Lemon myrtle is a tree and it grows naturally in the coastal regions of Australia. The flowers and fruits of this tree are eaten. It leaves are most popular and is known to have lots of health benefits. These leaves are rich in essential oil. The main constituents in this essential oil are terpenoid aldehydes like citral. Citral has medicinal properties, and this provides lemon myrtle its health benefits. Lemon myrtle is available in the form of herbal tea, spice, powder or essential oil.
Drinking a cup of lemon myrtle tea has lots of health benefits. It can rejuvenate you and remove tiredness. It is rich in antioxidants and supplies you with energy. The antibacterial properties of this tea help you fight against some infections and skin irritations. Lemon myrtle tea is aromatic and packed with antioxidants, Vitamin E and B, magnesium, iron and calcium. It is also rich in lutein. To make lemon myrtle tea, you have to infuse lemon myrtle leaves in boiling water. Keep it aside for about 3 to 5 minutes, depending on how strong you want the tea to be. Remove the lemon myrtle and then serve.
People believe that herbal products never cause you any side effects. But in some cases this can prove to be wrong. Many of the herbs can cause adverse effects on your body. The side effects caused is mainly due to the overconsumption of these herbal products. Lemon myrtle tea also has some side effects.
Side Effects of Lemon Myrtle Tea:
Alzheimer’s Disease Risk:
Drinking large quantities of lemon myrtle tea every day means that there are high chances of you suffering from Alzheimer’s disease in future, especially when you get older in age. The reason for it is that when you drink this tea daily to be more energetic, accumulation of plaques in the brain can take place. It occurs in those parts of the brain that are directly connected with causing Alzheimer’s disease.
Can cause heart burns:
Although lemon myrtle is good for you and can refresh you, consuming too much of the tea can cause you harm. It has the ability to change the usual pH level in the stomach and intestine of human body. This leads to acidic reflux. The acid thus produced can reach up to your oesophagus from your stomach. Slowly you will start feeling a burning sensation in your chest and even feel like vomiting because of the acid reflux. So, make sure that you have it only in limited quantities.
Canker sores on lips:
Drinking lemon myrtle tea regularly in large amounts can cause a number of issues in your mouth and lips. It has the power to irritate the mucous membranes in your mouth and this causes canker sores.
Dehydration:
By consuming lemon myrtle tea frequently, dehydration of the body is caused. This tea is an excellent diuretic. When taken in excess, it creates frequent urge to urinate. This leads to dehydration of the body.
Harmful for new born babies:
Lactating mothers are advised to stay away from lemon myrtle tea. This is because of the presence of caffeine in this tea. It mixes completely with breast milk. So, when the baby sucks the milk, it can cause harm to the baby. So, breast feeding mothers should never consume this tea, even if they feel that it can make them feel refreshed.
Harmful for pregnant women:
Pregnant women are also advised to avoid drinking lemon myrtle tea. The caffeine in this tea can cause harm to them. If she takes too many cups of this tea a day, it may even cause miscarriage, which is one of the nightmares experienced by pregnant women.
Osteoporosis:
Osteoporosis is one of the diseases that affect your bones. Mostly women suffer from this disease. Drinking lemon myrtle tea regularly can lead to osteoporosis. This is caused because when you drink this tea, huge amounts of calcium from your body is silently washed off through urine. This in turn makes your body very weak and fragile.
Stomach issues:
If you have a habit of consuming lemon myrtle tea daily, you may suffer from stomach problems. Irritable bowel symptoms, constant stomach ache, stomach ulcer, diarrhoea etc are some of the problems you may face. So, if you have any physical issues associated with stomach, it is better to consult your dietician before you start consuming this tea.
Tooth erosion problem:
Consumption of lemon myrtle tea can also cause the erosion of enamel of your teeth. As a result, your tooth becomes very sensitive to change in temperature. When you have anything hot or cold, you will experience pain in the tooth. Enamel erosion is found in people who drink this tea regularly.
Other different types of diseases:
Drinking lemon myrtle tea regularly can also cause many other diseases and issues. Some of the other diseases it can cause are multiple diseases like microcytic anaemia, aplastic bone disease or osteomalacia, hiked left ventricular mass, frequent infections, encephalopathy, decreased myocardial function and so on. Sometimes it can also cause sudden death.
Lemon Myrtle Tea Benefits – Not more than One Cup:
Although lemon myrtle tea has the side effects as discussed above, it also has lots of benefits for your body. So, you may drink one cup of lemon myrtle tea daily. It is very refreshing and good for you. But remember not to consume more than 1 cup of this tea daily. If you start drinking more than one cup, you may have tendency to fall ill easily. One more thing to keep in mind is to never drink this tea on an empty stomach in the morning.