Every day there are more people who know lettuce tea and if you are a lover of this food and would like to take advantage of it as much as possible, surely you would also like to know all the benefits it brings to your health. This tea is used to treat certain conditions and to maintain good general health thanks to its properties, and it is also very easy to prepare.
![Lettuce tea benefits, how to prepare it and contraindications](https://healthwages.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Lettuce-tea-benefits-how-to-prepare-it-and-contraindications.jpg)
Properties of lettuce tea
Thanks to the properties of lettuce tea, you can consume it in your favor, in order to take advantage of its great health benefits.
- It is considered a mild and natural sedative thanks to its relaxing properties .
- It contains flavonoids, which are pigments present in food, especially vegetables, whose function is to protect the body from damage caused by oxidizing substances.
- It has diuretic properties , so it facilitates the expulsion of fluids from the body.
- In addition to being considered a sedative, it has analgesic properties .
- Its caloric content is low and it has a high fiber content, so it has digestive properties and is satiating.
What is lettuce tea for – benefits
Now you know the properties of this drink, which can be taken hot or cold, and thanks to these, the benefits of lettuce tea are the following:
- Fight insomnia: thanks to its sedative properties you can sleep well if you drink lettuce tea just before going to sleep.
- Helps lose weight: due to its low caloric content and its fiber composition, it can help you lose weight, as long as it is a complement to a healthy diet and you exercise frequently. It also decreases appetite.
- Helps delay aging: the flavonoids contained in lettuce tea fight against free radicals and therefore said tea is capable of delaying aging, so consuming this tea will help you look young for a long time.
- Cleanses the body: by helping to cleanse the body, this drink is used to treat obesity, cellulite and cystitis thanks to its diuretic properties.
- It can help calm the pain that appears due to a blow, it can even help relieve headaches.
- Improves the respiratory system: consuming lettuce tea is ideal for people suffering from bronchitis, cough, asthma… since it improves the symptoms that appear with these pathologies.
- Relieves some eye problems: if you suffer from conjunctivitis or are prone to tired eyes, drinking lettuce tea can help reduce these discomforts.
- Improves circulation: it is a perfect ally to improve blood circulation and thus prevent conditions such as varicose veins, tired legs and edema, as well as diseases such as stroke, heart attack or clot formation.
- It is recommended for diabetics: this happens because it lowers blood sugar thanks to its diuretic properties and also does not contain sugar in its composition.
- Improves digestion: as it is very easy to digest, it is very beneficial for the digestive system. Therefore, it can be used for stomach pains and flatulence.
- Helps relieve menstrual pain: thanks to its relaxing and calming properties, they can help relax muscles and reduce premenstrual and menstrual symptoms.
- Helps calm nerves and anxiety: thanks to its relaxing and somewhat sedative properties, it can also be used against anxiety and nerves.
How to prepare lettuce tea
Surely now that you know how lettuce tea benefits your health, you will like to know how to prepare it. Well, you only have to follow the steps that we show you below to prepare lettuce tea . Take note!
Ingredients
To prepare lettuce tea you will need:
- A few leaves of lettuce.
- 1 liter of water.
Make sure the lettuce is as green as possible, as they are better than iceberg lettuce or other lettuce with light or white leaves. The green ones are more fleshy and provide more medicinal and nutritional properties. In addition, we recommend washing or disinfecting the lettuce leaves before using them.
Steps to prepare lettuce tea
- Heat a liter of water until it comes to a boil.
- While the water is heating up, you can take the opportunity to remove the leaves of the lettuce, since it is in them that all the nutritional properties are found.
- Cut the leaves with a knife into small parts.
- When the water is boiling, add the leaves and leave them next to the boiling water for 10 minutes.
- After 10 minutes, remove the water from the heat and wait another 10 minutes for it to settle and cool down a bit.
- To finish, strain the water and you can now drink this healthy tea.
- Store leftover tea in the fridge for up to three days.
Side effects and contraindications of lettuce tea
Certain things must be taken into account when including lettuce tea in the diet, since it has some contraindications and possible adverse effects, if taken incorrectly, that you should be aware of.
Side Effects of Drinking Too Much Lettuce Tea
- Consuming too much lettuce tea could give you diarrhea, since it would be a large amount of water.
- It can cause gas if consumed in excess, which will cause abdominal swelling and pain.
- Because it has diuretic properties, if you consume more lettuce in a day than is recommended, it could decrease potassium in your body. So if this happens, you could experience tiredness, fatigue and weak muscles.
Lettuce tea contraindications
- Due to its sedative properties, it is not recommended to consume in excess, especially if you have to perform activities that require great physical or mental effort, since you will feel sleepy.
- If you have kidney problems, it is better that you refrain from consuming this infusion, since if you are carrying out a diuretic treatment you will be amplifying the effect and it could be excessive, so you could get adverse effects and worsen your situation.
As you may have understood, lettuce tea consumed in excess can cause adverse effects, so if you want to drink this infusion to take advantage of its properties, we recommend that you consume a maximum of two cups a day . There are other foods with similar properties that you can use for the same purpose, such as diuretic foods to lose weight and eliminate liquids that we propose in this other article from. This way you will maintain a balanced consumption without abusing a single food.