Cistus tea

We’re calling it: Cistus tea is the next green tea. Or, at the very least, it should be on more drink menus, since it packs a powerful holistic punch. Right now, because it’s not nearly as popular as green tea, it’s not exactly at the top of every menu…but it’s definitely worth a sip. It’s caffeine-free, can benefit your health, and seemingly has no side effects. Raise a tea toast to that! Here’s a little background: Cistus incanus, aka rock rose, is a hardy shrub with a gorgeous flower that grows mainly in the Mediterranean (those Mediterranean-dwellers get all the good stuff, don’t they?). Every part of this plant, from its seed to its stalk to its pretty, sometimes colorful, buds, has medicinal value. It’s packed with antioxidants, polyphenols, and flavonoids, and it’s got serious antiviral power as well. Some people in the invisible illness community drink cistus leaves steeped in boiled water with whole leaf Stevia tincture (both are considered anti-Lyme remedies) as part of the Klinghardt regimen. (Klinghardt specifically recommends organic cistus wild-harvested in Sardinia, so uh…pack your bags? Just kidding, you can get it online. Or, use it as an excuse to go to Sardinia…we won’t tell.) Some people also swear by cistus as a general tonic—something to support their overall health. Besides tea, cistus is also available as an essential oil, tincture, and in remedies mixed with other herbs and plant extracts. So, while it may not yet be on the menu of the tea joint around the corner, you can get cistus if you look for it, and in several different forms to boot.