Aloysia citrodor is commonly known as lemon verbena. It is a flowering plant that belongs to the verbena family. This plant is native to South Africa and is also known as lemon bee-brush. Lemon verbena was brought to Europe by the Spanish and Portuguese in the 17th century and was cultivated to extract oil. Now, it’s popular for making lemon verbena tea.
Medicinally, the uses of this plant include the treatment of digestive tract disorders like gas and diarrhea, insomnia, muscle pull, and many other conditions. It is a common herbal tea ingredient and is also used to extract essential oils for perfumes a well as a flavoring agent for alcoholic infusions.
Lemon Verbena Tea
Lemon verbena tea has a citrusy aroma and is refreshingly lemony with a smooth mouth-feel. It is a caffeine-free natural tea that possesses great health benefits. To make the tea, all you need is to infuse the leaves of this plant in hot boiling water for five minutes. Freshwater keeps the extracts and fresh flavors; however, the primary factor to consider is leaf quality. It is cultivated in rows of green bushes that fill the air with the aroma. The leaves are picked up by machines that do not disturb the standing plant and then are dried in the sun. The tea thus produced is dusty green and elegantly curled with a gentle lemon scent.
Love herbal teas? Try Chaga Tea and Loquat Tea.
Health Benefits Of Lemon Verbena Tea
Aloysia citrodor (lemon verbena) is extensively used in folklore medicines these days. The beneficial properties of lemon verbena include antioxidant, anti-anxiety, and anti-inflammatory effects. Here are some of the benefits of using lemon verbena tea:
Immunity Booster And Detoxification
Lemon verbena tea helps to remove free radicals from the body to stay healthy. It is rich in phenolic compounds which are antioxidants against free radicals and helps to reduce oxidative stress. Read More.
Fat Burner
Intake of herbal tea without sugar is suggested as a part of any weight-loss diet plan. Lemon verbena is a perfect choice for your weight-loss journey. It helps to suppress your cravings, helps to tolerate the irresistible desires of your taste buds for snacks, and thus helps to stick with your diet to achieve the weight-loss goal. The natural appetite-suppressing property prevents overeating, thus aids the fat-burning process.
Reduces Stress
The constituents of lemon verbena can help to deal with anxiety and stress issues. The secondary metabolites present in it helps to boost your mind that targets the nervous system to relax it and also aid to relieve muscle tension. Such brain relaxing properties help to ease nervousness and strain.
Insomnia
Lemon verbena tea helps to treat sleep disorders including the lack of sleep (insomnia). The constituents of this herb help to reduce tension and anxiety can help to ease the body as well as the mind to aid the sleeping process. The tea is rich in melatonin and lacks caffeine that makes it ideal for the evening drink. Read More.
Promotes Digestion
Lemon verbena (Aloysia citrodor) can relax your stomach by relieving spasm of involuntary muscles of the stomach. It composures your digestive system and reduces the symptoms of indigestion, cramps, and bloating.
Relieves Congestion
Lemon verbena is a natural expectorant that helps to release the sticky secretions from the GI tract that clears the congestion in the respiratory tract.
Helps To Combat Fever
Lemon verbena also possesses antipyretic properties that reduce fever (substances that reduce fever). Antipyretic activity along with the metabolites that remove oxidative stress makes it an ideal tea for naturally combating pyrexia. Read More.
Anti-Inflammatory
The components of lemon verbena possess anti-inflammatory properties that help to reduce the inflammatory effects of oxidative ailments. The secondary metabolites of lemon verbena helps to comfort the painful joints and other problems related to inflammation.
Averts Muscle Injury During The Workout.
The secondary metabolites of lemon verbena also help to reduce muscle damage due to over-exercise. The athletes prefer this tea as a pre-workout supplement. The antioxidant properties of this tea help to suppress inflammation which is linked to damage prevention and repair the muscle tissues. Read More.
How To Dry Herbs for Tea?
If you have fresh lemon verbena, cut bunches of the plant’s stems, tie them together with string or twine, and hang them in a warm dry place with good ventilation. Remove the dry leaves from the stems, place them in an air-tight container and label the container. Store them in a cool dry place away from sunlight.
Use 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon verbena or 1 teaspoon of dried leaves for each cup of boiling water. Place the leaves in a teapot, pour the boiling water over them, cover, and steep for 5 minutes or more.
If you don’t want to boil water, prepare sun tea. Place lemon verbena leaves in a pitcher and allows them in the sun to make lemon verbena sun tea. Just snip a couple of handfuls of leaves and put them in a large glass pitcher. Fill the jar with water, and allow it to sit in the sun for several hours. It will naturally slowly steep.
If you really love herbal tea then the best choice is lemon verbena tea as it is fresh, fragrant with citrus aroma, and full of health benefits. To prepare the tea:
- Place the leaves in a tea strainer or teapot, pour the boiling water over them, cover, and steep for 5 minutes or more, depending on how strong you like your tea.
- Steep for 5 minutes, then remove the leaves or strain the tea. Add sweetener if you prefer, and serve.
You can use agave nectar, Stevia, or sugar as a sweetener to taste, although it also tastes great without any sweetener too. All you need is few leaves of lemon verbena; you can double or triple their quantity if you prefer a strong flavor.
It is a fascinating herb with various health benefits but with all these benefits it is not the only thing your need to be healthy. Intake of this tea as a part of a healthy lifestyle, proper diet could be helpful. The secondary metabolites of the lemon verbena tea help to relieve the adverse health symptoms and boost your immunity which improves your overall wellbeing.
Before starting the consumption of lemon verbena tea consult your physician first, if you are on any type of medication. The effects of this tea on pregnant women are not well understood. Pregnant women should consult their physician before intaking any herb or drug as this is important for their overall health.
Here Are More Amazing Caffeine-Free Teas
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Categories
- Categories: Ingredient Information, Resources
- Course: Beverage
- Cuisine: American
Cook Time
- Preparation: 5 min
- Cooking: 5 min
- Ready in: 15 min
- For: 1 Serving
Ingredients
- 3 whole lemon verbena leaves, or 1 teaspoon dried crumbled leaves
- 1 cup Boiling water
- sweetener of choice, optional
Instructions
- Place the leaves in a tea strainer or tea pot, pour the boiling water over them, cover, and steep for 5 minutes or more, depending on how strong you like your tea.
- Remove the leaves or strain the tea. Add sweetener if you prefer, and serve.
Notes
The calories and nutritional data are estimates based on a third-party calculator. Nutritional information will differ because of the different brands used, portion sizes, etc.
I love me some tea. Gotta try this ASAP! Thanks