The Benefits of Butterfly Pea Flower Tea, How to Make & Where to Buy
You may have heard of Butterfly Pea Flower tea as “magic” tea because of its fun ability to turn from blue to purple (with an acid like lemon) or blue to red with the addition of hibiscus flowers. Aside from being a beautiful and Instagram-worthy drink, Butterfly Pea Flower tea is amazing for stress, anxiety, and your overall health.
What is Butterfly Pea Flower Tea?
Butterfly Pea Flower’s technical name is Clitoria Ternetea… and if you look at a picture of the flower, it’s not hard to guess why.
It’s a flower native to Asia, namely Thailand & Malaysia but has also been introduced to Africa, Australia, and America.
It comes in several varieties and the most common one you’ll see made for tea and via edible flowers is the blue flower. The flower leaves can be eaten raw (hello, beautifully decorated food) and are commonly dried for tea.
Butterfly Pea Flower Benefits
It’s packed with Antioxidants.
Just like green tea, Butterfly Pea Flower Tea packs a healthy dose of antioxidants that fight the properties commonly associated with aging and stress and help to mitigate free radicals.
Eating a diet rich in antioxidants not only improves your overall wellbeing, but helps keep your skin clear & bright and can help improve your overall mood.
Butterfly Pea Flower Tea for Stress, Anxiety, Insomnia & Depression
Butterfly Pea Flower Tea is commonly consumed in Asia & Vietnam as an evening drink or as a welcome drink in spas; I find it to be the perfect soothing drink at bedtime or in the morning with matcha when I want a kick of caffeine with a side of “calm my nerves”.
There have also been studies done that show it’s affect on the Central Nervous System, playing a role in supporting anxiety, insomnia, and depression, and it may also be helpful for seizures along with improving cognitive behavior.1
Antidiabetic Properties
A study published in the Journal of Applied Pharmaceutical Science found that extracts from butterfly pea flower may help lower serum. 2
Butterfly Pea Flower Tea & Caffiene
Like most herbal teas, Butterfly Pea Flower Tea is naturally caffeine-free so it’s safe for those with caffeine sensitivity to drink.
How to Make Butterfly Pea Flower Tea:
1. Add two heaping teaspoons of dried butterfly pea flowers to a tea kabuki, steep for a few minutes until water turns a deep blue shade, strain and enjoy. (You could also make in a French press or with tea bags at home).
2. Add a teaspoon of Raw Manuka Honey and a splash of cashew milk.
3. Enjoy the beautiful tea as is OR add a squeeze of lemon for a splash of vitamin C and a magically changing blue-to-purple tea!
Where to Buy Butterfly Pea Flower Tea:
I bought mine on Amazon (because #amazonislife in my home); I’ve included a couple of links to my favorites here and here!