If tea isn’t something you’ve paid a lot of attention to, you may only be familiar with plain black tea or over sugared coffee shop flavored “tea” drinks. There are many different types of tea out there: black, green, and white are all specifically from the tea plant (Camellia sinensis), and then there are many more plants that fall under a wider “tea” umbrella, many of which are herbal “teas” (no Camellia sinensis), in which case “tea” is just a brewed plant.
Jiaogulan is one such “tea”. Grown in Southeast Asia, it is known there for a myriad of health benefits from treating ulcers to supporting a long life span. In the name of Heart Health month I want to highlight one of the bigger benefits of Jiaogulan: it supports heart health (really, the whole cardiovascular system). Jiaogulan may support a healthy blood pressure, for instance.
It’s more than just the benefits of a cup of tea. The ritual of drinking tea can itself be soothing: the warm cup, steeping and re-steeping the tea leaves to get slightly different flavors and notes. It’s a good break in the day which is, in itself, good for de-stressing, and thus heart health.
But Jiaogulan is full of antioxidants, adaptogens, and other heart health supporting compounds. It has a complex, earthy taste thanks to all the flavonoids. It’s caffeine free, but it’s still reputed to boost focus and energy (obviously in a different way than caffeine does). And being caffeine free, you can drink it anytime of day without triggering insomnia, or skip drinking it without triggering caffeine withdrawal. You can even turn it into an iced tea, and enjoy it after a workout.
Do something easy for your heart this heart health month, and enjoy a cup of organic Jiaogulan tea. Use it to de-stress, or just drink it for the cardiovascular benefits (or if not your heart, your stomach!).
What are you doing for your heart this month?
