Blueberry tea is brewed from dried blueberry leaves. It has a subtle grassy flavor and is occasionally flavored with dried blueberries for a sweeter, fruitier flavor and a deep purple color. So what are the Health Benefits of Blueberry Tea?
Dietitians and experts refer to blueberries as a “superfood.” This is understandable given their high antioxidant content, which neutralizes damaging free radicals.
Fresh blueberries are also a fantastic source of numerous vitamins and minerals, although they are frequently prohibitively expensive and occasionally unavailable when out of season. However, drinking blueberry tea gives some health benefits associated with fresh blueberries without the high expense or scarcity.
The leaves of blueberries are high in antioxidants, which provide various health benefits, including reducing cholesterol and perhaps protecting against hepatitis C.
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Blueberry Tea
Tea is one of the world’s most popular beverages. Many cultures have ceremonies centered around consumption, such as afternoon tea in the United Kingdom or Gongfu in China.
You may immediately think of typical variations such as peppermint or chamomile when you think of tea. Still, tea comes in various varieties with health benefits and distinct flavors.
Blueberry tea is prepared by steeping blueberry bush leaves in hot water. It’s a fragrant and delectable beverage that offers a variety of distinct health benefits, making it both refreshing to drink and healthy for your body.
Nutritional Facts
One cup of hot blueberry tea prepared with tap water has the following ingredients:
• Calorie count: 2
• Fat: 0 g
• Cholesterol: 0 milligrams
• Sodium: 7 mg
• Protein: 0 g
By brewing your tea using blueberry leaves rather than ordinary tea leaves, you can add several additional nutrients to your drink, including the following:
• Fiber
• Vitamin C
• Vitamin K
• Manganese
• Potassium
Some individuals add dried blueberries to their blueberry tea before steeping, adding additional nutrients and flavor. Bear in mind that adding dried fruit will increase the sugar and calorie content.
As mentioned previously, blueberry tea is created from various elements of the blueberry bush, notably the fruit, leaves, and stems. Because most commercial brands contain a bit of everything, it’s essential to check the label to know exactly what’s in that teabag.
Avoid brands that have artificial flavors and colors. For example, if the tea contains fruit, it is likely to be dehydrated, which is OK because freeze-dried fruit retains most of the nutrients found in fresh fruit.
For example, blueberry tea is occasionally infused with genuine tea leaves, either black or green, which imparts the beverage with caffeine. Blueberry tea is formally referred to as a herbal infusion without adding tea leaves and is caffeine-free.
Blueberry Tea Recipes (Iced and Hot)
Do you relish blueberries and want to enjoy them in beverages as well? There is no problem. Rather than purchasing sugary pre-made beverages, consider these refreshing and savory alternatives.
While many people drink tea solely for the taste, blueberry tea has various health benefits. Supplement your diet with a cup in the morning or glass with dinner to add rich health benefits, including the following:
Tea selection
There are numerous types of tea to choose from when brewing the finest blueberry tea. There are two types of tea: loose leaf tea and tea bags. Tea in standard tea bags frequently contains just dust and little leaf particles, which results in a powerful, although not always aromatic, cup.
Some may have a high degree of rigidity, affecting the final taste. However, unbroken loose leaf tea may not always be the best option due to too weak flavor. Which type, then, should you choose?
Teas made with orange pekoe and bolder Indian teas pair well with berries. Fresh Chinese sencha is an excellent alternative if you prefer green tea to black tea. Teas with chocolate notes also work well, but omit the lemon and replace it with honey.
Blueberry Hot Tea
Is there a more delectable way to enhance the flavor of a classic bergamot-scented Earl Grey than to add some blueberry? While we recommend serving this tea hot, if drinking hot tea in the heat sounds unappealing, let it cool and serve over ice. Flowery, lovely, fruity, and strong, this tea is ideal for an afternoon tea party — even if the gathering is just you. So always make tea with fresh spring water and thoroughly wash all ingredients.
