FAQ
Palo azul means "blue stick" in Spanish, and it gets its name because the bark of the tree is brewed in water to prepare a blue tea. This happens because palo azul is fluorescent, so it turns blue when it absorbs light and it looks incredible!
Studies (1, 2, 3) show that palo azul's fluorescence is caused by flavonoids, which are polyphenols that plants produce to defend themselves from stress, UV light, and pathogens. These polyphenols are also what make palo azul tea antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, so this tea has been used as a traditional remedy since the 1500s in Central America.
Due to its polyphenol rich content, palo azul has similar beneficial properties as green tea, without the caffeine...so you can enjoy this beautiful view any time of the day!
Many studies have shown that palo azul is antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, alkaline, anti-microbial, and much more. Due to these properties, the studies concluded the palo azul may help to promote kidney and liver function.
Thanks to the work of scientific researchers, recent studies on palo azul have shown that it is antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, alkaline, anti-microbial, and diuretic. The studies have found that palo azul has similar beneficial properties to green tea, except it doesn't have caffeine.
Antioxidant & Anti-inflammatory: Numerous studies (1, 2, 3, 4) have found that palo azul has powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, therefore it was shown to be effective at neutralizing harmful toxins such as AGEs (advanced glycation end products), ROS (reactive oxygen species), free radicals, lipid peroxides, and heavy metals.
Potassium-sparing diuretic: A study (1) also showed that palo azul is a potassium-sparing diuretic, meaning that it can help to flush out toxins without dehydrating your body.
Metal-chelating: Several studies (1, 2, 3, 4) also showed that it has “metal-chelating” abilities, meaning that it binds to toxic heavy metals in the body and helps to flush them out
To answer this question, we reviewed several studies which have used the standardized methods to measure polyphenolic content and antioxidant capacity for both palo azul, regular teas (Camelia sinensis), and spirulina.
According to the results from various studies, palo azul’s polyphenolic content ranges from around 2 to 8 times higher than regular teas and 4 times higher than spirulina. Palo azul’s antioxidant capacity was shown to be around 8 to 26 times higher than regular teas and spirulina. You can review all the studies in our article below:
Studies Show Palo Azul Has 8x More Antioxidant Capacity Than Regular Tea
This 2018 study actually evaluated this very question. In layman’s terms…the study showed that palo azul tea’s antioxidants act quickly as they’re ingested and then they’re slowly released for at least 70 hours! This is what the researchers concluded:
“The nanoparticles were effective in scavenging DPPH free radicals in the antioxidant assay for at least 70 h. The antioxidant effect of the EP/AgNPs (palo azul extract) is maintained after a long-term storage since antioxidant compounds are slowly released from the nanoparticles. Although the release kinetics shows a rapid release at the beginning of the assay followed by a controlled release is in accordance with the Higuchi model.”
Boosts antioxidant defense: Several studies (1, 2, 3) showed that palo azul tea enhanced the activities of the body’s endogenous antioxidants (glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, and catalase), and many studies mention that these are critical for proper immune function.
Antibacterial: Moreover, numerous studies (1, 2, 3) showed that palo azul tea is rich in flavonoids which are anti-bacterial and were effective against bacteria which are associated with various infections.
Antipyretic & Antitussive: Lastly, several studies (1, 2, 3, 4) mention that palo azul is used as an antipyretic or an antitussive, which are agents that help to reduce a fever or cough.
- Boil 1 gallon of alkaline water and add 1 oz of palo azul
- Brew on low heat for 20 minutes
- Once it cools down, strain into a jug to remove the palo azul. Store the tea in the fridge
- Pour the palo azul tea in a glass cup, so it can absorb light and turn blue
- Take it outside so that it can absorb sunlight and enjoy the magic!
Traditionally, it’s recommended to drink 1-3 cups a day, but palo azul tea has no calories and no caffeine so you can drink more if you'd like!
Tasting notes: Most people describe palo azul's flavor as earthy, smooth, refreshing, slightly sweet, and bright. It’s 0 calories and 0 sugar so it’s not very sweet, but you can add honey, stevia, or sugar if you’d like to sweeten it. Many people describe the taste as “drinking nature” when they try this magical tea.
Palo azul tea is blue because it is fluorescent. Studies (1, 2, 3) have found that it is fluorescent because it contains flavonoids, which are natural phytonutrients compounds produced by plants to protect themselves from oxidative stress and harmful UV light. So what makes palo azul tea blue is also what makes it healthy!
