BUTTERFLY PEA FLOWER
Butterfly Pea flower is noted for its bright blue edible flowers. Aside from its many culinary uses, the blue butterfly pea vine has been used in Ayurveda as well as traditional Asian and Middle Eastern medicine. Its health benefits are increasingly supported by modern science.
The key ingredient in this tea is the Butterfly Pea flower or scientific name is Clitoria Ternatea is native to South East Asia. This ingredient has beneficial anthocyanins – provides the blue colour and has a variety of health benefits such as :
Loaded with antioxidants – that helps boost circulation and collagen production and prevent premature ageing.
It’s been used in traditional Ayurvedic medicine as a memory enhancer, a stress alleviator, to lift the mood, and it is believed to balance blood sugar levels.
Strengthens the hair for healthy hair growth/prevent hair loss & greying
Possesses anti cancer properties.
Keeps skin glowing & healthy
Treats urinary problems.
Improves eyesight & night vision
Treats eye infections
Detoxifies the whole body
Enhances memory
Enhances immune system
Tips on Brewing your Butterfly Pea flower tea >
Health Benefits:
Nootropic – enhances cognitive functions including heightening intelligence and enhancing memory via acetylcholine localized to the hippocampus
Anxiolyhic – reduces stress and anxiety – calming effect
Relaxes smooth vascular muscle aiding blood flow
Analgesic – helps to relieve pain to the extent it is used as a local anesthetic
Diuretic – promotes excretion of water (urination) which decreases blood volume thereby lowering blood pressure, also used for fasting but typically temporary weight loss
Anti-inflammatory – the deep blue flowers contain flavonoid pigments similar to blue berries, acai berry, mangosteen rind etc. that protect the plant. When you inject the flower the effect is remarkably similar to the anti-inflammatory effect of the plant in nature.
Aids diabetic activity by inhibiting glucose intake from the diet
Noted anti-cancer and anti-tumor abilities resulting from cyclotides that cause cell death by disrupting cell membrane integrity
Anti-pyretic –reduces fever by dilating the blood vessels just beneath the skin which increases blood flow near the surface of the skin where it can be more easily cooled by the air
Eyes: The presence of the anti-oxidant, proanthocyanidin, helps to improve eyesight by increasing blood flow in the capillaries of the eyes which also allows the eyes to adjust to changes in light and improves vision. The blue butterfly pea vine flowers have been shown to effectively prevent cataracts and glaucoma, correct blurred vision, and reverse retinal damage as well as soothing inflamed and tearing eyes.
Hair: The blue butterfly vine flower, rich in bioflavinoids, has been used traditionally to promote hair growth, thicken the hair and reduce greying of the hair.
Skin: Anti-oxidants in blue butterfly pea flower stimulate collagen and elastin synthesis helping to rejuvenate the skin, reduce wrinkles and other effects of aging skin.
Aphrodisiac: traditionally used as an aphrodisiac particularly for women and used to treat problems associated with menstruation as well as leucorrhoea (white vaginal discharge).
Scientific Support & Reference Citations
1. PIALA JJ, MADISSOO H, RUBIN B Diuretic activity of roots of Clitoria ternatea L. in dogs . Experientia. (1962)
2. El-Halawany AM, et al Screening for estrogenic and antiestrogenic activities of plants growing in Egypt and Thailand .Pharmacognosy Res. (2011)
3. Ramanathan M, Balaji B, Justin A Behavioural and neurochemical evaluation of Perment an herbal formulation in chronic unpredictable mild stress induced depressive model . Indian J Exp Biol. (2011)
4. Taur DJ, Patil RY Evaluation of antiasthmatic activity of Clitoria ternatea L. roots . J Ethnopharmacol. (2011)
5. Kamkaen N, Wilkinson JM The antioxidant activity of Clitoria ternatea flower petal extracts and eye gel . Phytother Res. (2009)
6. Malik J, Karan M, Vasisht K Nootropic, anxiolytic and CNS-depressant studies on different plant sources of shankhpushpi .Pharm Biol. (2011)
7. Swain SS, Rout KK, Chand PK Production of Triterpenoid Anti-cancer Compound Taraxerol in Agrobacterium-Transformed Root Cultures of Butterfly Pea (Clitoria ter-natea L.) . Appl Biochem Biotechnol. (2012)
8. Kazuma K, Noda N, Suzuki M Malonylated flavonol glycosides from the petals of Clitoria ternatea . Phytochemistry. (2003)
9. Adisakwattana S, et al In vitro inhibitory effects of plant-based foods and their com-binations on intestinal glucosidase and pancreatic amylase . BMC Complement Al-tern Med. (2012) 10.
10. Terahara N, et al Five new anthocyanins, ternatins A3, B4, B3, B2, and D2, from Cli-toria ternatea flowers . J Nat Prod. (1996)
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