Sipping This Herbal Tea Can Help Lower Blood Pressure, Balance Gut Health, and Ward Off Dementia
We’re always on the lookout for easy ways to add healthy habits to our daily lives — and what could be easier than sipping a cozy cup of tea? While there are many nutritional options to choose from, we definitely recommend adding Greek mountain tea to your rotation of regular brews.
Greek mountain tea, also known as ironwort or shepherd’s tea, is made with herbs from Sideritis plants. As the name suggests, it is grown in Greece and the Mediterranean region where it has been used as a popular beverage for thousands of years.
That part of the world is also famous for its long-living residents, which researchers say is largely thanks to what they commonly eat and drink. So it’s no surprise that a tea often found alongside Mediterranean diet staples like fresh fruits, veggies, legumes, fish, and chicken would have quite a few perks of its own!
More specifically, a 2012 study from the Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology claimed that extract from the Sideritis plant lowered blood pressure levels by relaxing the blood vessels. This helped to reduce stress on the heart muscles for overall improved cardiac health.
Another study from Planta Medica showed that Greek mountain tea was able to tame inflammation in the gut thanks to the phenolic and antioxidant contents found in the herb. The researchers also noted antimicrobial effects that kept potentially harmful microorganisms like Candida and E. coli from wreaking havoc.
Most recently, clinical trials from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki are currently looking into growing evidence that Greek mountain tea can help ward off conditions like Alzheimer’s and dementia. They list the tea’s flavonoids and antioxidant properties as particularly promising elements which can protect against cognitive impairment as we age. We’ll have to wait for their full results, but they’re already backed by a previous study that saw positive effects of Greek mountain tea on cognitive performance.
In the meantime, you can try sipping a cup to see if any perks pop up for yourself! Even without the health benefits, Greek mountain tea’s earthy and slightly sweet flavor is a lovely treat on its own. You can find it in specialty markets or online (Buy on Amazon, $11.99).
This article originally appeared on our sister site, Woman’s World.
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