Many plants have flavonoids, but only a few plants evolved the unique ability of fluorescence to defend themselves from harmful UV light by absorbing high energy light and emiting a lower energy harmless light. Fluorescence occurs naturally in plants, flowers, minerals and animals. It just so happens that palo azul is the only plant that produces a fluorescent tea 😁
Nope! The only ingredient is 100% organic palo azul and there is nothing artificial in our products. Palo azul’s blue color is caused by naturally occurring fluorescent phytonutrients in the palo azul plant which are called “flavonoids”. These flavonoids are polyphenols that are also antioxidant and anti-inflammatory, so palo azul has the same health benefits as green tea except it looks much cooler!
- Palo azul’s blue color is caused by the phenomenon of fluorescence, which means that it has to absorb high energy light in order to turn blue. Try pouring it in a glass cup so that it can absorb light and shine a flashlight in every angle.
- If it still doesn't turn blue, then the water you used is probably acidic. Palo azul only turns blue when it is prepared with alkaline water, so try using tap water or bottled alkaline water.
- Boiling the water too much can slightly lower the alkalinity, so it's possible that you may have boiled the water too much and made it acidic.
- If the tea looks light and yellowish, it's not concentrated enough so you probably didn't use enough palo azul.
- The palo azul you used may have had a low flavonoid concentration. Flavonoids are responsible for palo azul’s (and many other plants and animals) fluorescence. Magiktea sources palo azul exclusively from a USDA Organic certified supplier and all our product is tested for optimal quality so it will always look blue and magical! 😁
The main difference (other than its incredible fluorescence 😉) is that palo azul tea is caffeine-free, as opposed to green tea or black tea which have around 25-50 mg caffeine per cup.
Studies have also shown that palo azul has minerals such as magnesium, potassium, calcium and sodium, which make it alkaline, as opposed to black tea, fruit teas, and some herbal teas which are slightly acidic.
Another study showed that palo azul is a potassium-sparing diuretic, meaning that it increases urination and flushes out toxins without electrolyte loss during urination because it spares potassium...as opposed to regular diuretics like coffee and green tea.
The magic in palo azul is that it has fluorescent flavonoids which give this incredible blue color and there are many fluorescent plants…but as far as we know, palo azul is the only one that produces a fluorescent tea! And these fluorescent flavonoids are also antioxidant and anti-inflammatory, so what makes palo azul tea blue is also what makes it healthy. Because of its polyphenol rich content, this tea has been used as a traditional remedy for over 500 years! 😮
Two studies (1) (2) found that palo azul has minerals such as magnesium, potassium calcium, and sodium, which make it alkaline. Another source mentions that palo azul has an "alkalinizing nature in the body". However, if palo azul is prepared with acidic water, it may not alkalinize the water enough to raise the pH above 7. When it is prepared with alkaline water, it will stay alkaline, as opposed to black tea, fruit teas, or hibiscus which are slightly acidic and will lower the pH of the water.
Palo azul tea has zero caffeine. That's one of the great things about palo azul, you get the same benefits as green tea, without the caffeine...and you get to enjoy palo azul's beautiful fluorescence anytime of the day!
We sell both loose palo azul and also palo azul tea bags. Our tea bags are made from finely cut 100% organic palo azul and we use biodegradable plant-based pyramid tea bags.
Palo azul means "blue stick" in Spanish, and it gets its name because instead of being made with leaves, palo azul tea is made with the bark of the plant. You can see what the palo azul bark looks like in the picture below.
Our pyramid tea bags are made from a 100% biodegradable bio-mesh, which is a type of mesh made from PLA (Polylactic acid) that is derived from corn starch. This means that there are no microplastics, bleach, or other toxins, so they're better for our health and the environment.
The palo azul plant (Eysenhardtia polystachya) grows in dry locations in Arizona, Texas and Mexico. We source our palo azul from a supplier in Mexico that is USDA Organic & Rainforest Alliance certified... so every cup of Magiktea palo azul is good for you, the farmers, and the planet!
Yes, we source our palo azul from a USDA Organic certified supplier so all our palo azul is 100% organic. This means that our palo azul is free from pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, heavy metals and GMOs...so you can be sure that our palo azul tea will be good for you, the farmers, and the planet.
