Page 65 - The Autoimmune Protocol

The Autoimmune Protocol

Green Tea for Autoimmune Disease

One of the simplest and most common natural remedies to help manage autoimmune
disease is green tea. This is because green tea leaves contains powerful antioxidants called
polyphenols. These polyphenols have been linked to a number of therapeutic effects
including lowering inflammation, ridding the body of carcinogenic tumors, helping
prevent atherosclerosis and coronary artery disease, protecting the heart, and reducing
inflammation that leads to issues with liver and prostate disease. Drinking a cup of green
tea up to three times daily can be a seriously rewarding way to nourish your body,
especially if you are suffering from an autoimmune disease.

Goldenrod for Autoimmune Disease
Many people know about the amazing
antioxidant properties of green tea, but
many people are unaware that goldenrod
contains up to seven times more
antioxidants than green tea! This makes
goldenrod just as anti-inflammatory as
green tea and a great remedy for help with
autoimmune inflammation. Goldenrod is a
common, yellow plant that is often noticed
in the fall months. It has been blamed for
fall allergies, but is usually not the cause.
Goldenrod gets blamed for allergies because it happens to bloom at the same time as
ragweed, which certainly does cause allergies. There are many species of goldenrod that
can be harvested in the wild across North America. Most species can be used
interchangeably.

Goldenrod also has diuretic properties, making it effective at helping to flush out toxins
and bacteria that are known to cause bodily issues such as urinary tract infections, kidney
infections, and similar conditions.

Goldenrod Tea
If you get the opportunity to harvest goldenrod in the fall, try to get enough to dry out and
make tea throughout the year. Sometimes, goldenrod blooms will become fluffy after
being dehydrated or laid out to dry, but this does not affect the medicinal properties.
Harvest the aerial parts of the goldenrod plant when collecting to make tea. Fill a reusable
tea bag or tea infusion ball with dried (or fresh) goldenrod. Infuse this in a cup of hot
water for up to fifteen minutes (longer, if you wish). Add raw honey to taste and gently
stir the tea. Enjoy this powerful, antioxidant-filled tea up to three times daily for
inflammation management and toxin flushing.

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