Blueberry Tea
Tea is one of the most popular beverages around the world…
…and many cultures have special ceremonies that revolve around drinking it, such as afternoon tea in the United Kingdom or Gongfu in China . When you think of tea your mind may automatically go to common varieties like peppermint or chamomile, but tea comes in many varieties, each with their own health benefits and unique tastes. Have you ever heard blueberry tea?
Blueberry tea is produced by steeping blueberry bush leaves in hot water. It is a fragrant and tasty beverage with a variety of distinct health advantages that make it both delightful to consume and helpful to your body.
What is Blueberry Tea
Blueberries are a type of berry that grows on bushes, trees, vines, shrubs, and low-growing plants. They’re native to North America where they grow wild throughout much of Canada and the northern states. Blueberries can be found year round at grocery stores, farmers markets, local farms, and even some supermarkets too!
What makes blueberries so healthy is that they contain lots of antioxidants called anthocyanins which help protect against heart disease, cancer, diabetes, arthritis, and more. Antioxidants also fight free radicals – molecules created when we breathe oxygen that damage cells and DNA over time. Free radical damage has been linked to aging and diseases like Alzheimer’s Disease, Parkinson’s Disease, and macular degeneration.
Benefits of Blueberry Tea:
Anti-cancer properties:
Research shows that blueberries may prevent certain types of cancers by inhibiting cell growth and proliferation. This means that eating them regularly could reduce your risk for colon, breast, prostate, lung, stomach, ovarian, cervical, thyroid, bladder, skin, brain, head/neck, leukemia, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, multiple myeloma, melanoma, esophageal, pancreatic, gallbladder, kidney, uterine, liver, and oral cancers.
Heart Health:
Antioxidant compounds in blueberries may help improve cardiovascular function. One study showed that people who drank three cups of blueberry juice daily had lower levels of LDL cholesterol than those who didn’t drink any. Another study showed that adults who ate two servings per day lowered their blood pressure after six weeks compared to those who only consumed one serving. The antioxidant content in blueberries may play an important role here because high amounts of flavonoids were associated with reduced hypertension.
Weight Loss:
One cup of fresh blueberries contains about 100 calories. That’s less than half the amount needed to make up 1 ounce of chocolate candy bar, making this fruit an ideal snack option if you want to lose weight without feeling deprived. Plus, research suggests that consuming berries helps promote satiety since they’re full of fiber and phytochemicals.
How To Make Fresh Blueberry Tea
- cup water
- cups freshly picked blueberries
- tablespoons honey
Direction
- Bring 1/4 cup of boiling water to boil in small saucepan; add 2 teaspoons dried loose leaf black teas leaves into hot water for 3 minutes.
- Remove from heat and let steep until cool enough to handle.
- Strain out leaves using fine mesh strainer.
- Add remaining ingredients to cooled tea mixture and stir well.
- Enjoy warm or cold. Makes about 4 servings.
how long does blueberry tea stay good?
Freshly made tea will keep up to 5 days refrigerated. If stored longer than this, freeze them first before storing in the fridge.
Nutrition Information
One cup of hot blueberry tea made with tap water comprises the following ingredients:
- Calories: 2
- Fat: 0 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
- Sodium: 7 mg
- Protein: 0 g
Brewing your tea using blueberry leaves rather than normal tea leaves adds a variety of nutrients to your cup, including:
- Fiber
- Vitamin C
- Vitamin K
- Manganese
- Potassium
Some people add dried blueberries before steeping their blueberry tea to offer extra nutrition and taste. Keep in mind that adding dried fruit increases the amount of sugar and calories.
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