Linden tea is made by brewing the dried flowers, and sometimes the leaves and bark, of the Linden tree. This tree is part of the Tilla genus, and it mostly grows in temperate climates like northern Asia, Europe, and North America.
Linden tea not only tastes great and has a wonderful aroma, but also has been used for medicinal purposes for hundreds of years. Some of the benefits associated with drinking Linden tea include:
- reducing inflammation and pain
- alleviating stress and anxiety
- lowering blood pressure
Health Benefits
The vitamins, antioxidants, and essential oils found in Linden tea can provide important health benefits. For example, folk medicine in various cultures around the world has used Linden tea for diuretic effects, helping patients break fevers by assisting them to sweat.
Linden tea also has several sedative properties, which can assist with falling asleep, reducing anxiety, and calming restless nerves.
Additional health benefits of drinking Linden tea may include:
Reducing Inflammation and Pain
Being able to reduce inflammation is an important part of any medical treatment. Quercetin, an antioxidant found in Linden tea, has been proven to be effective against inflammation, especially in the heart and the rest of the cardiovascular system.
Linden tea has also been shown to alleviate pain, particularly pain that is related to heat, skin irritations, and muscle and joint spasms.
Additionally, Linden tea has a calming nervine known as antispasmodic. This nervine can be helpful in easing cramps and spasms that cause migraines, muscle tightening, and menstrual cramps.
Alleviating Stress and Anxiety
Tilia tomentosa Moench bud extracts (TTBEs) are in the Linden tree. Studies have shown that this compound is effective in reducing anxiety and alleviating stress.
The Linden tree contains anxiolytic, an essential oil that can reduce anxiety by limiting the ability of the body to get excited.
Lowering Blood Pressure
Components in the Linden tree and in its leaves and flowers can act as a vasodilator, which is a chemical reaction that dilates blood vessels and lowers blood pressure.
It is also classified as a hypotensive herb that has flavonoid tiliroside, a compound that has been shown to reduce hypertension.
Nutrition
Linden tea is rich in vitamins, antioxidants, and essential oils.
Nutrients per Serving
The nutritional content contains:
- Calories: 0
- Protein: 0
- Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 0g
- Fiber: 0
- Sugar: 0
Things to Watch Out For
The Food and Drug Administration has classified Linden flowers as generally safe for moderate, human consumption. There are, however, several considerations you should make before deciding to add Linden to your diet.
The amount of Linden tea you should consume depends on several factors, such as your age and health. There isn’t enough scientific information, however, to determine what is a safe dosage of Linden tea. Frequent consumption of Linden tea has been linked with heart damage.
Linden has been shown to have similar effects to a diuretic (help rid your body of salt and water). Taking Linden might increase the rate of dehydration in the body, as well as decrease how effectively the body rids itself of lithium. This could increase how much lithium is in your body and result in serious side effects.
Linden has also been shown to carry Clostridium botulinum spores, which can cause botulism, a rare but paralyzing and even life-threatening illness. While it doesn’t have them in significant quantities, caution should be given when considering giving Linden tea to infants because it increases the risk of infant botulism.
Linden tea may cause drowsiness, so it is advisable that you do not drive or operate heavy machinery after consumption. It should also not be taken with sedatives, herbs, or other medications that regulate blood pressure.
How to Prepare Linden Tea
A typical serving is one tea bag (1.5g) in 8 ounces of hot water. The length of time that the bag steeps in the water depends on how concentrated you want the tea to be. The European Medicines Agency recommends a moderate intake of linden tea, which they define as no more than 4 grams, or two tea bags, a day.
Linden tea can be made with just the flower or can include the bark and leaves. Boil water and then let your Linden mixture steep for three minutes before drinking. Additional ways to consume Linden include:
- Refreshing Linden Summertime Iced Tea
- Linden Flower Honey
- Linden Tincture
- Grief Healing Infusion
- Cool It Down & Relax Tea
- Lovely Linden Bathtub Blend
