If you’re regular followers of Tea Underground, you will probably be familiar with our colour-changing superstar tea Blue Lagoon. It’s a great party trick, but what exactly is it?
What is Blue Lagoon?
Blue Lagoon is made from the dried flowers of the Butterfly Pea Flower plant, which is native to south-east Asia. In this region of the world it has been used for generations as both a tea and a natural food additive for its strong natural colour. It has only recently started to gain popularity in the west, but it’s not difficult to see why.
Brewing this tea is always fun. After only a few seconds, the flowers begin to turn your water a vibrant cobalt blue, and it’s difficult at first to believe that what you’re witnessing is completely natural with absolutely no artificial dyes or sugars involved whatsoever. But before you’ve had a chance to get over the wildness of the blue in front of you, add a few drops of lemon juice and suddenly the drink transforms from cobalt blue to a vibrant violet hue. This happens because of the ternatins in the plant reacting naturally to citric acid.
Is It Good For me?
Yes! Although our brains have been conditioned to think that vibrant colours are often bad for us, on this occasion you need not panic. There’s a bunch of health benefits associated with consuming Butterfly Pea Flowers that you can rejoice about!
Hair and Skin
Studies have shown that the rich combination of antioxidants and vitamins found in the extracts of the butterfly pea flower can be an effective treatment for hair loss, and also promote healthy growth for both nails and hair. It’s now becoming a popular ingredient in skincare and cosmetics as more of these benefits are veins researched.
Anti-inflammatory Properties
Research suggests that the ternatins found naturally in the butterfly pea flower have the ability to act as effective and natural anti-inflammatories. The same natural compounds that give the plant the vibrant hues can also help your body to heal itself by reducing inflammation. Amazing right?!
Blood Sugar Regulation
This one is pretty huge if you’re trying to reduce your risk of developing diabetes. A recent study found that ingesting Pea Flower helped a group of subjects keep their blood sugar lower, even after consuming glucose with the tea. This means that consuming butterfly pea flower regularly could help you reduce the risk of developing diabetes and assist with weight loss.
So there you have it, the magic of Blue Lagoon goes far deeper than a colour changing party trick – although it is an extremely great trick and we will continue to wow all our friends with it at dinner parties… Because we believe there’s no such thing as Extra!