Prunella Vulgaris Tea

Prunella Vulgaris Tea

Prunella vulgaris tea (夏枯草茶, Xià Kū Cǎo Chá) is made from the dried spikes of Prunella vulgaris, which is known as self-heal and heal-all. Prunella vulgaris is called Xia Ku Cao in Chinese Pinyin and is traditional Chinese medicine.

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What Is Prunella Vulgaris Tea

In China, Prunella vulgaris tea is a traditional herbal tea. It is often used for clearing heat and detoxication.

Prunella vulgaris has strong adaptability and few pests and diseases during the growth period. It is mainly distributed in China, India, Pakistan, Nepal, Europe, North Africa, and other places.

The flowering period of Prunella vulgaris is from April to June. In summer, it will enter the fruiting period, and its spikes will wither. Therefore, it is called Xia Ku Cao in China. Xia means “summer”, Ku means “wither”, and Cao means “grass”.

When its spikes become brown, it can be harvested. After removing impurities and drying in the sun, its spikes can be used as traditional Chinese medicine.

Prunella vulgaris has a long medicinal history. Its medicinal value is recorded in many Chinese medicinal books, such as <Compendium of Materia Medica>, <Shennong Ben Cao Jing>, <Chinese Pharmacopoeia>, etc.

In many prescriptions of herbal tea, Prunella vulgaris is one of the important raw materials. Making Prunella vulgaris into tea is the earliest therapeutic method of Prunella vulgaris.

How to Make Prunella Vulgaris Tea

According to personal taste, take an appropriate amount of Prunella vulgaris. Wash them with clean water and put them in the cup. Add boiling water and steep them for 15 minutes before drinking.

If possible, you can put Prunella vulgaris in a teapot and boil them for 5 minutes. It can better dissolve the effective components into the tea.

Prunella vulgaris can be brewed together with Ju Hua and Jin Yin Hua. They all have the effect of clearing heat and detoxification. In traditional Chinese medicine, there is a prescription called Xia Sang Ju, which is mainly made from Prunella vulgaris, mulberry leaf, and Ju Hua.

In addition, Prunella vulgaris tea can also be used for cooking porridge and soup.

Benefits of Prunella Vulgaris Tea

  • Detox
  • Clear heat
  • Anti-aging
  • Treat scrofula
  • Antimicrobial
  • Treat hypertension
  • Anti-inflammatory
  • Treat breast tenderness
  • Treat chronic pharyngitis
  • Treat headache and dizziness

Prunella vulgaris contains complex chemical components, mainly containing triterpenes, glycosides, sterols, flavonoids, rutin, coumarins, organic acids, volatile oils, and sugars.

Rutin contained in Prunella vulgaris tea has the effect of scavenging free radicals to prevent the body from aging. It has an inhibitory effect on dysentery bacillus, typhoid bacillus, Vibrio cholera, Escherichia coli, etc.

Prunella vulgaris tea has a wide range of medicinal uses. It can be used to treat red eyes, swelling, headache, dizziness, photophobia, facial distortion, muscle and bone pain, tuberculosis, acute jaundice hepatitis, bleeding, breast cancer, hypertension, and other diseases.

With the improvement of medical standards, the effective ingredients in Prunella vulgaris have been extracted to treat various complex diseases.

Side Effects of Prunella Vulgaris Tea

The medicinal property of Prunella vulgaris is cold. People with weak spleen and stomach are not suitable for long-term drinking Prunella vulgaris tea, otherwise, it will cause diarrhea and other symptoms.

A few people are allergic to Prunella vulgaris. Drinking it may cause nausea, vomiting, dizziness, and papula.

It is not suitable for pregnant women and menstrual women to drink Prunella vulgaris tea.