You will need:
• 1 tbsp. of boiling water
• A handful of blueberries
• Approximately a pinch of dried lavender flowers
• 1 tsp honey (optional)
• 1 tsp Earl Grey tea
Instructions:
Bring water to a boil.
- Wash the blueberries, place them in a bowl, and gently mash them with a masher.
- In a teapot or mug, mix blueberries, lavender, and black tea with 1 cup boiling water.
- Steep for 5-10 minutes.
- Strain, sweeten with honey and serve.
Blueberry Iced Tea
What could be better on a hot summer day than a refreshing, fresh, and fruity iced tea? To enhance the flavor of the blueberries in this recipe, they are boiled before being added to the tea. This recipe yields approximately 5 glasses of iced tea. To simplify, you can cold-brew all ingredients overnight and add the blueberries, juice, and honey just before serving.
You will need:
• 1 1 cup. Boiling water + 1 tbsp. cold water
• Roughly 10-15 fresh mint leaves
• 1/2 lemon, whole, plus one additional lemon for serving
• 2 cups of blueberry
• 2 cups water
• 1-2 teaspoons honey (optional)
• 1-2 tbsp of Orange Pekoe
Instructions:
- Bring a small saucepan of water to a boil in the oven.
- Add the blueberries and purée with a hand blender.
- Simmer for 10 minutes over low heat.
- Extinguish the fire and strain the pulp using a filter.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil, allow a few seconds for cooling.
- Remove mint leaves from them; gently rub mint leaves between your fingers.
- add all ingredients in a teapot or mug with 1 cup water.
- Steep for 5-10 minutes.
- Squeeze the lemon and wash it.
- Strain and whisk in the blueberry and lemon juices and the honey.
- Pour 1 liter of water into the mixture.
- Serve with ice.
- Refrigerate and serve chilled.
13 Proven Health Benefits of Blueberry Tea
Blueberry tea is sweet, nutritious, and exceedingly popular.
Often referred to as a superfood, blueberry tea is low in calories and highly beneficial to your health.
The following are 13 clinically proven health benefits of blueberry tea.
- Blueberry tea is a low-calorie beverage that is packed with nutrients.
The blueberry bush-Vaccinium sect, Cyanococcus) is a flowering shrub that bears bluish-purple berries called blueberries.
It is closely related to shrubs that bear similar fruits, such as cranberries and huckleberries.
Blueberries are tiny, measuring approximately 0.2–0.6 inches (5–16 millimeters) in diameter and ending in a flared crown.
They are green in color but deepen to purple and blue as they ripen when they first appear.
The two most common types are as follows:
• Highbush blueberry: This is the most widely cultivated variety in the United States.
• Lowbush or “wild” blueberry: Smaller in size and higher in antioxidants.
The blueberry is one of the most nutrient-dense berries. A 1-cup (148-gram) serving of blueberries contains the following nutrients: (1):
• Fiber: 4 grams
• Vitamin C: 24% of the RDI
• Vitamin K: 36% of the Recommended Daily Intake
• Manganese: 25% of the Recommended Daily Intake
• Insignificant amounts of a variety of other nutrients
Additionally, they are approximately 85%, and a cup contains only 84 calories and 15 grams of carbohydrates.
Calorie for calorie, they are a superb source of various essential nutrients.
Blueberries are a trendy berry, containing few calories but a lot of fiber, vitamin C, and vitamin K.
- Blueberry tea protects against DNA damage, which may aid in preventing aging and cancer.
DNA oxidation is an unavoidable byproduct of daily life. It is estimated that tens of thousands of times per day, it occurs in each cell of your body (10).
DNA damage is a factor in our aging process. Additionally, it plays a critical role in developing diseases such as cancer.
Due to the high antioxidant content of blueberries, they can help neutralize some of the free radicals that cause DNA damage.
168 participants consumed 34 ounces (1 liter) of a blueberry and apple juice mixture daily in one study. After four weeks, the amount of oxidative DNA damage caused by free radicals was reduced by 20%.
These findings corroborate those of smaller studies using fresh or powdered blueberries.
