I just found about this awesome new health drink called blue butterfly pea tea. Native to Asia it has been consumed as an Ayurvedic medicine for centuries as a memory enhancer, brain booster, anti-stress and calmative agent.
The bright blue drink is packed with antioxidants, flavonoids and peptides which boast numerous health benefits, including:
Butterfly pea contains bioflavonoids which, can promote hair growth and reduce greying of hair.
Improve skinantioxidants stimulate collagen and elastin , which helps rejuvenate the skin and reduce signs of ageing.
Butterfly Pea has a calming effect on the body, reducing stress and anxiety.
It can help boost memory and cognitive ability.
Butterfly Pea is one of the few herbs to contain cyclotides, which have exhibited anti-HIV effects in studies.
It contains cyclotides which, can cause cancer cell death by disrupting cell membrane integrity. It has been shown to be effective against some lung cancer cells.
It can help improve blood flow to the scalp and help with male pattern baldness.
Butterfly pea can help reduce fatigue and give more energy.
Aside from a tea it can also be made into cold drinks and even food.
In Southeast Asia, butterfly pea flowers are squeezed for their blue extract, which is then mixed with coconut milk and used to create blue and purple deserts. ‘Nam dok anchan’ is a a refreshing indigo-blue drink commonly consumed in Thailand made with butterfly pea flowers, honey and sugar syrup.
In Burma flowers are dipped in batter and fried.
In Malaysia, locals add a few buds of this flower when cooking white rice to add a bluish tint known to locals as ‘nasi kerabu’.
To make the tea
Simply steep 10 flowers, fresh or dried, in a cup of hot water, let sit 15 minutes.
When there is no color left in the petal, strain the liquid and discard the flowers.
You can buy the flowers on eBay from as little as. £2.99