Savoring the Health Benefits of Greek Mountain Tea

By Steve Raftopoulos –

It is no surprise that herbs feature prominently in the healthy Mediterranean diet, both in culinary form and as herbal teas. What may be surprising is that modern research confirms what the ancient Greeks appeared to have known – that herbs contain the highest concentrations of antioxidants and beneficial phyto-nutrients.

Greece has an astounding number and variety of herbs, perhaps of the highest quality found in the world. Credit to the unique growing environment found in its mountains and hillsides. One native herb in particular stands out. Given the scientific name Sideritis, it is known in Greece as “Tsai Tou VouNou”, which translates to “tea of the mountain.” Outside of Greece, it is simply called Greek mountain tea.

Greek mountain tea is very pleasant-tasting, mild and naturally caffeine free. It is a potent source of antioxidants with many health properties. The herb grows wild and is also cultivated in small plots scattered throughout the mountains at elevations in excess of 3,000 feet.

The Greek philosophers, and in particular Hippocrates, praised Greek mountain tea for its positive effect on the immune and respiratory systems. Greeks have been drinking this tea throughout the millennia, believing it has an abundance of health benefits such as a positive effect on colds, respiratory problems, digestion, the immune system and anxiety. Greek mountain tea has also increasingly been the subject of scientific studies some of which indicate that it may have promise in the prevention of osteoporosis, Alzheimer’s Disease and even cancer and as well as a positive effect on a myriad of different ailments including colds, fevers, respiratory problems, digestion problems, and anxiety.

In a recent report, Brunswick Labs, a leading bio-analytical testing laboratory, noted a range of biological effects such as antioxidant, oxidative-stress reduction, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and gastro-protective activities. One study referenced in this report showed that Greek mountain tea is as potent as the highly revered Green tea at inducing cellular antioxidant defenses and preventing oxidative stress.

An Alzheimer’s Disease study by a German university, using transgenic AD mice, found that Greek mountain tea extract enhanced their memory skills significantly versus control groups of untreated mice and mice treated with a Gingko biloba extract, which is used as an off-label cognition enhancer in elderly and AD patients. Studies like this are interesting, but more in-depth testing on humans would be required to draw any concrete conclusions.

What makes Greek mountain tea so healthy is its abundance of phyto-nutrients. These are organic compounds found in plants, which are believed to play a significant role in optimizing our health and protecting us from age related disease; one of the reasons it is important to include a broad variety of fruits and vegetables in our diet.

Greek mountain tea, which can provide a boost to our daily intake of phyto-nutrients, is a potent source of polyphenols and flavonoids, two important phyto-nutrients that contain significant antioxidants.

Greek mountain tea is brewed using all parts of the herb – flowers, leaves and stems. It is a whole loose-leaf tea and must be briefly boiled as part of the steeping process in order to extract the full flavor and benefits. Consequently, loose-leaf teas are superior to their bagged counterparts in both taste and quality. Teas that are allowed to brew in a loose capacity, without the restrictions of infusers or bags release more of their flavor and healthy compounds.

So how does it taste? Greek mountain tea is a pleasure to drink if not slightly addictive. The flavor and aroma have been described as “redolent of the Greek countryside in the summertime, when the intoxicating scent of wild thyme and oregano fill the air.” More specifically, it has a light, slightly earthy taste, with subtle floral notes and a hint of lemon and mint. It pairs beautifully with honey, perhaps better than any other tea and in a way that makes one think they were created for each other.

Although the Greeks drink their mountain tea primarily as a hot beverage, it also makes an excellent iced tea. As leading Paleo blogger Sarah Ballantyne said about Greek mountain tea: “Who needs synthetically infused vitamin water when this natural beverage full of antioxidants and phyto-nutrients is available?” 

To learn more about Greek mountain tea visit kliotea.com.

Steve Raftopoulos is the founder of Klio Tea, LLC. Based in Santa Barbara, Klio is the largest importer of Greek herbal teas. Steve adheres to the nutritional and health philosophies espoused by Hippocrates. Specifically: “let thy food be thy medicine, and thy medicine be thy food”.