{"id":47233,"date":"2019-12-12T17:08:16","date_gmt":"2019-12-13T01:08:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/selfhacked.com\/?p=47233"},"modified":"2021-09-20T09:19:52","modified_gmt":"2021-09-20T16:19:52","slug":"pine-needle","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/selfhacked.com\/blog\/pine-needle\/","title":{"rendered":"Health Benefits of Pine Needle Tea & Essential Oil"},"content":{"rendered":"

Pine needle tea is made from brewing the needles of trees in the genus Pinus<\/em>. It has been used in traditional Chinese and Korean medicine for centuries to promote health. Recent studies looked at other potential health benefits of pine needles, such as increasing antioxidant defense and reducing inflammation. Read on to learn more!<\/p>\n

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<\/a>What Are Pine Needles?<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

<\/a>Overview<\/span><\/h3>\n

Pine needles are the needles from various pine trees. All conifers, including pines, use these needles as \u201cleaves\u201d to soak up the energy of the sun. They can be prepared fresh – for example, to make tea or honey with pine needles – or processed into extracts, essential oil, or other formulations.<\/p>\n

Broadly speaking, pine needle tea is made by brewing the needles of any trees in the Pinus <\/em>genus. <\/em>There are over 100 species of pine trees within this genus, so the looks and composition of pine needles can greatly vary [R<\/a>].<\/p>\n

Historical reports indicate that pine needles were used by European explorers who reached the North American continent in the early 16th century [R<\/a>].<\/p>\n

One source described the use of pine needles for scurvy in Jacques Cartier’s critically-ill sailing crew in 1536. They supposedly used an Iroquois decoction from the bark and leaves of an indigenous white pine species that likely contained vitamin C – a nutrient that\u2019s hard to find in nature during harsh Canadian winters [R<\/a>].<\/p>\n

Have in mind that pine needle supplements (including pine needle essential oil and tea) have not been approved by the FDA for medical use. Supplements generally lack solid clinical research. Regulations set manufacturing standards for them but don’t guarantee that they’re safe or effective. Speak with your doctor before supplementing.<\/p>\n

<\/a>Main Components<\/span><\/h3>\n

Pine needles are composed of a variety of essential oils, acids, procyanidins, and flavonoid glycosides [R<\/a>].<\/p>\n

The compounds found in pine needle essential oil vary depending on species. Most pine needle essential oils contain the following compounds [R<\/a>, R<\/a>, R<\/a>, R<\/a>]:<\/p>\n