Bissy tea: 5 Powerful Benefits of This Natural Remedy
Bissy is one product you will find in almost every Jamaican home. That’s because of benefits of drinking Bissy tea.
So what are some Bissy tea benefits? This tea is the number one home remedy for treating food allergies and food poisoning in Jamaica.
But that is not the only benefit of Bissy. Jamaicans drink Bissy tea to cure tension headaches, migraines, and hangovers.
They also drink the tea to relieve some symptoms of asthma, indigestion, and detox the body.
But the greatest benefit of Bissy tea may be the caffeine fix it delivers .
So, let us take a closer look at this unique herbal tea that is a natural remedy.
What Is Bissy?
Bissy is the Jamaican name for the Kola nut tree and its nuts. Bissy tea is a hot drink made from Kola nut powder.
Cola acuminata or Cola nitida are botanical names for Bissy. In many places across the globe they are known as Kola nuts. Other common names for Kola nut include abata kola and caffeine nut.
The Kola nut plant is in the same family as the cocoa plant. It is originally from West Africa. However, Bissy trees are found in many different locations, including South America and the Caribbean.
Bissy trees can grow up to 60 feet tall. Theyhave dark green leathery leaves. The fruit pods are hard and wrinkled and can get to between 4 and 6 inches long.
The seeds which are pinkish color are encased in a soft cream colored covering. This coating is scraped away to get to the nut inside.
How to Make Bissy Tea
All you need to make Bissy tea is water and bissy powder in a saucepan.
- 2 Cups of tap water
- 3 Tablespoons of Bissy Powder
- Boil the ingredients for 5 minutes
- Remove from flames and let sit for 2 minutes
- Strain off the Liquid (discard sediments)
- Sweeten and Serve (Serves one)
Bissy tea is usually consumed while the beverage is warm.
Either fresh or dried Kola nuts are grated and used to make the tea. However, when the nuts are dried they become rock hard.
So, it is more convenient to grind the fresh nuts and air dry the resulting powder. Bissy powder can be stored in a sealed container.
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Caffeine In Bissy
So does Bissy have caffeine? Yes it does. And Bissy tea is one of a few naturally highly caffeinated herbal teas. You won’t believe how much caffeine is in just one cup of the tea.
In fact a single cup of the Bissy tea may contain anywhere between 1.25 to 2.4 percent caffeine. So. one kola nut seed has more caffeine than 2 cups of coffee.
In addition, to caffeine there is also another stimulant, called Theobromine that makes up bissy.
Bissy Health Benefits
So what is Bissy good for? Bissy has a number of bebeficial active compounds. Five of the compounds found in Bissy are connected to Bissy health benefits. Let’s look at them:
- Catechins are a type of phenolic compound. They are found in foods like green tea, coffee, cocoa, berries and of course kola nuts. They are known to fight free radicals that cause diseases.
- Theobromine function as a vasodilator. This means they widen the blood vessels to reduce blood pressure. They also act as a mild stimulant.
- Tannins are also called tannic acid. Tannic acid displays antimicrobial behavior. Which mean Tannins inhibit the growth of fungi, yeast, bacteria and viruses.
- Anthocyanin is believed to offer protection against cardiovascular diseases. One school of thought is that they improve immune function, and lessen the risk of developing some types of cancer.
- Caffeine is a chemical that is commonly used to improve mental alertness. Caffiene works by stimulating the Central Nervous System (CNS). Caffeine is naturally found in foods and beverages such as tea, coffee, and cocoa. Bissy has some of the highest levels of caffiene.
Bissy Benefits
- Reduce Blood Pressure
- Relieve Headaches
- Heighten Brain Function
- Aid Digestion
- Cure Hangovers
Bissy Tea Side Effects
The same beneficial chemicals in bissy tea may also be responsible for Bissy tea side effects.
Because Bissy tea has such high amounts of caffeine drinking too much bissy tea can cause addiction issues.
In West Africa, Kola Nuts are chewed as a stimulant to lessen feelings of hunger and fatigue. And one report states that children are become addictive to chewing Kola nuts.
Some people who use Kola nut have reported problems anxiety, nervousness, nausea, insomnia, irritability and diarrhea.
Therefore you should exercise caution with using Bissy if you fall into any of the following categories:
Pregnant. Talk with your doctor to determine whether it is okay to consume the tea.
Breastfeeding. Be aware that caffeine in the tea may be secreted into breast milk.
Diabetic. Drinking Bissy tea may alter blood sugar levels because of the tea’s high caffeine content.
Suffer from Insomnia. Bissy tea is a stimulant. So drinking too much of the tea may lead to insomnia.
Heart Disease. People with cardiac conditions may experience irregular heart beat.
Osteoporosis. Drinking too much of the will increase urine production which may result in a large amount of calcium getting flushed out in urine.
This can cause dehydration and further weakening of the bones.
Where to Buy Bissy Tea
Jamaican bissy tea bags is marketed on Amazon and oraganic Bissy teabags, and Bissy powder from around the world can also be purchased on Etsy.com
These products are generally shipped directly from origin countries.
Conclusion
Bissy tea is the name used fro a hot tea made from kola nut seeds. Jamaican Bissy tea has been used as a home remedy for hundreds of years.
The tea is mainly used to treat food poisoning and allegeries. But drinking the warm tea used to relieve headaches, migraines, and asthma related symptoms.
Although it is known to have several health benefits, Bissy tea is not approved for treating for any medical condition and therefore should not be used as medicine.
People with underlining health issues should exercise caution when consuming Bissy tea.
Because of it’s hig caffeine content, you may want to limit drinking Bissy tea to one cup a day.
Disclaimer: This site is for informational purposes only. Nothing stated or implied on this website should be viewed as medical advice. Talk to your professional healthcare provider about medical treatment.