Yes, we source all our palo azul from a supplier that is Rainforest Alliance Certified, which means that they practice regenerative agriculture and they’re constantly planting palo azul trees. The Rainforest Alliance promotes farming that’s socially responsible, sustainable, protects the forest, and is profitable for farmers. Their goal is to strive for the best long term outcomes for forests, climate stability and human rights...so our palo azul tea is not only good for you, it's also good for the farmers and the planet.
Online: You can buy organic palo azul on our Shop Page, Facebook Shop, Instagram Shop, or on Amazon.
Retailers: Erewhon, Bristol Farms, Lassens, Lazy Acres, Clark's Nutrition, Earth Origins, Chamberlins.
Yes, microwaving a few palo azul chips in a cup is a convenient and easy way to make a quick cup of palo azul tea. It shouldn't affect the benefits any more than it would affect those of other teas.
There have over 40 clinical on palo azul tea and no negative side effects have been reported. Several of the studies have shown that it is non-toxic [1], [2], [3], [4], [5].
The only side effect would be that palo azul is diuretic, so it will increase urination just like green tea or coffee which are also diuretic...but palo azul is a potassium-sparing diuretic, meaning that it helps you flush out toxins while retaining your electrolytes. Palo azul's beneficial properties are similar to those of green tea, except it has 0 caffeine.
Absolutely! Palo azul is similar to pau d'arco, rooibos, ashwagandha, St. John's wort and sassafras tea, which are also made with the bark or root of the plant instead of the leaves. Our palo azul tea goes through several tests (organoleptic, sensory, physiochemical) before it gets packaged to ensure a traceable supply chain of high quality, safety and responsibility. We know that making tea with wood chips is different, but sometimes different is a good thing 😊
Of course! All the properties contained in this tea are key for a magical life! Palo azul has the same beneficial properties of green tea and it's caffeine-free, which makes it safe for kids because it's generally recommended that kids should limit their caffeine intake.
Questions about any and all dietary choices while pregnant should always be discussed with your physician.
Palo azul has 0 calories and 0 sugar so it won't break your fast. This 2020 study actually shows that palo azul increases AMPK, which is the same pathway that fasting increases.
"Intermittent fasting (IF) extends life span via pleotropic mechanisms, but one important molecular mediator is adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK). AMPK enhances lipid metabolism."
"AMPK exerted its ability to regulate lipid metabolism by enhancing fatty acid oxidation and autophagy, while inhibiting the production of cholesterol and fatty acids."
Palo azul and palo santo are both called “palo” because they’re both used in the bark form, but palo azul is used to make tea, whereas palo santo is used for aromatherapy. They also belong to different species. Palo azul’s scientific name is Eysenhardtia polystachya and it belongs to the Fabaceae family. Palo santo’s scientific name is Bursera graveolens and it belongs to the Burseraceae family.
The butterfly pea plant actually belongs to the same botanical family (Fabaceae) as palo azul, but they’re different plants. Although they're both blue, palo azul's blue color is caused by the phenomenon of fluorescence, so it’s not just blue…it actually emits blue light!
Fortunately (or perhaps unfortunately for some people), palo azul won't make your teeth, pee, or poop blue. Palo azul's blue fluorescence dissapears in an acidic solution, and our saliva and stomach are acidic... so the blue color would dissapear as soon as palo azul tea enters your body.
If you over-boil the palo azul bark, it might denature the flavonoids and it won’t look blue because the flavonoids are the nutrients that make it blue. This is why you should simmer on low heat as soon as it reaches a boil. The reason we recommend boiling it, is because the higher heat is necessary to open up the pores of the wood and extract the nutrients into the tea.
Interestingly, a 2018 study actually found that boiled leaves “have shown greater levels of polyphenols, flavonoids, and antioxidant capacity compared with fresh leaves.” The authors suggest that this is due to the breakdown of complex polyphenols which liberates more polyphenols.
A 2021 study on palo azul actually tested this and the researchers found that “above 95% of the original amounts of flavanones (antioxidants) remained in the solution after 5 days storage" and it "showed great short-term stability." This means that palo azul tea will retain its antioxidant content very well because of its great stability.
Palo azul tea has actually been consumed since the 1500s by the native people in Mexico. It's commonly used in Mexico for promoting kidney health, so it's also known as "kidney wood". Unfortunately, not many people know about this tea outside of Mexico, so that's why we started Magiktea and now it's become our mission to share it with others! 😃