Yaupon Holly Review – Right For You?

At some point of the last century, tea has become highly commercialized. Companies have determined what they think consumers want and as a result, there are only a certain number of teas that you see on stores shelves.

While fewer teas means an easier time choosing a product, the disadvantage is that you are precluded from knowing about and purchasing teas with a number of health benefits that could significantly improve your quality of life. One such tea is known as Yaupon Holly.

Yaupon Holly is native to the United States and is a plant that is predominantly used in teas for its range of health benefits. If you are looking for something new, healthful, and that includes a high caffeine content, then Yaupon Holly may be the way to go.

What is Yaupon Holly?

Yaupon Holly isn’t particularly a pretty plant – it sports round green leaves that stay close to the stem that sprouts from the ground. While the plant is quite small, it also tends to grow in abundance and in some of the driest and most extreme conditions. Native to coastal states like Texas and North Carolina, the plant has a long history and is primarily known by natives for its high levels of invigorating and energizing caffeine.

Known as Llex vomitoria in Latin, the shrub belongs to the evergreen family and it includes the active ingredients that are similar to those found in yerba mate and guayasua plants. The active ingredient, as you may have deciphered by now, is caffeine. In addition to growing as a green shrub, some variations of the plant can extent into a large tree with inedible red berries that sprout close to the leaves. Regardless of the type of variation, the plant in all of its forms can be brewed into tea to extract the high caffeine content.

Caffeine Content and Type of Tea

Most forms of Yaupon Holly are brewed into a strong black tea. There are some variations that can be used to create green teas, however the black tea is the strongest. If you purchase the Yaupon Holly’s leaves in dry and unprocessed form, then the leaves themselves contain between .65 to .85 percent of caffeine based upon weight. This is almost to the level of coffee beans, which are 1.1 percent caffeine by weight. Tea leaves, on the other hand, are 3.5 percent caffeine.

As you can tell, the caffeine content is a bit lower than many standard teas and coffees. However, the great feature of Yaupon Holly is that many are enhanced with more caffeine. The leaves are excellent at absorbing the caffeine and then seeping it into your tea. Not all brands have this quality, therefore if it is something that you are not looking for, then just choose natural Yaupon Holly tea leaves for brewing purposes.

An alternative way to maximize the caffeine content of the leaves is alter how you brew the leaves. For example, if you brew the leaves in caffeine soluble water that is quite hot, the absorption level of the caffeine is extremely high. The water needs to be at a boil and the leaves need to seep for a few minutes. In addition, you should serve the tea hot instead of cold.

How to Store the Leaves

Another method for preserving the quality and caffeine content of the leaves is to store them correctly. After you have purchased the dried leaves on their own or a product, then you should store them in a dry place in a jar. The jar should be sealed from the outside to keep the leaves fresh and in good condition.

Other Health Benefits

In addition to a high caffeine content, holly tea also has a number of other health benefits – which gives you all the more reason to try this delicious, rich, and caffeinated tea. Here are a few of the other health benefits that you can derive from the tea:

Rich in Vitamin A and Vitamin C

Yaupon Holly tree is also rich in both vitamin A and vitamin C. To start, vitamin A promotes positive bone growth, it enhances reproductive abilities, and it also strengthens your immune system to ensure that you are well guarded against flu season, allergies, and other ailments. Another benefit of vitamin A is that it promotes healthy vision.

Second, vitamin C is responsible for preventing and treating ailments like scurvy, the common cold, hypertension, and it also keeps your immune system in excellent condition. Those who are looking to protect themselves against flu season and any general illness will do well with choosing Yaupon Holly as a way to do that.

Digestive Maladies

The plant is also a highly effective method to decrease digestive problems such as bloating, constipation, gas, and general discomfort. The tea improves your digestive function and calms and upset stomach.

Keep in mind that if you do want to use the tea for your digestive health, then it is best to choose a form of the leaves that does not contain a high level of caffeine. In addition, when steeping the leaves in water, avoid doing so for too long because you will end up increasing the caffeine content. The increased caffeine content can have an adverse effect upon your digestive health. Essentially – just a bit of steeping of the leaves is needed to cure digestive problems.

High Blood Pressure

Finally, you can also use the tea to reduce high blood pressure. The tea has a calming effect, so you are less prone to experiencing stress, anxiety, and other factors that lead to a higher blood pressure. In addition, the tea works to improve arterial function and blood circulation.

Summary

Overall, Yaupon Tea is an excellent resource for those looking to boost their energy levels, add vitamin A and C to their diet, improve digestive health, and reduce high blood pressure.

The tea sis hearty, delicious, and very refreshing no matter what time of year it is. You can purchase the tea leaves online or from the store – however changes are, you will have a better chance of finding the product online since it is not very well known among mainstream retailers.