Ironwort
Other Names : Sideritis syriaca, Sideritis scardica, Mountain tea, Cretan mountain tea, Shepherd's tea, Balkan Sideritis, Bulgarian Viagra, Ironwort, Greek Mountain Tea, Mountain Tea, Pirin Tea, Mursalski Tea , Shepherd’s Tea, Çaj Mali, Malotira, Crapaudine, Bergtee, Griechischer Bergtee, Τσάι Του Βουνού, Šarplaninski Čaj, Rabogatos, Garranchuelos, Zahareñas, Adaçayi, Daçayi, Dalli
The ancient Greek philosopher Hippocrates, called the father of modern medicine, hailed mountain tea for its benefits to the immune system and the respiratory system. Greek mountain tea is a generic term used in the Greek isles, Turkey and bordering countries to refer to any tea made from a great variety of wild growing herbs in the Sideritis family. The most commonly used species are syriaca, clandestina, italica, caesarea, raeseri and euboea, which contain essential oils and more than 60 other compounds, including saponine, flavonoids and iron.
Special Precautions of Ironwort
- Low blood pressure: Mountain tea might lower blood pressure. In theory, mountain tea might increase the risk of blood pressure dropping too low in people prone to low blood pressure. If you have low blood pressure, discuss mountain tea with your healthcare provider before starting it.
- As an alternative to the daily intake of Greek mountain tea over a longer period, it is recommended to take a Sideritis scardica extract in case, in particular, sleep disorders reappear as a consequence of going to the toilet at night after the consumption of tea in the evening.
Benefits and uses of Ironwort are
Very popular in Greece, Albania, Bulgaria and Macedonia, the plant is used as a herb either for the preparation of tisanes, or for its aromatic properties in local cuisines. The tisane is commonly prepared by decoction, by boiling the stems, leaves and flowers in a pot of water, then often serving with honey and lemon. Greek mountain tea is popular in the Mediterranean region and used as a tonic for a variety of health complaints, from colds to upset stomachs. The Sideritis family of tea plants from which the tea is made have been studied in the lab to investigate potential health benefits. The research is promising, particularly due to antioxidant properties in the tea and the tea's ability to treat ulcers. Ironwort has been traditionally used to aid digestion, strengthen the immune system and suppress common cold, the flu and other viruses, allergies and shortness of breath, sinus congestion, even pain and mild anxiety.
- Antibacterial : The essential oils in Sideritis italica were investigated for their antibacterial properties in a Naples, Italy, study published in the "Journal of Ethnopharmacology" in 2006. The Sideritis oil extracts were effective at reducing or killing 18 types of bacteria in vitro, including salmonella and H. pylori, the type of bacteria that causes ulcers. Sideritis has also proved to be very effective against common and deadly strains of bacteria and fungus, such as E. coli, Staphylococcus, and Candida. Consuming regular amounts of this tea could help the body to fight bacterial infections and also act in preventative manner, although more research needs to be conducted before the benefits can be truly understood and exploited.
- Antioxidants : Scientists at the University of Patras in Greece published a report in April 2011 in the "Journal of Medicinal Food" concerning the antioxidants found in Sideritis clandestina. Antioxidants are substances that may protect your cells against the harmful effects of free radicals in your body. The study showed that a solution of 4 percent Greek mountain tea increased the total antioxidant power of the midbrain in mice by 72 percent.
- Cancer : Sideritis caesarea was studied in Turkey for its effects on cancer, with results published in March 2011 in the "British Journal of Nutrition." The results from using the Sideritis caesarea on rats led the researchers to conclude that constituents in the tea protected chemical-induced oxidative injury that may result in the development of cancer.
- Gastrointestinal Disorders : Several studies, including three using Sideritis caesarea, Sideritis syriaca and Sideritis raeseri, have found significant protective effects of the tea herbs against gastrointestinal disorders, particularly ulcers. The first, published in 2005 in the "Journal of Ethnopharmacology," included caesarea in a list of plants with gastric protection against ulcers, while the second, published the same year in the "Journal of Medicinal Food," showed that syriaca was able to prevent gastric bleeding, pain and ulcers in laboratory mice. The third study was published in the "Journal of Medicinal Food" in May 2011 and demonstrated that Sideritis raeseri was helpful in preventing intestinal spasms and could be beneficial for various gastrointestinal disorders.
