Is butterfly pea flower tea really a health booster? Ayurvedic doctor explains

Sankhupushpam, or butterfly pea, has been a common presence in Kerala backyards and even literature for a long time. In the past few years, it has also been making inroads into some of our diets, as Instagram's health-conscious crowd has been promoting it as the main ingredient for a caffeine-free herbal beverage. Apparently, in many Southeast Asian countries, butterfly pea flower tea has been common for years. Of late, it's also used as a natural food colouring agent in pharmaceutical, cosmetics, herbal tea and nutraceutical industries. How beneficial is it truly for our health, according to Ayurveda? Dr Benil PB, Associate Professor at the VPSV Ayurveda College, Kottakkal, explains.

The 'health drink' aspect according to Ayurveda
Traditionally, Kerala has been using the root of sankhupushpam or aparajitha plant, rather than its flowers, for medicinal properties, says Dr Benil. He explains, "The usage of butterfly pea to make a health drink is something new in Kerala, a result of Western influence. The claim is that it has the antioxidant anthocyanin, which gives the flower its colour. In Kerala itself, the flower comes in different colours, and there are also many hybrid varieties now. It's the wild sankhupushpam variety that can be used to prepare the butterfly tea. However, Ayurveda doesn't talk about this type of usage for the plant. Its related species, which can look similar to sankhupushpam, can have other pigments that have toxicity and; therefore, users should be careful, the doctor says.

Is the drink beneficial?
Dr Benil says that sankhupushpam's deeper colour does not reflect its anthocyanin content. "The pigment is bright, and we get attracted to it, that's all. If we have it daily, probably we might get a little antioxidants from it. But anthocyanin need not enter in a concentrated manner in our body from this drink," he says.

Is it listed under 'Dasapushpangal' of Ayurveda
Often, people list Sankhupushpam under Ayurveda's ten sacred medicinal plants categorised as 'dasapushpangal.' However, Dr Benil says that traditionally, this plant is not part of the 'dasapushpangal' category in credible texts. "In many unauthentic textbooks, many combinations of plants are listed under 'dasapushpgangal,' and they list this plant too. However, that's not correct," he says.

How to recognise the right butterfly blue pea?
a) Pick flowers with a single petal.
b) They will have two small petals curved inside at the centre, in the shape of a conch.
c) The plant will also have compound leaves, with three or four leaflets
d) Avoid the flower with multiple, thick petals. They are hybrid varieties.