Here’s your new power drink

Arushi Chaudhary

Superfoods, with their nutrient dense composition and ability to combat several lifestyle-related problems, have been a raging trend. From blueberries to kale, coconut, flax seeds, avocados and more, superfoods that hold the promise of restoring body’s health, fighting chronic diseases and improving emotional wellness have invoked interest of fitness experts and enthusiasts alike. Dethroning its popular cousin green tea in the category of superfoods is blue tea, the newest entrant on the wellness charts. 

Also known as butterfly pea tea, blue tea traces its origin to Southeast Asian countries and has emerged as one of the most popular wellness drinks in the recent times. 

What is blue tea?

A centuries-old formula that has been a staple in Southeast Asia, blue tea is made from butterfly pea flower and dried lemongrass. The blue colour of the tea comes from the butterfly pea flower which dissipates its natural colour when steeped in warm or hot water. Besides being used to make blue tea, the flower is also an integral ingredient in several traditional recipes in Malaysia, Thailand and Myanmar, where it is used as a natural food dye. Interestingly, contact with a few drops of lemon can change this flower’s colour composition due to altering pH levels. So, if you add a few lemon drops to your blue tea, you can get an exotic dreamy purple concoction.

Feel good

So, what makes blue tea a wellness drink? Well, it has earned itself frenzied popularity, thanks to its unique taste and professed health benefits, in a short span of time. Nutritionist and dietician Pallavi Jassal endorses blue tea as a superfood. She says one of the notable benefits of blue tea are its antioxidant properties, which help in fighting toxic free radicals in the body. “Besides helping the body detox, these potent bio-compounds also improve immunity and delay signs of ageing such as greying of hair, brittle nails and dull, wrinkle-prone skin. Antioxidants also prevent damage to body cells, which can, in turn, minimise the risk of any form of cancer,” she says. They also help in metabolising the existing fat deposits at a faster rate and also rev up body’s overall metabolic rate, thus, assisting in weight loss when combined with the right diet and exercise.

According to Jassal, blue tea is suitable for almost everyone, except people with immune disorders and kidney-related problems. In such cases, blue tea may not only fail to have the desired effects on the body but can also do more harm than good. People with these conditions should consult a doctor or a dietician before starting on this herbal tea. 

Raise your cuppa

You can incorporate three to five cups of blue tea a day to your diet regime. Preparing this tea the right way is the key to extract maximum benefits from it. The blue tea extract must never be boiled over direct flame as the process of boiling can kill most of the antioxidants. Instead, it should be brewed in warm or hot water for two to three minutes before consumption. 

All in a flower

Butterfly-pea flower is proven to possess nootropic properties, which are passed on to this flower-infused blue tea. The nootropic substances help in boosting brain function and activity, besides augmenting body’s energy levels. If you need to bring on your A-game, sipping on a cuppa might help. This also makes blue tea an all-natural way to alleviate stress and symptoms of stress-related anxiety disorders.