Blue butterfly pea vine is noted for its bright blue edible flowers that have a shape noticeably similar to female genitalia from which it derives its scientific name.
Butterfly Tea has a beautiful deep cobalt blue color that lead many to believe that this gorgeous plant was actually a gift from Nature.
The blue butterfly pea vine has been used in Ayurveda as well as traditional Asian and Middle
Eastern medicine and is increasingly supported by modern science. The term Shankhpushpi relates to the plant being a Nootropic or helpful for ones memory.
1. Nootropic – enhances cognitive functions including heightening intelligence and enhancing memory via acetylcholine localized to the hippocampus
2. Anxiolyhic – reduces stress and anxiety – calming effect
3. Relaxes smooth vascular muscle aiding blood flow
4. Analgesic – helps to relieve pain to the extent it is used as a local anesthetic
5. Diuretic – promotes excretion of water (urination) which decreases blood volume thereby lowering high blood pressure, also used for fast but typically temporary weight loss
6. Anti-inflammatory
7. Anti-Asthmatic: assessed by passive cutaneous anaphylaxis
8. Anti-anxiety and depression with indication that high doses may be adaptogenic
9. Anti-convulsant
10. Anti-diabetic activity by inhibiting glucose intake from the diet
11. Anti-cancer and anti-tumor abilities resulting from cyclotides that cause cell death by disrupting cell membrane integrity
12. Anti-pyretic –reduces fever by dilating the blood vessels just beneath the skin which increases blood flow near the surface of the skin where it can be more easily cooled by the air.
Eyes: The presence of the anti-oxidant, proanthocyanidin, helps to improve eyesight by increasing blood flow in the capillaries of the eyes which also allows the eyes to adjust to changes in light and
Improves vision: The blue butterfly pea vine flowers have been shown to effectively prevent
cataracts and glaucoma, correct blurred vision, and reverse retinal damage as well as soothing
inflamed and tearing eyes.
Hair: The blue butterfly vine flower, rich in bioflavinoids, has been used traditionally to promote
hair growth, thicken the hair and reduce greying of the hair.
Skin: Anti-oxidants in blue butterfly pea flower stimulate collagen and elastin synthesis helping to rejuvenate the skin, reduce wrinkles and other effects of aging skin.
Aphrodisiac: traditionally used as an aphrodisiac particularly for women and used to treat
problems associated with menstruation as well as leucorrhoea (white vaginal discharge).
http://examine.com/supplements/clitoria-ternatea/ lists 22 scientific references the provide
support for the benefits of Clitoria ternatea:
Scientific Support & Reference
Citations
1. Jain NN, et al Clitoria ternatea and the CNS . Pharmacol Biochem Behav. (2003)
2. Rai KS, et al Clitoria ternatea root extract enhances acetylcholine content in rat hippocampus . Fitoterapia. (2002)
3. Malik J, Karan M, Vasisht K Nootropic, anxiolytic and CNS-depressant studies on different plant sources of shankhpushpi .Pharm Biol. (2011)
4. Sethiya NK, et al An update on Shankhpushpi, a cognition-boosting Ayurvedic medicine . Zhong Xi Yi Jie He Xue Bao. (2009)
5. Aulakh GS, Narayanan S, Mahadevan G Phyto – chemistry and pharmacology of shankapushpi – four varieties . Anc Sci Life. (1988)
6. Swain SS, Rout KK, Chand PK Production of Triterpenoid Anti-cancer Compound Taraxerol in Agrobacterium-Transformed Root Cultures of Butterfly Pea (Clitoria ternatea
L.) . Appl Biochem Biotechnol. (2012)
7. Kumar V, et al Validation of HPTLC method for the analysis of taraxerol in Clitoria ternatea . Phytochem Anal. (2008)
8. Terahara N, et al Eight new anthocyanins, ternatins C1-C5 and D3 and preternatins A3 and C4 from young clitoria ternatea flowers . J Nat Prod. (1998)
9. Terahara N, et al Five new anthocyanins, ternatins A3, B4, B3, B2, and D2, from Clitoria ternatea flowers . J Nat Prod. (1996)
10. Taur DJ, Patil RY Evaluation of antiasthmatic activity of Clitoria ternatea L. roots . J Ethnopharmacol. (2011)
11. Ripperger H Isolation of stigmast-4-ene-3,6-dione from Hamelia patens and Clitoria ternatea . Pharmazie. (1978)
12. Kazuma K, Noda N, Suzuki M Malonylated flavonol glycosides from the petals of Clitoria ternatea . Phytochemistry. (2003)
13. Revilleza MJ, Mendoza EM, Raymundo LC Oligosaccharides in several Philippine indigenous food legumes: determination, localization and removal . Plant Foods Hum Nutr.
14. Kamkaen N, Wilkinson JM The antioxidant activity of Clitoria ternatea flower petal extracts and eye gel . Phytother Res. (2009)
15. Rai KS, et al Clitoria ternatea (Linn) root extract treatment during growth spurt period enhances learning and memory in rats .Indian J Physiol Pharmacol. (2001)
16. Taranalli AD, Cheeramkuzhy TC Influence of clitoria ternatea extracts on memory and central cholinergic activity in rats .Pharm Biol. (2000)
17. Rai KS, et al Altered dendritic arborization of amygdala neurons in young adult rats orally intubated with Clitorea ternatea aqueous root extract . Phytother Res. (2005)
18. Adisakwattana S, et al In vitro inhibitory effects of plant-based foods and their combinations on intestinal ¿-glucosidase and pancreatic ¿-amylase . BMC Complement
19. Solanki YB, Jain SM Antihyperlipidemic activity of Clitoria ternatea and Vigna mungo in rats . Pharm Biol. (2010)
20. PIALA JJ, MADISSOO H, RUBIN B Diuretic activity of roots of Clitoria ternatea L. in dogs . Experientia. (1962)
21. El-Halawany AM, et al Screening for estrogenic and antiestrogenic activities of plants growing in Egypt and Thailand .Pharmacognosy Res. (2011)
22. Ramanathan M, Balaji B, Justin A Behavioural and neurochemical evaluation of Permanent an herbal formulation in chronic unpredictable mild stress induced depressive model . Indian J Exp Biol. (2011)
