Tea can be a warm start to your morning and can be a great way to soothe your stomach after meal time and before bed. There are so many teas to choose from that it’s unlikely you have tried them all. It may be surprising to learn though that the only teas that are actually tea are the black, white, and green teas that come from the Camellia sinensis bush. The herbal teas that you may hear of do not contain the Camellia sinensis plant, but contain the leaves, flowers, roots, bark, and seeds of other plants. One such herbal tea that you may not have heard of is boldo tea. Let’s learn a bit about this type of “tea” and how it can benefit your health.
What is boldo tea?
Boldo tea is a beverage made from mint-scented leaves from an evergreen-branching shrub or small tree native to South America known as Peumus boldus Molina. The leaves of the boldo plant are waxy and can have a displeasing and pungent odor when crushed. This scent does become more palatable after drying and cooking, during which the flavors of pepper, mint, and camphor become evident. The boldo plant also produces small green fruits with a pleasant taste as well as small pale white to yellow flowers with a distinctly minty scent.
The boldo tea beverage can have a bitter taste, therefore it’s often combined with other more palatable flavors. For example, Casa de Sante offers several flavors of boldo tea including lemon flavored to help with bloating, mint raspberry for diarrhea relief, and peppermint boldo tea for gas and bloating relief.
Health benefits of boldo tea
Boldo tea can work great for digestive ailments by promoting healthy digestion and easing the discomfort of symptoms like gas and bloating. This type of herbal concoction is also well-known for its liver and urinary health benefits.
One of the important compounds in boldo tea is known as boldine. Research shows that boldine is an effective antioxidant that can help fight oxidative stress and related inflammation in the body. It makes up about one-fourth of the constituents in the boldo plant. This compound is found to be the key factor in the boldo tea’s liver health and diuretic actions.
It is boldine’s antioxidant content that can potentially help lessen the impact of any inflammation-related symptoms on the body. These antioxidants could also potentially boost immune system health as well as relieve inflammation-related symptoms such as pain. The boldo concoction may also be helpful in soothing the mind as well such as in helping those with insomnia, stress, or anxiety. In turn, boldo tea may help soothe the mind as well as the body.
There are no well-known food or supplement interactions currently known concerning boldo tea. However, it’s important to note that this tea should not be consumed by those with obstructions of the bile duct or serious liver conditions. In these cases, please consult your doctor before consuming boldo tea.
Take home message
Tea can be an effective and delicious way to soothe your gut and your mind during the day. And there are so many kinds of herbal concoctions to choose from that herbal beverages like boldo “tea” may not be one you have heard of before. However, with the benefits and delicious flavor that it offers, boldo tea may be a great addition to your current beverage regimen on the low FODMAP diet. For boldo teas like lemon-flavored, as well as other low FODMAP tea options such as peppermint tea, be sure to visit the Casa de Sante online shop to stock up.
-written by Staci Gulbin, MS, MEd, RD of LighttrackNutrition.com
