Loquat leaf tea (枇杷叶茶, Pí Pá Yè Chá) is made from the leaves of Eriobotrya japonica. Loquat leaf called Pi Pa Ye in Chinese is traditional Chinese medicine.
Table of Contents
- What Is Loquat Leaf
- How to Make Loquat Leaf Tea
- Benefits of Loquat Leaf Tea
- Side Effects of Loquat Leaf Tea
What Is Loquat Leaf
The loquat leaves we usually use are the dried leaves of Loquat. Loquat is native to Southeast China and also can be found in other Asian counties, such as Japan, India, Vietnam, Myanmar, Thailand, etc. It belongs to the evergreen small arbor plant, up to 10 meters high.
Loquat blooms in autumn or early winter, and its fruits ripen from spring to early summer, earlier than other fruits. The ripe loquat fruit is sweet and nutritious and is also traditional Chinese medicine.
Loquat leaf is one of the common Chinese herbal medicines. It can be harvested all year round, mostly in summer. After being picked and dried in the sun, it can be used as herbal medicine.
The famous Chinese patent medicine Nin Jiom Pei Pa Koa is mainly made from the loquat leaf. Pei Pa Koa is a very hot product mainly used for cough relief.
People who often suffer from cough, respiratory infections, and bronchitis can always reserve some dried loquat leaves at home to make loquat leaf tea to relieve the diseases.
How to Make Loquat Leaf Tea
Making loquat leaf tea is very simple. Tear the dried loquat leaves into small pieces. Steep them in boiling water for a few minutes to drink. Before drinking, you can add some sugar and honey.
The fresh loquat leaves can also be used to make tea. After picking, brush away the hairs on the surface of loquat leaves, cut them into small pieces, and boil them for a few minutes to drink.
In addition, loquat leaves can be brewed with other herbs, such as Ju Hua, Jin Yin Hua, mint, licorice, Sterculia lychnophora, etc., which will have different medicinal effects.
Benefits of Loquat Leaf Tea
The main components of loquat leaf are triterpenoid acids, flavonoids, polyphenols, organic acids, volatile oils, and loquat glycoside. There are more than ten kinds of triterpenoid acids in the loquat leaf, which are the main effective components of the loquat leaf.
Anti-Aging
The flavonoids in loquat leaf have an antioxidant effect. It can eliminate free radicals in the body, and prevent cell degeneration and aging.
Anti-Cancer
Scientific experiments show that the triterpenoid acids of loquat leaf can inhibit the metastasis and spread of cancer cells such as lung cancer.
Relieve Cough
The main effect of loquat leaf is to relieve cough, which is recorded in many ancient Chinese medicinal books. Loquat glycoside, ursolic acid, and total triterpenoid acid are the main effective components of loquat leaf for cough relief.
Relieve Dermatitis
It has a certain relief effect on skin diseases such as miliaria, maculae, and skin rash. Bathing with loquat leaves water also has this effect.
Clear Stomach Heat
It can clear stomach heat and treat vomiting caused by stomach heat.
Side Effects of Loquat Leaf Tea
The medicinal property of loquat leaf is cold. People with a cold constitution or weak stomach should not drink it too much, otherwise, it may cause abdominal pain, diarrhea, and other symptoms.
Patients with vomiting caused by stomach cold should not drink it, otherwise, it will aggravate the disease.
Pregnant women should drink loquat leaf tea in moderation.