Epimedium: Benefits, Taste, Caffeine, and How to Steep It
Better known as horny goat weed, a heart-leaved herb from the mountains of China with a two-thousand-year reputation for vitality. Naturally caffeine-free, mild, grassy and lightly sweet.
Meet the ingredient
What is Epimedium ?
Epimedium is a low, shade-loving perennial from the mountain forests of China, Korea and Japan, grown in Western gardens as a ground cover and known in herbal medicine as horny goat weed. In China it is yin yang huo, one of the classic tonic herbs, taken for well over a thousand years to restore energy, warm the body and support vitality in both men and women. The tea is made from the leaves, which are heart-shaped, leathery and finely toothed, and which dry into the grey-green flakes and stems you see in the bag.
The leaf's reputation rests on icariin, a flavonoid found only in this genus that has been studied for circulation, bone and hormone health. Steeped in an infuser or tea bag, epimedium gives a golden cup that is mild and grassy with a light natural sweetness and a faint bitter edge, closer to a green herbal than a medicinal brew. It has no caffeine, and it is a traditional base for energy and libido blends.
- OriginChina, Korea & Japan
- FlavorGrassy & Sweet
- CaffeineNone
Botanical origins
The Epimedium family tree
Epimedium belongs to the Berberidaceae, the barberry family, which makes it a cousin of barberry, Oregon grape, the mayapple and the garden shrub nandina. The genus holds more than sixty species, most of them from China, and several are harvested and sold under the same name: E. sagittatum and E. brevicornu are the most common in tea, with E. pubescens and E. koreanum close behind. Gardeners call the whole group barrenwort or bishop's hat, for the four-spurred flowers that look like a tiny mitre.
The plant grows in spreading clumps a foot or so high, from a creeping woody rootstock, with wiry stems that carry leaves in threes. The leaves are heart-shaped with a spiny edge, bronze when they unfurl in spring and leathery by summer, and the delicate flowers hang in airy sprays above them. Epimedium likes cool, damp, shaded slopes, which is why it is gathered from mountain woodland. The leaves and stems are cut in summer, when the icariin content peaks, and dried in the shade.
Health benefits
Epimedium tea benefits
Is epimedium tea good for you? Epimedium is one of the great tonic herbs of Chinese medicine, taken for vitality, bones and circulation for more than a thousand years, and its leaf steeps into a gentle, caffeine-free cup.
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Epimedium's best-known use is the one in its nickname. For centuries it has been taken in China as a warming tonic for low libido and flagging vitality in both men and women, and its signature flavonoid, icariin, has been studied for the way it supports blood flow. The research is early and mostly in the lab, but the tradition is long and the herb remains a staple of vitality blends.
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In Chinese herbalism epimedium is a kidney-warming tonic, which in plain terms means an herb for tiredness, low resilience and feeling worn down. It contains no caffeine, so the lift it is credited with is a slow, tonic one rather than a jolt, and it is usually drunk daily over weeks rather than as a pick-me-up.
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Epimedium has been studied more for bones than for anything else. Icariin and related flavonoids act a little like plant estrogens, and trials in postmenopausal women have looked at epimedium extract for maintaining bone density. It is a traditional herb for weak knees and an aching lower back for the same reason.
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Icariin has been shown in the lab to relax blood vessels and improve blood flow, which is the mechanism behind most of epimedium's traditional uses. It is also why the herb is best taken in moderation: it can add to the effect of blood-pressure medicines, so anyone on them should check with a doctor first.
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Chinese herbalists have long used epimedium for the stiff, achy joints that get worse in cold, damp weather. Its flavonoids have been studied for anti-inflammatory activity, and a warm cup is a traditional comfort for creaky knees and a tired back.
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Epimedium leaf is rich in flavonoids, including icariin, epimedin and baohuoside, most of which are found nowhere else. These compounds help the body manage oxidative stress and are the focus of ongoing research into the herb's effects on the brain, the immune system and healthy aging.
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
History
History of Epimedium
Epimedium's story starts on the wooded slopes of the mountains of China, where it has been gathered as a tonic for at least two thousand years. it was a warming remedy for fatigue, cold aching joints, weak backs and knees, and the low energy of old age, usually simmered as a tea or steeped in wine.
The plant spread through the gardens and pharmacies of Korea and Japan, where related species grow wild and are used the same way, and reached Europe in the nineteenth century as a shade-garden ornamental long before anyone drank it there. The modern interest arrived with the laboratory: from the 1990s, researchers isolated icariin and began studying it for circulation and bone health, and horny goat weed became one of the most-searched herbs in the West. Today the leaf is still wild-gathered and farmed in China, where nearly all the world's supply is harvested.
- Herbal tea Caffeine free
- White tea Low caffeine
- Green tea Low caffeine
- Black tea Medium caffeine
- Matcha High caffeine
Levels are typical; steep time and leaf amount change them.
Caffeine
Does epimedium tea have caffeine?
No. Epimedium is naturally caffeine-free. It contains no stimulants at all. Any lift people feel from it comes from its tonic reputation rather than caffeine, so it is an easy cup to drink in the evening.
Taste
What does epimedium tea taste like?
Epimedium tea tastes mild and grassy with a light, natural sweetness and a faint bitter edge at the finish, a little like a soft green tea without the astringency. The cup is golden and smooth, with a hay-like, leafy aroma and an earthy undertone from the stems. It is an easy herb to drink on its own, and it disappears politely into blends: try it with ginseng, maca or damiana for a vitality cup, or with peppermint and a little honey if you want something brighter.
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Making the tea
How to make epimedium tea
Heat
Bring fresh, filtered water to a boil.
- Heat
- Measure
- Steep
- Remove
- Enjoy
Where to buy
Where can I buy Organic Epimedium ?
You can find Epimedium on our website! We are USDA certified organic, and our products are vegan and free of GMOs. Try it out today!
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