What is Palo Azul?
It's the most magical tea in the world!
Palo azul means "blue stick" in Spanish, and it gets it's name because by simply brewing the plant's bark in water...it produces a fluorescent tea, so it turns blue when it absorbs light and it looks incredible! The reason that palo azul is blue is that it has polyphenols, which are phytonutrients that plants produce to defend themselves from oxidative stress and inflammation. Some plants evolved the unique ability of fluorescence to absorb harmful UV sunlight and emit a lower energy, harmless light.
But palo azul isn't just a beautiful tea...Dozens of studies about palo azul tea have found that it’s a powerful antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic and diuretic. Because of these properties, the palo azul has been used as a natural medicine for over 300 years to improve ailments such as kidney stones, urinary tract issues, diabetes, arthritis, sciatica, joint pain, diarrhea, colic pain...as well as for supporting liver function, lowering cholesterol and uric acid.
Tasting notes: Smooth, earthy with bright & radiant undertones. Despite palo azul's supernatural blue fluorescence, it has 0 calories and 0 sugar, so it’s not sweet, but you can add honey, monk fruit, stevia, or sugar if you’d like to sweeten it. Many people describe the taste as “drinking nature” when they try this magical tea.
Benefits Summary
- Cleanse toxins and maintain healthy kidney & urinary tract function
- Helps reduce kidney stone growth
- Promotes weight loss
- Supports liver function
- Fight free radicals that cause oxidative stress
- Promotes joint health
- Improves sciatica and arthritis health
- Helps reduce cholesterol levels
- Improves insulin sensitivity and blood glucose levels
- Supports immune system
- Effective against bacteria that cause UTI, respiratory infections, fever, sore throat, diarrhea, cavities, tooth decay, periodontitis, bad breath.
Palo Azul: All Health Benefits
What makes palo azul so magical?
Asides from palo azul's incredible fluorescence, it's also an alkaline tea, as opposed to black tea, hibiscus tea, fruit teas, and some herbal teas which are slightly acidic. You can read our article on the benefits of alkaline drinks here:
Palo azul tea is caffeine-free, so you can enjoy the most beautiful tea in the world at any time of the day! Not that there's anything wrong with caffeine, but when consumed in excess, studies have shown that it can lead to insomnia, anxiety and digestive issues. So palo azul tea is perfect for later in the day or whenever you need a break from caffeine.
Pros & Cons of Caffeine-Free Tea
Also, a 2016 study showed that palo azul is a potassium sparing diuretic, meaning that it increases urination and flushes out toxins without electrolyte loss during urination because it spares potassium...as opposed to aquaretic diuretics like coffee and green tea.
Alleviate kidney and urinary tract pain
Lastly, many studies have shown that palo azul tea is exceptionally effective at dissolving, reducing or preventing the growth of kidney stones because of its diuretic, antioxidant, anti-bacterial and alkalinizing properties.
Palo Azul's Incredible Story
Palo azul was popularized shortly after the discovery of America, when it was transported to Europe for its diuretic effectiveness and amazing blue fluorescence. In fact, Isaac Newton, one of the most influential scientists in history, researched this magical tea for its fluorescence! Alexander Graham Bell, the inventor of the telephone, was also amazed by palo azul!
* Here's a fascinating fact: Two books about fluorescence titled "Photochemical & Photobiological Sciences" and "Early History of Solution Fluorescence" both mention that the phenomenon of fluorescence was first discovered in palo azul!
Perhaps even more fascinating...an article mentions that because of palo azul's supernatural beauty, cups of this tea "were given as gifts to royalty." The article mentions that Athanasius Kircher, considered to be one of the fathers of the science of fluorescence, "presented the cup to the Holy Roman Emperor, Ferdinand III." Now we feel like royalty drinking our palo azul tea!
Botanical Family
Scientific name: Eysenhardtia polystachya. Cyclolepis genistoides. It's also known as kidneywood or palo dulce.
Botanic family: Fabaceae, leguminosas
This is the family with the third-greatest number of species. The palo azul plant grows in dry locations in Mexico, Texas and Arizona.
How to prepare palo azul
- Boil 1 gallon of alkaline water and add 1 oz of palo azul bark (1-3 pieces)
- Palo azul tea will only turn blue with alkaline water! Tap water or fridge water is usually alkaline. Avoid using cheap bottled waters because they're usually acidic, so your palo azul won't turn blue. If you're going to use bottled water, make sure the pH is 7+.
- Brew on low heat for 20 minutes. You'll notice the color begins to turn into a blueish amber color.
- Let it cool down, then strain the tea to remove the palo azul plant and store the tea in the fridge. You can drink the palo azul tea hot or cold.
- Pour the tea in a glass cup so that it can absorb light and shine light on your palo azul tea to enjoy the magical blue fluorescence!
Sources
(Jan 21, 2016) Diuretic activity of the bark of Eysenhardtia polystachya
(August, 2007) Early History of Solution Fluorescence: The Lignum nephriticum of Nicolás Monardes