Tea made from bamboo?

“Tea made from bamboo really?” This is the question I get asked a lot. The short answer is “Yes”.

Bamboo is a fantastically versatile plant that can be used for everything from flooring to clothing, from utensils to food. It is and continues to be a food staple in Asia and is slowly being introduced to the rest of the world. Bamboo teas have been used medicinally in India, China, and South America for hundreds if not thousands of years. The documented use of the plant shows up in the Ayurvedic books as well as the Chinese Compendium of medicine. In Central and South America the uses have been passed down from healer to healer. The green leaves would be picked and boiled to make an extract that has been used to treat upper respiratory problems, aid liver detoxification, digestive issues, and skin ailments to name a few. In Chinese medicine bamboo is believed to reduce dampness in the liver which manifests it self as irritability, anger, and toxification of the body. In Japan the people who work weaving bamboo are thought to have less health issues due to the absorption of the plant through their skin. In Columbia boiled leaves are used to treat coughs and in Cuba the leaves are used in poultices. In Asia bamboo leaf extract are widely added to drinks to boost the immune system and promote overall health.