Quixaba tea is rich in nutritional properties and benefits for health and well-being. The fruit is a complex of vitamins and nutrients that are essential to the human body. Genuinely Brazilian and common in Northeastern Brazil, quixaba is a tasty fruit that could be the secret to healthy living.
The quixabeira (Sideroxylon obtusifolium) is a large tree, which can reach 15 meters in height. The fruits are round, small, sweet and black, similar to jabuticabas. Its properties are beneficial to the human body in many ways, thanks to its medicinal potential.
Also known as sapotiaba, maçaranduba da praia and caronilha, this plant can be found in tropical and pantanal regions of Brazil. Both the fruit, the bark of the tree and leaves have medicinal properties and are commonly used in disease treatments through home and alternative medicine.
They are one of the favorite fruits of birds and some species of insects. Check out a little more about the possibilities of using quixaba.
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Quixaba and tea properties
Quixaba has several active principles that act on various systems of the human body. These benefits can easily be ingested in natura, with the consumption of the fruit in a natural way. Another way to obtain these properties present in quixaba is through tea made with the bark of the tree.
Although the fruit contains many nutrients, the quixabeira bark is the one with the greatest medicinal capacity of the plant in general. In its composition it is possible to find anti-inflammatory, hypoglycemic and highly healing properties.
In the chemical composition of the fruit and peel it is possible to find triterpenes, triterpenic acid and even steroids. What makes both natural fruit and tea have a tonic effect.
It has a sweet flavor, which is more pronounced when consumed naturally and with fresh fruit. However, this sweet content is diluted in the form of tea, which should preferably be consumed without sugar.
Benefits of Quixaba Tea
There are many benefits offered through the consumption of quixaba tea. Among them, some stand out, such as the ability to assist in the treatment to reduce some types of constant pain, its anti-inflammatory and healing effect . Check out the main benefits:
Relieves back pain
One of the main effects of quixaba tea is its ability to relieve back pain. Its analgesic capacity is general, and acts in several areas of the body. So why this emphasis on back pain ? This is due to the active principles of quixaba, which act more easily on organs and muscles of the lumbar region.
Helps in the treatment of ovarian cysts
The properties of quixaba, when consumed in the form of warm tea, help to relieve and treat ovarian cysts. Women who have been through or are going through this problem know how painful and difficult it is.
The ingestion of quixaba tea helps to relieve pain caused by cysts, in the episodes popularly called “ovary attacks”. This is also due to the analgesic properties, the same ones responsible for alleviating the already mentioned back pains.
In addition, some studies point to this plant as a natural remedy to prevent types of cancer. This is thanks to the presence of anthocyanins, substances that belong to the flavonoid class.
Control diabetes
Despite being a sweet fruit, quixaba is hypoglycemic. That is, it has properties capable of reducing the level of sugar in the body, thus contributing to the control of glycemic peaks.
It is a great ally of diabetics, as in addition to being tasty, it is a fruit that brings great benefits to the body that suffers from this problem. For this effect to be achieved, it is necessary to make regular use of quixaba tea.
Fight inflammation
Quixaba tea is also highly recommended to relieve pain and treat inflammation in general. This is because it is a plant with analgesic activities, as already mentioned. However, its most noticeable effect is seen in throat and joint inflammations.
Helps in wound healing
Quixaba tea has great astringent potential, which causes the reduction of secretions. Thus, it is very good for healing skin wounds.
In this case, the quixaba infusion should be used in two ways: part applied to the wound and part ingested. The application helps in cleaning the wound, and consumption helps and accelerates healing. Therefore, it is highly recommended to ensure healthy healing.
Quixaba tea recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons of dry quixaba bark
- 1 liter of water
Preparation mode
Infusing the quixaba is very easy. Heat water in a pan. When it reaches the boiling point, add the quixaba husks. Leave on for 15 minutes. Then let it warm, strain and place in a clean container. Go consuming during the day.
The boiling time is longer than ordinary herbal teas because the husks take longer to release nutrients. However, it is a very potent tea. It can even be consumed by children, but should be avoided by diabetics who already use insulin and women who are breastfeeding.
For more information, consult a doctor.
Seek the opinion of an expert doctor first if you intend to use quixaba tea for the treatment of a disease such as diabetes. The effects of quixaba can be neutralized or even cause negative effects if used in the wrong way and in inappropriate situations.
More information about quixaba
Quixabeira bark is so valuable due to its medicinal potential used in natural methods of treating diseases that the tree is seriously threatened with extinction. Each day it is more difficult to find the plant in nature, being more common to see it in private properties.
In addition, the wood from this tree is widely used in civil construction and carpentry, which increases its extraction and commercialization. It is also used to produce figureheads, carved sculptures very common in cities in the Northeast.
The main agents of preservation of Quixabeira are the fishermen. Due to their presence close to rivers and areas of simple boats, these professionals form the main Brazilian organizations for the conservation and protection of Quixaba.
My name is Ellie Lauderdale, MD and I am USA based professional Nutritionist .
I am a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and board certified specialist in sports dietetics who is trained in integrative medicine. I have worked with hundreds of clients, from those suffering with chronic disease to professional and olympian athletes. My goal is to help optimize you from the inside so that you can feel, perform, and look your best on the outside.