Numerous studies indicate that blueberries and blueberry juice help prevent DNA damage, a major cause of aging and cancer.
- Blueberry tea helps prevent the oxidation of cholesterol in the blood.
Oxidative stress causes damage to more than just your cells and DNA.
Additionally, it is a problem if your “bad” LDL cholesterol is oxidized.
Indeed, the oxidation of “bad” LDL cholesterol is a critical step in developing heart disease.
Antioxidants found in blueberries are strongly associated with decreased levels of oxidized LDL cholesterol. As a result, blueberries are highly beneficial to your heart (15Trusted Source).
Over eight weeks, a daily serving of two ounces (50 grams) of blueberries reduced LDL oxidation by 27% in obese individuals (16Trusted Source).
Another study discovered that eating 2.5 ounces (75 grams) of blueberries with a main meal significantly reduced “bad” LDL cholesterol oxidation (17Trusted Source).
The antioxidants in blueberries have been proven to help prevent oxidative damage to “bad” LDL cholesterol, a major risk factor for heart disease.
- Blueberries Have been Linked to a Decrease in Blood Pressure
Blueberries appear to have significant health benefits for people who have hypertension, a major risk factor for heart disease.
In an eight-week study, obese individuals with a high risk of heart disease experienced a 4–6% reduction in blood pressure upon consuming 2 ounces (50 grams) of blueberries daily (18Trusted Source).
Other studies have found comparable effects — particularly in postmenopausal women (19Trusted Source, 20Trusted Source).
Numerous studies have linked regular blueberry consumption to decreased blood pressure.
- Blueberries May Aid in the Prevention of Heart Disease
While eating blueberries may help reduce blood pressure and oxidize LDL cholesterol, it’s critical to remember that these are risk factors, not diseases.
It would be far more informative to learn whether blueberries aid in preventing hard endpoints such as heart attacks, the world’s leading cause of death.
According to a study of 93,600 nurses, those who consumed the most anthocyanins — the primary antioxidant found in blueberries — had a 32% lower risk of heart attacks than those who consumed the least (22Trusted Source).
Due to the observational nature of this study, it cannot be concluded that the anthocyanins alone were responsible for the risk reduction.
Before making any claims, additional research is required.
Consuming anthocyanin-rich fruits, such as blueberries, is associated with a decreased risk of heart attacks.
- Blueberry tea Can Assist in Maintaining Normal Brain Function and Memory
Oxidative stress can accelerate the brain’s aging process, impairing cognitive function.
Animal studies show that blueberries’ antioxidants can affect brain areas involved in intelligence (23Trusted Source, 24Trusted Source).
They appear to benefit aging neurons by leading cell signaling improvements.
Moreover, human studies have yielded encouraging results.
Nine older adults with mild cognitive impairment ate blueberry juice daily in one of these studies. However, they experienced improvements in several markers of brain function after 12 weeks (25Trusted Source).
A six-year study of over 16,000 older adults found that blueberries and strawberries were associated with up to 2.5-year delays in mental aging (26Trusted Source).
The antioxidants in blueberries appear to benefit the brain by promoting cognitive function and reversing cognitive decline.
- Could Aid in the Fight Against Urinary Tract Infections
For women, urinary tract infections (UTIs) are a common occurrence.
It is widely accepted that cranberry juice can aid in the prevention of these infections.
Due to their close relationship to cranberries, blueberries contain a number of the same active ingredients as cranberry juice (31Trusted Source).
Anti-adhesives are substances that help bacteria such as E. coli avoid adhering to the bladder wall.
Although blueberries have been studied infrequently for their effect on urinary tract infections, they are likely to have similar effects to cranberries.
Blueberries, like cranberries, contain substances that inhibit certain bacteria from adhering to the bladder wall, which may help prevent UTIs.
- Blueberry tea May Help Prevent Muscle Damage Following Extensive Exercise
A workout that is too strenuous can cause muscle soreness and fatigue.
This is partly due to local inflammation and oxidative stress within your muscle tissue (33Trusted Source).
Blueberry supplements may mitigate molecular damage, resulting in less soreness and decreased muscle performance.
