Osmanthus and Jasmine Flower Tea

Why people make this tea

Nourilo raises an important nuance that many Western readers may not have considered: not all cases of high blood pressure look the same. Some elderly people, after being told they have hypertension, become so restrictive in their diet — low calorie, very little fat, almost no meat — that they swing into nutritional deficiency and a “yang-deficient” pattern. Their blood pressure may remain elevated, but now they also experience dizziness, achy lower back, cold limbs, loose stools and clear, frequent urination. For this profile — yang-deficient hypertension — a warming, qi-moving tea like this gentle osmanthus-jasmine blend is traditionally considered more helpful than the cooling teas typically recommended for hypertension.

Osmanthus has a light, sweet fragrance and is associated in traditional terms with strengthening the spleen, resolving phlegm, dispersing stagnation and calming the liver. Jasmine is slightly warm, sweet and pungent — associated with regulating qi, opening emotional stagnation and harmonising the digestive system. Together they make one of the most pleasant-smelling herbal teas possible.