Herbal teas, also known as tisanes, are always absolutely awesome. They’re delicious, have a bunch of health benefits, and virtually no downsides. Blueberry leaf tea is no different.
And while it doesn’t actually taste like blueberries (disappointing), blueberry tea benefits your health in many great ways.
Let’s check them out.
What Is Blueberry Leaf Tea
First, let’s start with what even is this tea. So, unsurprisingly, blueberry leaf tea is made from blueberry leaves. We know, shocking.
You can make it from dried leaves, which are available at most tea shops. Or, if you happen to have a blueberry bush nearby, you can use the fresh leaves for a more lively taste.
The flavor is commonly described as flowery, with notes of grass, and a bit bitter. Unfortunately, nothing like blueberries. But it’s still delicious, and with the benefits it offers, it’s more than worth it.
Blueberry Tea Benefits
Immune System Boost
The immune system is one of those things you want to make sure you take care of, especially in these times (2020) where your immune system makes the difference between an irritating cough and absolute chaos.
Blueberry tea benefits the immune system in two major ways. First, it contains vitamin C, which is a powerful vitamin and antioxidant.
It prevents oxidative stress, which causes disease, inflammations, and more. And it also stimulates the production of white blood cells, the key players in your immune system.
If vitamin C wasn’t enough, blueberry tea also contains anthocyanins, a type of flavonoid (flavonoids are basically plants’ antioxidants).
Studies show that these anthocyanins act in many ways to strengthen our immune system and provide better immune responses.
Heart Health
Blueberry tea takes care of your heart in a few different ways. First, the vitamin C and anthocyanins (mentioned in the previous section) are both known to reduce the risk of heart disease.
It also contains potassium, which is known to lower blood pressure, keep the heart rhythm steady, and reduce the risk of cardiac arrest. And it has proanthocyanidins, oligomeric flavonoids that protect the heart and cardiovascular system.
All of these together make blueberry tea pack quite a punch (in a positive way) for a healthier heart, and overall, a healthier cardiovascular system.
Eye Health
Blueberry tea contains vitamin A, which is extremely beneficial for the eyes. Even more so, it plays a crucial role in eye health. Vitamin A deficiency can lead to cloudy vision, keratitis, and even vision loss.
Sufficient vitamin A will prevent all of that by maintaining a clean and healthy cornea, and it will also protect you against age-related macular degeneration.
Better Circulation
By keeping a healthy heart blueberry tea already benefits the circulatory system. But it does so in two more specific ways, iron and calcium. Both of these are considered essential minerals for the circulatory system.
Calcium is crucial for the body to circulate blood; it helps blood vessels relax and constrict. And iron is needed to make hemoglobin, the protein in red blood cells which is responsible for distributing oxygen around the body.
May Prevent Cancer & Other Diseases
Studies show that cancer is often associated with oxidative stress. That is also true with conditions such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, diabetes, asthma, inflammatory disorders, and more.
Now, the way you prevent oxidative stress is by having sufficient antioxidants; they eliminate the free radicals which are causing the stress. And blueberry tea contains quite a few of them.
Anthocyanins, proanthocyanidins, vitamin A, and vitamin C.
Currently, vitamin A and C show little potential for cancer prevention, but their antioxidant ability can still prevent other diseases.
The flavonoids, on the other hand, (anthocyanins and proanthocyanidins), have shown major potential in eliminating cancer cells (1,2).
Kidney Health
Blueberry tea also contains two organic acids called hippuric and ellagic acids. These increase the acidity of your urine, effectively detoxifying the urinary bladder walls. They also balance oxalate levels, which (too much) is a common cause of kidney stones.
Bone Health
We’ve already mentioned that blueberry tea benefits circulation because of its iron and calcium content. Well, these two minerals also influence bone health.
Iron helps your body make collagen (what bones are made of) which is needed to repair and maintain bones. And the calcium maintains healthy bone density.
Calms Anxiety & Stress
While we would argue that just the warm, comforting sip of a delicious tea is enough to soothe the anxiety and stress of everyday life, there is more to it with blueberry tea.
Flavonoids and antioxidants are heavily involved in mood regulation, anxiety, stress, and depression. That is because when the body is off balance (oxidative stress), nothing functions correctly.
Furthermore, calcium is known to nourish the nervous system, thus helping to prevent anxiety, restlessness, and panic attacks.
Conclusion
So these are the wonderful ways in which blueberry tea benefits your health. It’s tasty, healthy, and practically free if you have or know someone with a blueberry bush (highbush blueberry). So, are you going to try it?
Let us know if you did and if you liked it down in the comments! And if you’re looking for another unique unique tea, check out our article about citron tea.