– I’m gonna share with you my tea routine. All right, July 11th, National Polyphenol Day is just around the corner. So I thought this year I’d share a little secret with you, what’s in my tea cup. And no, I’m not just sipping any old tea. I mix together 10, count them, 10, of the very best polyphenol-rich teas out there. And I sip them all day at the office. I’m excited to walk you through each one of them and explain why they made the cut for my daily brew. All right, let’s get started. Organic bitter melon. Now, bitter melon has been used in traditional Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine for centuries to actually help manage blood sugar and diabetes. Why? It’s actually full of polyphenols, particularly flavonoids. Now these flavonoids and polyphenols mimic the effects of insulin and actually help regulate sugar levels. They do this, if you’ve read any of my most recent books, by acting as mitochondrial uncouplers. But what’s really exciting about teas in general, and their polyphenols, is we now know that these polyphenols are some of the favorite foods for your gut buddies, for your microbiome. And it’s thanks to the microbiome eating these polyphenols that they then pass on the benefits to you. In fact, a study in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology found improved glycemic control in patients with Type Two diabetes drinking bitter melon tea, and actually has a really interesting flavor that adds to my flavor profile. All right, what’s next? Japanese white mulberry. Now, white mulberry leaves have been used to control blood sugar levels in East Asian medicine and were historically cultivated in China, as you probably know, for silk production. Now, the leaves are actually the preferred food for silkworms. But white mulberries tea has quercetin, chlorogenic acid, and rutin, and with notable presence of DNJ, which plays a crucial role in inhibiting sugar digestion and absorption, thereby supporting healthy blood sugar levels. Now interestingly enough, research in diabetes care showed the extracts help lower blood sugar after carbohydrate intake. All right, gynostemma. Now, it’s also known as jiaogulan in China. It’s referred to as the herb of immortality. Gynostemma is known for its adaptogenic properties, which help increase the body’s resistance to stress. Now, there’s a type of saponin similar to genocides in ginseng, gynostemma is celebrated for its adaptogenic effects. In fact, a study in phytomedicine reported enhanced heart function and reduced chronic fatigue symptoms in people who use it. I happen to have a mulberry tree at my house and mulberry leaves and particularly mulberries are really some of the finest polyphenol containing substances you can get. Now, why use it in tea? It turns out that hot water is really useful for extracting the active ingredients in all these teas, and that’s where the whole idea of teas came from in the first place. Speaking of whole ideas, classic green tea is in here. Now, originating in China, green tea has been celebrated for its health benefits for thousands of years. Now, the polyphenols in green tea are predominantly known for its catechins, especially EGCG, which constitute about 30 to 40% of its extractable components. Benefits? Well, a meta-analysis in the Journal of the American Medical Association linked consumption of green tea to reduced mortality due to all causes including cardiovascular disease. In fact, as you probably have read in other studies, drinking green tea has been linked with reduction in a great variety of cancer risks and reduction in prostate cancer in mint. Mint medley. Now, mint is part of the basil mint family. As many of you know, mint has been used for thousands of years for its digestive benefits, and it has obviously a refreshing flavor, and it contains menthol and natural analgesic. Now, mint varieties are very high in rosmarinic acid. Now, you may have heard me talk about or write about rosmarinic acid before. It’s actually a very potent antihistamine, and it’s also a very potent longevity compound. In fact, one of the theories of why the inhabitants of a Acciaroli, this tiny village south of Naples, Italy, live so long is that they are constantly cooking and chewing rosemary, which is rich in rosmarinic acid. And there are numerous studies showing the benefits of mitochondrial en coupling with rosmarinic acid. And that’s why the mint medley is in my teacup. Chocolate pu-erhr tea. Pu-erhr tea, which I’ve written about extensively, is from the Yunnan province in China. Now, it undergoes fermentation that produces, among other things, statin-like compounds, but it’s rich in polyphenols that have actually been developed from the tea during the fermentation process. Now, these complex polyphenols increase with the age of the tea, thereby enhancing its flavor and its benefits. And you can buy multiple ages of pu-erh tea. For instance, some have a chocolate flavor, hence the name chocolate pu-erh tea. Now, the cool thing about the polyphenols being aged is we know that fermentation in general increases the bioavailability of polyphenols. So fermenting them before they get into you is like a double whammy of good polyphenols. Now, there is a study that long-term consumption linked reduced LDL