Bougainvillea is a thorny, woody, high climbing vine with colorful flowers. These flowers can be red, orange, yellow, purple, pink, or white. Traditionally, bougainvillea flowers, which have tiny white flowers in the middle of colorful and papery petals or bracts, have been used for medicinal purposes.
To gain medicinal properties, we can steep dried or fresh flowers and bracts in boiled water, and drink them as a tea.
Here are some of the health benefits we can use these beautiful flowers for:
Beneficial for diabetics
Bougainvillea has been traditionally used for controlling diabetes. It can prevent blood sugar levels from spiking thus making it beneficial for people with diabetes.
Helps treat a cough
Bougainvillea has an expectorant property that helps get rid of mucus from the respiratory tract thereby boosting cough recovery.
Alleviates a sore throat
These flowers have anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and antiseptic properties that can reduce inflammation and help us attain immediate relief from sore throat.
Used for hepatitis
Hepatitis is a condition characterized by inflammation of the liver. Bougainvillea can provide help in the treatment of this serious disease. However, we must still seek the help of a doctor before using this remedy.
Effective body detoxifier
Regular consumption of tea made from purple bougainvillea flowers can help clean out our body. It effectively removes toxins and other harmful material from our body which are caused by exposure to pollution and unhealthy diet.
Helps ease joint pain
Due to its anti-inflammatory properties, these flowers can help deal with inflammation caused by joint pain and swollen joints. It can effectively ease pain by reducing inflammation.
Helps in relieving fever
Since bougainvillea has antipyretic effects, consumption of tea made from its flowers can be an effective remedy for reducing fever.
How to make a bougainvillea tea
Ingredients:
- 1 cup of purple bougainvillea flowers (just the petals)
- 2 cups of water
- 1/3 cinnamon stick
- 1 tbsp of honey
Preparation:
First, bring the water to boil with the cinnamon stick. Let it boil for about 2 minutes. Put the fresh bougainvillea flowers and boil for another two minutes. Strain the cinnamon and flowers. We only need the water.
Add honey to enhance the taste of the tea as well as the benefits it can give to our body.
Source: www.drfarrahmd.com