Herbal & Flower Teas

Purple-Backed Gynura & Hawthorn Tea

Traditionally helps cut grease, ease food stagnation and refresh on hot days

In short: Purple-Backed Gynura & Hawthorn Tea is a herbal & flower tea that Traditionally helps cut grease, ease food stagnation and refresh on hot days. It is most often made for digestive wellness, skin & natural beauty, weight & metabolism. Total time about 20 min. Key ingredients: hawthorn.

Prep
5 min
Cook
15 min
Total
20 min
Makes
About 1.2 L
Purple-Backed Gynura & Hawthorn Tea

Why people make this tea

I first bought some purple-backed gynura in Tai O and simmered it into a sweet drink to chill — wonderfully tasty and refreshing. Later I bought some from a herb shop, but it never tasted quite as good (it had probably picked up the smell of the other herbs in the drawers). Purple-backed gynura is a classic for clearing summer heat and quenching thirst, and paired with hawthorn it helps cut grease and ease that heavy, stuffed feeling after rich, fatty meals — a friendly drink for people watching blood lipids, blood pressure and cholesterol.

What studies say about the key ingredients

Traditional use is not the same as clinical proof. Here is the strongest human research we found for each ingredient, limitations included.

  • Hawthorn · Randomized controlled trial, 41 participants · 2025
    Skin hydration scores improved more with hawthorn fruit than with placebo (p<0.05). Changes in other skin phenotypes and leukocyte telomere length were similar between groups. Genotype-specific effects were reported.Limitation: Small trial in which 36 completed follow-up; the genotype subgroup analyses are based on very few participants and are exploratory.PubMed 40573097 · 2 more hawthorn studies

From the Nourilo Research Library. Findings come from specific doses, extracts and populations and may not apply to a home-cooked recipe.

Safety first — read before you cook

This is a traditional food, not a treatment. Please check with your doctor or pharmacist before making it a regular part of your diet if you:

  • are pregnant or breastfeeding, or are cooking for a young child;
  • take regular medicines — especially blood thinners, blood-pressure, diabetes or immune-suppressing drugs;
  • have a kidney, liver or heart condition, or a known food allergy.

Ingredient notes for this recipe

  • Hawthorn: Can cause dizziness, nausea or digestive upset, and may interact with heart medicines. Little is known about its safety in pregnancy or breastfeeding. Source: NIH NCCIH — Hawthorn

Stop eating it and seek advice if you notice an allergic reaction or feel unwell. Safety notes reviewed 8 October 2026 · How we write safety notes

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