The Scientific Benefits of Botanical Beverages
Post Credits to Sekaya.
With consumers’ desire for food and drinks that are naturally healthy, the segment of functional beverages is currently the fastest-growing trend within the functional food market.
Aside from the fact that they meet consumers’ requirements for good taste, they also contain plant-based ingredients that are preferred over chemical ones because of their natural and intrinsic health benefits.
From this, a number of studies found out that consumers put high priorities on making purchases that are healthy and environmentally responsible. This preference for organic food made of plant ingredients then results to medicinal plants finding their way into the functional beverage market.
Functional beverages can be made of fruits, green botanicals, alternative beverages, and teas and tea alternatives. All of these contain hundreds of beneficial compounds offering a wide range of different positive health effects.
Fruits such as berries have polyunsaturated fatty acids, flavonols, and ellagic acid, which are antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and anti-mutagenic when combined. Other fruits help protect the brain and nervous system, sharpness of vision, cellular DNA, and the cardiovascular system.
Green botanicals are rich in vitamins, proteins, minerals, and antioxidants as well, while alternative beverages like energy drinks, exotic teas, and dairy drinks, on the other hand, have benefits leaning towards a more lifestyle positioning such as energy, calm, stimulation, relaxation, or health.
Teas and tea alternatives contain polyphenol flavonoids such as catechins, theaflavin, and quercetin which protect cells and tissues against free radical damage. A study called Insights on the Formulation of Herbal Beverages with Medicinal Claims According with Their Antioxidant Properties proved that (1) antioxidant activity and antioxidant compounds are affected by what form they come in and how they are prepared and (2) their antioxidant benefits were constantly present. Green tea has the highest antioxidant activity with different behavior for each formulation.
Antioxidants in plants were also used greatly in skin care. The study, Main Benefits and Applicability of Plant Extracts in Skin Care Products, showed that the main benefits of plant extracts used in skin care include antioxidant and antimicrobial activities and tyrosinase inhibition effect, which promote prevention of various skin conditions. With consumers’ demand in natural ingredients in the products they use for their skin skyrocketing, these plant extracts that come in botanical beverages continue to offer new natural antioxidants, lighteners, and preservatives.
These are just a few healing benefits from botanical beverages, and they already go far beyond refreshment; they contribute to your body’s overall wellness. So take your bottle of Sekaya Botanic Infusion and drink to your health every day.
References:
Barreira, J.C.M.; Ferreira, I.C.F.R.; Morais, A.L.; Oliviera, M.B.P.P. Insights on the Formulation of Herbal Beverages with Medicinal Claims According with Their Antioxidant Properties. Molecules. 2013, 18, 2851-2863.
Estanquiero, M.; Lobo, J.M.S.; Oliviera, M.B.; Ribiero, A.S. Main Benefits and Applicability of Plant Extracts in Skin Care Products. Cosmetics. 2015, 2, 48-65.
Gruenwald, J.; Novel botanical ingredients for beverages. Clinics in Dermatology. 2009.