Linden, Tilia cordata ORGANIC

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Linden flower tea has been used since the late Middle Ages as a diaphoretic, that is, a medication which promotes perspiration. Linden flower is also recommended as both a nervine (tranquilizer) and a stimulant, two quite contradictory uses. In addition, linden flower is considered valuable in the treatment of , , hysteria, and . Linden flowers were once thought to be so effective in the treatment of that a patient could be cured simply be sitting under the tree. A number of flavonoid compounds, particularly derivatives of and kaempferol, are found in linden flowers and, together with p-coumaric acid, are apparently responsible for the medication's diaphoretic properties. A pleasant-smelling also occurs in the flowers, along with quantities of tannin and . Studies have shown that the relative amounts of tannin and mucilage are extremely important as far as the taste of linden flower tea is concerned. The taste becomes significant because relatively large amounts need to be drunk to induce perspiration. Flowers with a high tannin (2 percent or greater) and relatively low mucilage content produce a more tasty tea than those with a lower concentration of tannin and large amounts of mucilage. The latter tend to be quite insipid. This explains why the flowers of T. cordata and T. platyphyllos are preferred sources of the herb. They contain relatively more tannin and less mucilage than the flowers of such species as T. tomentosa Moench, the silver linden. Consequently, teas prepared from the first two species taste much better.