Blueberries accelerate muscle recovery after strenuous leg exercises in a small study involving ten female athletes (34Trusted Source).
According to one study, blueberries may aid in muscle recovery following strenuous exercise, though additional research is needed.
- Supplies Antioxidants
The leaves of blueberries are high in polyphenols, a naturally occurring antioxidant. Whether the leaves come from commercial or wild blueberry bushes, a 2009 study published in the “Journal of Medicinal Food” demonstrated that blueberry tea has an extremely high antioxidant capacity.
In a study similar to brewing blueberry tea at home, the researchers ensured that the leaves were steeped in hot water. According to a 2013 study published in the “Journal of Medicinal Food,” blueberry tea’s antioxidant content was sufficiently high to demonstrate significant potential for treating the physiological symptoms of neurodegenerative diseases, such as reduced brain function and mental impairment.
- Lower the Risk of Diabetic Diagnosis
The leaves and berries of blueberry tea contain anthocyanins, antioxidants found in dark-colored fruits such as blueberries. Because anthocyanins are water-soluble, they will be present in blueberry tea. A 2012 issue, the “American Journal of Clinical Nutrition,” featured a study demonstrating that increasing anthocyanin intake, either as a supplement or through anthocyanin-rich foods such as blueberries, resulted in a decreased risk of type-2 diabetes in both men and women.
- Contains Gallic Acid
Gallic acid, a natural antioxidant, is naturally present in blueberry tea. According to a 2013 article in the journal “Molecules,” Gallic acid has anti-inflammatory and anti-allergy properties. Gallic acid, like anthocyanins, is a water-soluble compound found in blueberry tea.
Gallic acid was found to reduce the amount of inflammation associated with allergic reactions, leading the researchers to conclude that gallic acid may be beneficial as a natural anti-inflammatory agent for allergies, particularly when combined with the anti-inflammatory drug dexamethasone.
Gallic acid was significantly more effective as an anti-inflammatory when combined with dexamethasone than alone.
- Fortifies the Immune System
Vitamin C also strengthens the immune system by promoting the formation and activation of specialized white blood cells. White blood cells serve as “soldiers” for your immune system, attacking foreign invaders such as viruses directly.
Vitamin C is also an effective antibacterial and mild antiparasitic, reducing the risk of infection and freeing up the immune system to focus on other disease-fighting tasks.
In addition, other antioxidants found in the leaves and fruit protect the liver by neutralizing the hepatitis C virus-associated with cirrhosis and liver cancer.
- Prevents Dehydration
Consuming blueberry tea, particularly if it is entirely herbal and caffeine-free, is an enjoyable way to meet your daily water requirements and avoid Dehydration.
Numerous health professionals recommend drinking 64 ounces of water per day, challenging for some women, particularly those accustomed to flavored and sweetened beverages.
Blueberry tea with a drizzle of honey is so delicious that you’ll find it easier to meet your daily water requirement.
Preparing Homemade Blueberry Tea
When paring preparing teas at home, the amount of tea used, the temperature of the water, and the length of time the tea is allowed to steep all affect the nutritional value and flavor of the tea.
Generally, a 2-teaspoon serving of blueberry tea is used, and the tea is steeped in approximately 8 ounces of water for 30 minutes to maximize the antioxidant benefits.
Water should be nearly boiling, about 203 degrees Fahrenheit. You can double or triple the leaves and water used to create a larger pot. Blueberry tea may be consumed either hot or cold.
Tips
Make your blueberry tea at home by combining fresh blueberries and their leaves in hot – but not boiling – water. Allow them to steep for a few hours before straining them. Another nutritious and delectable option is to squeeze blueberry juice into a mug of green tea. Planting a small blueberry bush near a window in your home may not produce an abundance of fruit, but it may provide beneficial leaves.
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Conclusion
Blueberry tea is an incredibly nutritious and healthy beverage. They benefit your heart health, brain function, and a variety of other bodily functions. Blueberries are sweet, vibrant, and easily consumed fresh or frozen.
