Jujube tea is a herbal tea prepared from the small and fleshy jujube fruits. Provided here is some information about the various benefits of the same.
Jujube tea is a herbal tea made from sweet, olive-shaped fruits of the jujube tree. The scientific name of the tree is Ziziphus zizyphus. It is a deciduous tree which belongs to the species Ziziphus and family Rhamnaceae.
The tree is native to southern Asia and is well-known for its smooth, green, and oval-shaped edible fruits which have the consistency and taste similar to an apple. On maturation, the fruits turn dark red to purplish black, and often appear like a date.
The tree grows to a height of 5-10 m and have thorny branches with shiny, green ovate foliage. It blooms sweet smelling flowers that are small and have yellowish green petals.
As a result of its fresh and sweet smell, many people like keeping jujube leaves and flowers in their house, in order to keep the bugs and other insects away. For centuries its fruits have been used as a stress buster in the Chinese and Korean traditional medicine.
Its fruits can be eaten freshly picked from the tree as a snack, or they can be dried and used in various dessert recipes. Also the fruits being mucilaginous, provide a soothing effect in the throat and are often used to treat sore throats.
Jujube Tea
Jujube tea is prepared from fresh jujube fruits. The fruits are collected and boiled in water for several hours. Finally, the extract obtained after boiling is used to prepare the tea. The tea has a sweet flavor of the fruits and is rich in loads of vitamins and nutrients.
The tea contains sugar, vitamin A, B1, B2, and C, and is commonly used to treat various ailments, ranging from sore throat to anemia. Hence, for its numerous health benefits, this herbal tea is one of the most priced tea worldwide.
Benefits
Being high in vitamin A, C, and potassium, this tea is considered to be quite effective in treating common cold and flu. If combined with other herbs like ginger, licorice, and mint, the tea's adhesive properties soothe a cough and help to relieve achy throat muscles.
Research shows that the tea possess mild to moderate laxative properties which makes it a good detoxifying agent. The tea helps remove various toxins and chemicals from the body through feces and prevents any kind of damage to the liver, kidneys, and other organs of the excretory system.
Some also believe that the tea helps in removing obstructions in the energy flow or qi (the balance of negative and positive energies in the body which according to Chinese philosophy is believed to be essential for good health), and maintain a normal emotional balance.
It is also helpful in relieving stress and anxiety. Basically, the tea consists of saponins (plant glycosides), which provide a soothing effect on the nervous system. It acts as a natural sedative and helps to relieve emotional imbalance, thereby providing a sense of well-being.
Further studies show that the saponins in the tea have anticarcinogenic properties. Hence, it is used as a supplement for cancer treatment. These organic compounds react with the cancer cell membranes and kill them.
Jujube tea also has a restorative effect, and hence, is quite useful in restoring the damage of the cells and tissues. It helps build stronger muscles. Hence, the drink serves as an energy booster by enhancing the energy and stamina of the person.
Besides the aforementioned health benefits, this herbal tea is also considered to be useful in treating as well as avoiding possibilities of having insomnia, arthritis, rheumatism, body chill, skin aging, etc.
Also, the tea's sweet and fruity flavor makes it a healthy natural sweetener. Hence, it is often used in different herbal tinctures to cover up the bitter or sour taste of other herbs.