- Osteoporosis : The aqueous extracts derived from Sideritis euboea and Sideritis clandestina were able to promote the actions of bone-forming cells called osteoblasts, in a study reported in 2004 in the "Journal of Agricultural Food and Chemistry." This result, combined with research published in April 2011 in the journal "Menopause" indicating Sideritis euboea promoted bone mineral density and strength, shows that Greek mountain tea herbs may play a role in preventing osteoporosis.
- Reduce blood pressure : Certain dose of Sideritis extract from the Greek mountain tea is assumed to have a relaxing effect on the arterial blood pressure. This finding was published by a 2012 publication from an animal study. The Sideritis juice seemed to widen blood vessels systemically; as a result, it reduces the work load of the heart and lowers the blood pressure.
- Cure Alzheimer’s : Researchers tested two varieties of Greek mountain tea, including scardica, to see if it could be used in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease, both as a cure and prevention. Research is performed on mice, but they reached the conclusion that Greek mountain tea could be both an effective and well tolerated treatment for the symptoms of cognitive impairment. Sideritis tea has been used as an alternative medicine for the treatment of age-related memory disorders in the Mediterranean. Not only is this big news for researchers fighting Alzheimer’s, a disease that kills more than breast cancer and prostate cancer combined in the United States, but it also shows promise in the treatment of other neurological diseases.
- Cold and Flu : It doesn’t cure the cold outright, but research has proven that this powerful tea can help to eradicate the symptoms and potentially to speed up the recovery. One of the ways it does this is by acting as an expectorant while alleviating inflamed mucous membranes, reducing sweat and helping to soothe a cough. In fact, according to one official document, most types of Greek mountain tea, including Syriaca, Raeseri and Scardica are beneficial in the symptomatic treatment of colds, flu, bronchitis, and other respiratory illnesses.
- Stomach problems : Due to the thriving antioxidant compounds in the Greek mountain tea, it also seems to provide favorable benefits to the gastrointestinal health. The research in Turkey also found that oral dose of Greek mountain tea had an effect on the gastrointestinal tract, by scaling down the process of inflammation and toxicity.
- Relieve anxiety and depression : Drinking Mountain tea is related to depression and anxiety ever since Hippocrates era. Today, scientific research has confirmed this fact, which revealed that the natural antioxidant found in Greek mountain tea, namely flavonoids, are supposed to be able to impede a specific receptor in the human brain. Activation of this brain receptor is claimed to be related with several conditions such as anxiety, depression, mood disorders and Parkinson’s disease.
- Tackles brain disorders like anxiety and cures Insomnia. It improves Brain functioning and cures ADHD.
- Inflammation and Pain : For thousands of years the Greeks have turned to sideritis in order to help with inflammation and inflammatory diseases, including arthritis. Tea when given to mice helps to reduce their body’s response to chemical pain stimuli and while mild, the results were very positive when combined with the anti-inflammation.
- Strengthen bones : If you are missing out calcium from drinking milk because you have lactose intolerance or you are simply not a fan of milk, perhaps Greek Tea Mountain may provide equal benefits for the health of your bones. The University of Athens performed research on the effect of Sideritis species on bones, and found out that they play a role in building new bone cells. Another research in Greece found that the same species maintain bone health by avoiding bone loss from occurring as we age.
- Boosts libido : Sipping Greek mountain tea is probably worth trying if you are facing a sexual issue in your relationship life. According to the classic belief and resources, the routine consumption of Greek mountain tea may help raise a person’s lust and physical desire. Decreased libido may be observed as one of the signs of depression, and since Greek mountain tea has healing effect on depression, it is debatably logical to conclude that it will have the same effect on decreased libido.
