Tea is an herbal drink that not only gives satisfaction to those who drink it but also provides many health benefits if consumed regularly. One of the best teas for health is Mugwort Tea. The main benefits of mugwort tea are to relieve menstrual pain, improve digestion, boost immunity, increase dream retention, relieve anxiety and depression, aid weight loss, and detoxify toxins.
Consuming this tea sometimes also gives some side effects, among the side effects that can occur are allergies, bad effects for pregnant women. Mugwort Tea contains strong components and if consumed in excessive amounts can cause poisoning. So, to get the health benefits, you should consume it in moderation. Let’s know more about Mugwort Tea.
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What is Mugwort Tea?
Mugwort Tea is an ancient tea that has been around for thousands of years and includes teas that have long been popular in different cultures ranging from European to Chinese culture. This tea has also long been known as an herb that is rich in health benefits. Not only that, but Mugwort Tea has also been one of the ingredients in brewing beer for a long time.
Scientifically, Mugwort Tea is known as Artemisia vulgaris, this plant is closely related to sunflower plants. The use of this mugwort plant from its leaves, flowers, roots, all contain beneficial nutrients. The main benefit of Mugwort Tea is that it is a storehouse of flavonoids, triterpenes, and other antioxidants. It even contains vitamin K, vitamin A, vitamin E, iron, potassium, various B-family vitamins and also contains calcium.
Based on the content and nutritional value, let’s see what are the health benefits of mugwort tea.
Health Benefits of Mugwort Tea
Consuming mugwort tea regularly provides many health benefits. Among the many benefits are preventing insomnia, anxiety, menstrual pain, problems related to digestion, immunity, obesity, depression, inflammation, treating colds, coughs, flu, preventing and treating respiratory infections, preventing kidney problems and menstrual pain. Now let’s look in more detail about the benefits above.
1. Helps anxiety and depression
Mugwort tea is the best herb for treating anxiety, calming the soul, stress levels, and depression. This herb helps calm stress on the nervous system and on the body’s metabolism. Sleain that drinking mugwort tea is also useful for improving the quality of life especially if your anxiety is something you have to experience every day.
2. It is possible to lose weight
The content of vitamin B family in mugwort tea is significantly useful in increasing the body’s metabolism and increasing the rate of fat burning. Well, this is what will have an effect on weight loss and this can help your body operate with more efficient and higher energy.
3. Healthy digestion
The next health benefit of mugwort tea is that it works in terms of improving digestion. Drinking this tea is great for relieving indigestion for generations. This tea can stimulate appetite and relieve cramps, bloating, and improve digestive conditions such as constipation and diarrhea.
more: 10 Health Benefits of Black Tea
4. Relieves menstrual pain
One of the main benefits of mugwort tea is to treat dysmenorrhea or what is popularly known as menstrual cramps. This will stimulate and regulate menstruation in its cycle so that menstruation becomes smooth.
However, mugwort tea is not good for pregnant women because the nature and workings of mugwort tea is to stimulate menstruation, and in pregnant women it can stimulate miscarriage.
5. Has diuretic properties
One of the benefits of consuming mugwort tea is that it stimulates urine because it is a diuretic. Well, increasing the frequency of urination is good for detoxifying toxins from the body because one of the ways the body eliminates toxins is through urine. It can also cleanse the kidneys and bladder as well as improve liver function and prevent infection.
Because it is a diuretic, it can also stimulate sweating and remove toxins from the body through the skin.
6. Increase body immunity
The content of vitamin C and antioxidants in mogwort tea is useful for immunity. Vitamin C is beneficial for the production of white blood cells, and can act as an anti-oxidant. These antioxidants are useful in neutralizing toxins or free radicals that enter the body. Free radicals are the cause of inflammation and can weaken the body. Well, by consuming mugwort tea regularly, it is hoped that you can get a strong body defense system and fortify the body from disease.
7. Good for vision health
Mugwort tea is also rich in vitamin A which has benefits for improving eye health. Vitamin A or known as beta-carotene is also useful in preventing macular degeneration in the eyes. It can also slow down the development of cataracts.
So, by diligently consuming mugwort tea, it is hoped that we will have good and healthy eye health.
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8. Increase bone mineral density
Mugwort tea is a substance that is good at mineralizing bones, and provides good bone density and this can strengthen bones and prevent fractures in the event of an accident. It also prevents the occurrence of bone disorders in old age including osteoporosis. Mugwort tea is high in iron, potassium, and calcium and all of these work synergistically in increasing bone density.
9. Vivid Dreams
For those of you who dream at night, then consuming mugwort tea is one way that you can take. This tea has psychic properties and contains high hallucinogenic properties, so it is only natural that if you consume it regularly, it can increase the potential for dreams. The dream that will be experienced is a lucid dream and very rarely experienced by most people.
Uses and Side Effects
Mugwort tea has become a tea that is considered beneficial for health in all areas of its distribution such as China and others. However, there are also a number of side effects that occur when we consume Mugwort tea, especially if excessive.
Mugwort tea contains small amounts of thujone, this is a toxic substance that is dangerous in high concentrations. So, for those of you who consume this tea, you should only do it in moderation. If consumed in excessive amounts, this thujone substance will react and give side effects. So, among the side effects of drinking Mugwort tea are as follows:
Allergy
One of the triggers for allergies is pollen from mugwort, so allergic reactions are very common in people who consume this tea. For those of you who are potentially allergic, then consider only consuming this tea in limited quantities. If you have skin disorders, indigestion, throat, lips, or something bad happens to the tongue, then stop consuming this tea immediately because these are symptoms of allergies.
also see: Amazing Strawberry Tea Health Benefits
Pregnancy
Further possible side effects are related to pregnancy. In mugwort tea contains a poison known as thujone, in low concentrations it is still safe for consumption by some people, but not for pregnant women. The content of thujone is dangerous for pregnant women even in low amounts. This substance is said to be able to stimulate menstruation, if in pregnant women it will certainly have other bad effects, namely stimulating bleeding and can cause premature birth or miscarriage.
Apart from pregnant women, breastfeeding women should also stay away from drinking mugwort tea. Some of the active components including thujone can damage breast milk and have adverse effects on a nursing baby.
How to Make Mugwort Tea
Making mugwort tea is very easy, we only need a dried mugwort plant to brew in hot water. Add a little sweetener for a more delicious taste. Mugwort leaves are the main source of tea making and many also brew the roots of the mugwort plant to make tea.
However, for maximum benefits, some also combine the two ingredients, namely dry roots and leaves, to produce a better quality cup of tea.
If you have a mugwort plant, then cut off about 1/4 of the stem from the top of the plant, and hang it upside down to dry.