Banaba Herbal Teas

Carica Banaba Tea
Product of the Philippines
30 teabags (2 grams/teabag)

Prepared from dried mature leaves of Banaba (Lagerstroemia speciosa). Regular use of the tea may help regulate blood sugar.



Gourmet's Banaba Tea
Product of the Philippines

Made from fresh Banaba leaves, dried, ground, then packed into tea bags so that all teas retain all their health benefits. Long since used in herbal weigh-loss products, Banaba (Lagerstroemia speciosa) has been known for its effects on controlling glucose in the blood making it ideal for diabetes, hypertension, and kidney problems. Its purgative properties also help in expelling abdominal toxins.

Tizane Banaba Tea
Product of the Philippines
The product is a unique, green herbal tea blend that contains essential plant nutrients which promote and maintain healthy and sound body. These herbs are nurtured in prime farms and plucked at the precise time. It uses no less than the pharmaceutical-grade manufacturing process which means it is carefully processed to keep the freshness and nutrients of the leaves.

Banaba Tea is a good tasting, refreshing, natural and caffeine-free beverage that is perfect for health conscious individuals. It has been used for lowering blood sugar levels, lowering blood pressure and relieving edema in Asian countries.

Regular Flavor ) Ing: Lagerstroemia speciosa (Banaba) and Cymbopogon citratus (Lemon Grass)
(Calamansi Flavor Ing: Lagerstroemia speciosa (Banaba),Cymbopogon citratus (Lemon Grass) and Calamansi Extract (Native Lemon)
(Mango Flavor) Ing: Lagerstroemia speciosa (Banaba), Mangifera Indica (Mango Leaves) and Mango Extract

What is Banaba?
(Lagerstroemia speciosa)

A decidious tropical flowering tree, 5 to 10 meters high, sometimes growing to a height of 20 meters. Leaves, large, spatulate, oblong to elliptic-ovate, 2-4 inches in width, 5-8 inches in length; shedding its leaves the first months of the year. Before shedding, the leaves are bright orange or red during which time it is thought to contain higher levels of corosolic acid). Flowers are racemes, pink to lavender; flowering from March to June. After flowering, the tree bears large clumps of oval nutlike fruits.

Scientific Names
Lagerstroemia speciosa Linn.
Munchausia speciosa Linn.
Lagestroemia reginae Roxb.
Lagerstroemia flos-reginae Retz.

Distribution
Grows wild; widely distributed in the Philippines, in the secondary forests at low and medium altitudes. Cultivated for its beautiful flowers. Propagation by seeds.

Chemical Constituents
Rich in tannin: fruit, 14 to 17 %; leaves 13 %; bark, 10%. Corrosolic acid is being studied for its glucose lowering effect.

Parts Utilized
Leaves, fruits, flowers and bark.

Uses

Folkloric

• Roots have been used for a variety of stomach ailments. Leaf decoction for diabetes; also use as a diuretic and purgative.
  
• Decoction of old leaves and dried fruit (dried from one to two weeks), 50 gms to a pint of boiling water, 4 to 6 cups daily has been used for diabetes. Old leaves and ripe fruit are preferred, believed to have greater glucose lowering effect. Young leaves and flowers have a similar effect, though only 70% that of matures leaves and fruits. The wood has no known glucose lowering effect; the bark, a very small amount. A decoction of 20 gms of old leaves or dried fruit in 100 cc of water was found to have the equivalent effect to that of 6 to 7.7 units of insulin.
  
• The bark decoction has been used for the treatment of diarrhea.
  
• The bark, flowers and leaves used to facilitate bowel movements.
  
• Decoction of fruits or roots gargled for aphthous stomatitis.


• Decoction of leaves and flowers used for fevers and as diuretic.


• Leaf decoction or infusion used for bladder and kidney inflammation, dysuria, and other urinary dysfunctions.
  

Recent Studies

• Diabetes: Banaba is being studied for its application in the treatment of diabetes. Its ability to lower blood sugar is attributed to its corosolic acid, a triterpenoid glycoside, belived to facilitate glucose-transport into cells.
  
• Weight loss: Studies in mice suggest an anti-obesity effect. It is becoming a common ingredient in weight-loss supplements / products as a metabolic enhancer.


• Others: It is also being studied for its use in the treatment of blood pressure, renal and immune system benefits. Studies in mice suggest a lipid lowering effect - decreasing triglyceride and total cholesterol levels. To date, no toxicity has been identified.
  
  Availability
  
• Wildcrafted.


• Cultivated for flowers.


• Commercial: tablets, extracts, capsules, powder and tea
  
  Source: http://www.stuartxchange.org/