waves in the brain. Alpha waves calm the mind and bring about a sensation of peace.
L-theanine may also help improve mood by increasing the serotonin and dopamine levels. Serotonin and dopamine are feel-good hormones that create feelings of happiness or well-being. Good mood and reduced stress supports quality sleep.
6. Diabetic-Friendly
Diabetes is a chronic condition where the blood sugar level is too high. It happens when the body does not produce enough insulin or it cannot effectively use the insulin produced.
Insulin is responsible for transporting sugar from the blood to the cells so that it can be used for energy. It also signals the liver to store blood sugar for later use.
Diabetics cannot get the sugar into the cells and it builds up in the blood. The active compounds in butterfly pea tea may help lower blood sugar levels and improve insulin sensitivity.
7. Promotes Heart Health
Our heart is a vital organ in the body. It is responsible for transporting blood and oxygen throughout the body, which is essential for survival. As such, butterfly tea is an important healthy heart tea.
Butterfly pea tea may help reduce LDL ("bad") cholesterol levels while maintaining healthy HDL ("good") cholesterol levels. High LDL levels can cause fat, cholesterol, and other substances that can cause plaque buildup. This buildup narrows the arteries, making it difficult for organs and blood to pass through. The consequence of this is a heart attack or heart failure.
8. Enhances Cognition
Butterfly pea tea is used to enhance cognition in Ayurvedic medicine. The compounds in the tea increase the production of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a protein that improves memory function and learning abilities.
They also protect the brain cells from damage caused by free radicals, which leads to cognitive decline and neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.
Butterfly pea tea may also help enhance focus and concentration by increasing the alpha brain waves. These brain waves promote calmness, which increases creativity and the ability to absorb new information.
9. Boosts Immune System
Butterfly pea tea contains vitamin C and antioxidants that help strengthen the immune system and protect against various illnesses. The tea stimulates the production and activity of crucial immune cells, like white blood cells.
These cells are like soldiers at war. They flow through the bloodstream and locate the site of an infection caused by viruses, bacteria, and other foreign invaders.
10. Anti-Inflammatory Properties
Inflammation is the body’s defense mechanism against foreign invaders by releasing inflammatory cells. These cells kill off anything harmful and protect the body from diseases.
Unfortunately, sometimes, the body sends out inflammatory cells even when there are no harmful substances to fight. These cells then start attacking healthy cells, and this is known as chronic inflammation.
Butterfly pea tea has compounds that can fight this excess inflammation and alleviate pain and swelling associated with various conditions. The tea has anti-inflammatory properties that can reduce pain and swelling caused by arthritis.
11. Maintain Healthy Skin
Butterfly pea tea is also beneficial for the skin. The antioxidants in the tea destroy free radicals that cause premature aging and skin damage and protect the skin from wrinkles, fine lines, and dark spots.
This good-for-skin tea may also help boost collagen production. Collagen is a protein responsible for skin elasticity and firmness, which we lose as we age. This protein helps maintain firmer and youthful-looking skin.
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