cholesterol and increased HDL cholesterol, which was published in experimental gerontology, and it actually has a great kind of chocolate flavor. How about guayusa? Now, it’s native to the Amazon rainforest. Guayusa is known for its stimulating effects, and it contains caffeine, theobromine, and L-theanine. But it has significant amounts of chlorogenic acid, one of the most available phenolic acid compounds, similar to the compounds found in green coffee beans. Now, a study indicated that coffee rich in chlorogenic acid improved blood flow and endothelial function after a single intake. Additionally, chlorogenic acid has been shown to significantly reduce blood pressure in clinical trials. Now, clinical trials have also shown that supplementing with CGA, chlorogenic acid, and other plant extracts reduce body weight and blood fat levels. CGA has also been shown to reduce BMI and waist circumference in individuals with pre-diabetes. How does it do that? Chlorogenic acid is a magnificent mitochondrial uncoupler. And if you’ve read my books, you know that mitochondrial uncoupling basically produces a caloric bypass in you, which, quite frankly, is a good thing. White willow bark. Now, believe it or not, it was known as nature’s aspirin. White willow bark has been used since Hippocrates time for pain relief and inflammation, and it was actually shown to the pilgrims by Native American Indians for relief of pain. Now, it contains flavonoids and polyphenols like salicin, which is metabolized into salicylic acid, the active ingredient in aspirin in the body. Now, this contributes to its anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving effects. But what’s really interesting about salicylic acid is that most people don’t know that fish oil, which is thought to be anti-inflammatory, actually has no anti-inflammatory properties unless it’s converted by salicylic acid into a compound called resolvent. And it’s actually resolvent that is the anti-inflammatory effect noted in fish oil. And you actually have to have a little bit of salicylic acid to do the job. So white willow bark tea gives me that little bit of salicylic acid, and this has been described in the American Journal of Medicine. Alright, how about Shaka Tea flavor blue magic? A blend of māmaki, butterfly pea, and lemon. Butterfly pea flower tea is rich and anthocyanins, which are responsible for the striking blue color in this tea, and it has antioxidant properties. Where have you heard the word anthocyanin before? Ah, dark blue colored berries like blueberries, like blackberries are rich in anthocyanins. Now it’s rich in catechins and chlorogenic acids as well. And once again, I’m just doubling up on all those polyphenols. Plus, it’s lot better for me to get my anthocyanins this way than eating a handful of blueberries, which, as you’ve probably heard me say, have been bred for sugar content. Also, sad to say, blueberries have now joined the dirty dozen list for the most pesticide, herbicide laden fruits that you can buy. Darn it. Pau d’Arco. Now, pau d’arco was used by indigenous tribes in South America, and the bark is rich in polyphenols. It contains quercetin and other flavonoids, but it’s particularly rich in naphthoquinones and which have been studied for their potential anti-neoplastic properties. In fact, I use it in treating my patients who have neoplasms that come to me. I’m after the polyphenols, I’m after the fact that it will inhibit neoplastic changes. And why not? Now, let me just add a few buying guides. First of all, always for organic teas. Secondly, avoid teas that come in plastic bags. You’ll notice all of these are paper. Plastic, we now know, with the presence of heat, you will put microplastics in your tea, and that’s not a good thing. Now, as for these, generally one to two cups a day is recommended for most people. Again, I drink this throughout the day. One of the big benefits of drinking tea is it generally lowers your iron levels. Now, unless you’re a person who has very heavy periods, keeping your iron levels low, as I’ve talked about before, is a really good idea. Unless you are a person with low iron levels, then you really don’t want tea as a major part of your diet. Now, as I noted, some teas do contain caffeine, so be sure to check the label, and always avoid caffeine about eight hours before bed. But in general, teas have far less caffeine than coffee. Finally, you’ll also need to consult with your healthcare provider before adding any of these into your regimen. This is especially true if you’re pregnant, nursing, or are currently taking medication.
– These are all Dr. Gundry’s teas, and he puts them in this big mug every morning. So let’s start with his classic green tea. This goes in, his mint medley. This is his organic jasmine, white mulberry tea. Next, we have his bitter melon, chocolate pu-erh tea. This is his gynostemma tea. White willow bark goes in. His pau d’arco, and this is his guayusa mint tea. He drinks these in his big mug all day long.
– Thanks so much for watching this episode, but don’t go anywhere. I think you’re gonna love this next one. Coffee is fantastic, it’s a great source of polyphenols, but if you put milk or other binders in it, you will bind those polyphenols so you won’t get any benefits.
