Health Benefits of Thistle Tea
Answered by: Christine Dennis
Question from: Millie
Posted on: November 13, 2007

I was given a gift of thistle tea from Scotland. Ingredients say tea, thistle blossom (5%). Can you tell me anything about it and what health benefits it has (if any)?

I am assuming here that the "thistle" would be the Scottish thistle having come from Scotland and these thistle blossoms are, of course, the famous Winnie-the-Pooh character Eeyore’s favourite food. And as you may know, Eeyore is quit the melancholic sort of fella who can see noting but the doom and gloom. In the ancient medicine system known as humoral medicine, it is believed that such a "temperment" would be caused by a "blockage in flow" between the stomach and the liver. As such anything that would stimulate the flow between these organs would be necessary in keeping this "temperment" in check, so to speak.

It should come as no surprise then that Scottish thistle is considered to be a herb that is bitter and as a result is very stimulating on the liver and entire gastrointestinal tract. So it appears that Eeyore’s love of this plant is for his own, and the other inhabitants of hundred acre woods, good health. It would actually be of help in keeping his dreary moods a little more balanced.

A common side effect of excess stimulation of this system is a laxative action if taken in large doses. However, it is unlikely that the 5% that it is present in this tea blend would cause excessive loose bowels unless one is sensitive to the caffeine in the black tea.

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