Cistus Tea: Super Tea for Lyme Patients
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January 13, 2019Cistus Tea is another one of those amazing Lyme and health therapies I recently heard about through another Lyme patient who had found out about it by doing her own research. She had come by the information via Dr. Dietrich Klinghardt’s website, and she was following his instructions and dutifully drinking several cups of it a day to help break down biofilms the Lyme bacteria can produce to protect itself from antibiotics and other antimicrobials. She also told me it had an interesting side effect. “If you drink 2-3 cups of it a day, it keeps the ticks away.”
I was intrigued enough to do my own research, and like with anything else new I hear about through Lyme patients or Lyme groups, I purchased a small amount and tried it for myself. It tends to be sold in loose-leaf form, and the tea you prepare by steeping the leaves in a tea ball or diffuser in hot water tastes very much like a traditional green tea. It also has no caffeine so it won't leave you jittery or anxious after drinking several cups.
However, Cistus Tea, or Cistus Incanus has many more healing, antimicrobial, antiviral and anti-inflammatory properties than your garden-variety green or black tea.
The plant itself grows in arid Mediterranean regions and is a genus of flowering plants in the rock rose family. The harsh growing conditions cause the plant to produce high levels of polyphenols to protect itself, and it’s these micronutrients that give the plant its healing properties. Polyphenols tend to be found in nuts, berries, teas and red wines, and they are packed with antioxidants and a range of health benefits.
However, Cistus Tea is not your ordinary tea and it has such a variety of health benefits, you could almost classify it as a Super Tea… much like how some people are calling certain foods, Super Foods.
How to Prepare the Tea:
To prepare your tea, place your teabag, teaball, or tea diffuser in an empty cup/glass and boil water separately. Add the boiling water to the cup with tea and let it steep for 5-7 minutes. The color of the water will turn a deep amber. You can drink this immediately thereafter, but hold onto your teabag, teaball, or tea diffuser! According to Dr. Klinghardt, you still have at least two more uses of it since there are still micronutrients and phytochemicals that are locked inside. To release this goodness, repeat the above steps two more times using the same teabag, teaball, or tea diffuser.
Here are some of its benefits:
- Cistus Tea can knock out colds and flu without toxic side effects or pathogen resistance (see study): Leery about getting the flu shot? Would you rather boil a few cups of hot tea instead to get possibly better effects? Not only do studies show Cistus Incanus has strong antiviral properties, a 2009 study showed it also has strong antibacterial properties by knocking out upper respiratory infections caused by bacteria and Streptococcus (see study).
- Cistus Tea is a strong antifungal: Many Lyme patients know that mycotoxins from mold spores can wreak havoc on Lyme treatment, and overgrowth of Candida Albicans, an intestinal fungus that tends to appear in the presence of antibiotics can cause thrush, yeast infections, urinary tract infections, and an array of intestinal issues. The good news is, daily ingesting of Cistus Tea goes a long way to reduce the presence all of these toxic fungal strains (see study).
- Cistus Tea breaks down biofilm, especially in the mouth: Cistus Incanus has been proven to be a powerful biofilm-breaker while restoring a healthy microbial balance in the human body. Drinking Cistus tea, or even using it as a mouth rinse, has been shown to decrease adherence of bacteria in the mouth and ultimately breaking down biofilms (see study).
- Cistus Tea has strong anti-inflammatory properties: It has been proven that Cistus Incanus can reduce inflammation while also inhibiting the production of cytokine enzymes that cause inflammatory response and the horrible feeling you get during Lyme symptom spikes or treatment (see study).
- Cistus Tea has antibacterial activity against bacteria that can cause urinary tract infections (see study).
- Cistus Tea can be ingested as a tick repellent! According to Dietrich Klinghardt, the Sardinians have discovered through the decades that when giving Cistus Incanus to their pets or livestock, the animals who ate the tea leaves exhibited no ticks whereas those who didn’t eat the plant had dozens of ticks. This trick seems to work with humans and it’s a great side effect of the tea and a pleasant alternative to putting on chemical repellents to keep ticks away. You can sprinkle the leaves on your pet's food to keep them tick-free as well.
The above material is provided for informational purposes only. The material is not nor should be considered a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
2 Comments
Rich in antioxidants, nutrients, and anti-inflammatory properties, green tea is always a healthy choice. What you can’t assume is that all green tea is created equal, therefore all tastes the same.
I agree that not all green tea is created equal. However, I’d like to point out that even though it tastes like it, Cistus tea is actually not green tea. Thanks for your comments!