People nowadays are in the search of a perfect food, known as a superfood, so as to tackle the health problems as well as to fulfill their dietary, physical, and mental requirements. Bamboo has been known for its strength, natural beauty, and regenerative properties.
But, researchers have found out a lot of medical benefits of consuming bamboo, and its components.
You surely must have heard about ‘Bamboo tea’! It is a light grassy earthy flavored drink and is an 100% organic superfood.
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Bamboo Tea
Bamboos can be used in preparing tea! The leaves of a Bamboo tree are used in the preparation of the tea. The leaves of the ‘Bambuseae’, are dried and processed, before being used in the preparation of the tea. This Herbal decoction is a great way to sneak in all the bamboo’s benefits.
Health Benefits Of Bamboo Tea
Bamboo leaves are hydrocyanic and benzoic acid rich. Besides that, the leaves, ingested in the form of tea, or otherwise, have the following benefits.
1. Antioxidant Properties
Bamboo tea helps in the balancing of the free radicals. It also promotes an healthy skin. Antioxidants have also been known for slowing down the process of aging and aids cells in their maintenance. The high count of antioxidants in the tea also promotes beauty benefits.
Therefore, its consumption engenders prevention of conditions like asthma, helps with cancer prevention and treatment, and helps in maintaining optimal heart health.
2. Immunity Booster
Consumption of bamboo tea helps in boosting the immunity levels to five times than those who drink coffee. It helps in strengthening of the immune system and has an anti-fatigue effect which helps the body to stay energetic even after a heavy physical activity.
3. Low Calorie, High Fibre
Bamboo leaves has a very low (negligible) calorie content. The high fibre content satisfies the hunger as well as helps in losing weight healthily.
Drinking it in the form of tea has been known to ease cravings, which automatically tends to make the body lose unnecessary fat.
4. Better Digestion
Indigestion is one of the most common problems we face in our daily lives. Consuming bamboo tea has been proven to ease off stomach pain, abdominal bloating, gas and even diarrhea.
For thousands of years, bamboo tea has been used as an after-meal digestive aid, which promotes better digestion in the body.
5. Lowers Blood Pressure
Bamboo leaves, when consumed in the form of tea or concoction has a calming effect on the drinkers mind. Like any other form of green tea, bamboo tea too, helps in decreasing the risk of blood pressure and hypertension by 50%.
Morever, the potassium present in bamboo tea helps in the lowering of the pressure levels, and helps in regulating and maintaining the vascular system of the heart.
6. Aids Oral Hygiene
Various substituent components of the tea can fight cavities and help reduce plaque by killing or suppressing growth and acid production of cavity-causing bacteria in our mouths.
7. Anti-Inflammatory
This tea is so effective in healing wounds, killing intestinal worms (threadworms), ulcers, and destroying bacteria, that bamboo tea is actually prescribed in various parts of Asia as a painkiller.
Many researchers suggest that bamboo leaf tea is very effective in the suppression of inflammatory cytokines, and plays a great role in mollifying vascular inflammation.
8. Detoxification
Bamboo tea promotes healthy cleansing because of all the anti-inflammatory properties it already has.
Compounds that arise in the processing of bamboo leaf concoction can help the body in loaded all toxins from the body’s sweat or tract secretions. It supports the liver, which in turn helps in the process of elimination of the toxins from the body.
9. Mollifies Menstrual Pain
Women undergo a lot of uneasiness while menstruating primarily because of the abdominal pain, back pain, and the bone pain. Drinking bamboo tea helps in decreasing the pain and provides help in the regulation of the cycle.
Steps To Use Tea
The following steps illustrate the use of this tea for the same:
a) Wash 5 pieces of bamboo leaves and boil it with four cups of water.
b) Wait till it reduces to a single cup by volume.
c) Drink at night before sleep.
10. Exfoliating Agent
The residue, after making the tea can be used directly as an natural exfoliant.
Adding honey or olive oil to a mashed smooth paste of bamboo leaves, provides us mask which can be used to cleanse the skin. Various skin care products are now using bamboo leaves, with the fibres and granules intact, to provide the user with a much smoother and softer skin.
11. Strengthens The Body
The vitamin E and the natural antioxidants present in the tea, aid us in maintaining healthy tissue in the body. The tea is rich in silica, which in turn is used in the strengthening of bones , teeth, nails, and most importantly, hair.
12. Reduces Sugar Levels
Processed bamboo leaves, upon drying, produce a specific, distinctive smell. This smell, mixed with the fibre content present in it, is very effective in lowering the blood sugar levels.
Therefore, diabetic patients are advised to include bamboo tea in their diets to supplement their regular diabetic treatment.
13. Facilitates Smooth Urination
Some people feel a burning sensation and pain while they try to urinate. As stated in the previous points, bamboo leaf tea has anti viral and anti bacterial properties, which helps in overcoming this problem.
The following steps can be employed for the same:
a) Boil around 20 pieces of bamboo leaves with 3 cups of water.
b) Boil it, till it reduces to just 1 cup (by quantity).
c) Add 2 tablespoons of honey, and drink.
Bamboo Tea For Hair Growth
Bamboo tea is alkaline, caffeine free, and has a relaxing effect upon drinking. However, out of all these advantages and benefits given above, bamboo tea is getting really popular primarily because, it aids in “Hair Growth’.
So, the fastest growing plant helps in faster hair growth?
Silica is a mineral which is available in our body in miniature quantities. As we age, the quantity decreases, which in turn results in hair loss, and also affects our skin, nails and other parts of the body.
It has been found out that bamboo has the highest amount of vegetative silica, as compared to any other plant. Science has confirmed the quantity to be around 70%.
It helps in providing moisture and improving the strength, elasticity and sheen of the hair. The silica in it, prevents split ends, and helps in speeding up the hair growth.
To further concrete the usefulness of bamboo tea, consider the points given below:
- Prevents hair thinning.
- Hair follicles are ensured of various minerals necessary for hair growth.
- Lessens hair shredding.
- Restores the appearance of healthy hair.
How Much Bamboo Tea Should You Actually Drink?
Good things come to those who wait. Drinking one or two cups a day should suffice. Many users actually like the taste of the tea and have said that they could notice the difference in the quality as well as the quantity of the hair in just a few weeks.
Bamboo teas are light, smooth and refreshing, and they taste good even when they are cold.
Don’t Get Confused!
There is a common misconception amongst the people regarding this tea. The green bamboo leaf-green tea IS NOT the same as regular Bamboo tea.
Both, have strikingly similar names, but Green bamboo Leaf-green tea is actually a green tea, which was named so because of its similarity to the shape of a bamboo leaf.
Know as “Zhu Ye Qing” in Chinese; this green tea was first grown by a monk near a famous Buddhist mountain called the Emei Shan.
Precautions And Side Effects
There are certain side effects of ingesting bamboo leaves, direct or otherwise, in the form of tea. People with Hypothyroidism (thyroid gland does not produce enough thyroid hormone) and goitre should avoid having this tea in excess as it may act as a catalyst to these problems.
Pregnant as well as nursing females aren’t advised to consume this tea. Even though scientific evidence is lacking, it is, as they say, better to be safe than sorry.
Bamboo is on the cusp of becoming the next raw organic super-food because of its incredible properties. Countries like India and China have been using bamboo since the ancient times.
Now, it has reached everywhere. Interested people can buy bamboo tea in the form of dried or processed leaves in cans/containers on any of the online stores.
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