Cistus Tea for Virus and Bacteria Support Shows to Reduce Tick and Mosquito Bites

Cistus tea has been found to thwart off viruses, including HIV, Ebola, and Marburg, retro-viruses, bacteria, and shows to reduce tick and mosquito bites. During this time when the Coronavirus is a threat and we enter the spring months when tick bites are at their highest, there could possibly be nothing more powerful than cistus tea to support your body.

Cistus incanus, also known as cistus, or Rock Rose is an evergreen dwarf shrub grown in the Mediterranean and is in the Cistaceae family. It is classified as an herb and grows to be one to three feet tall. In 1999 it was awarded and deemed the European Plant of the Year.

This delicious tea contains a high level of polyphenols, micronutrients known to have high antioxidant and antibacterial properties.  Polyphenols are known for, “Increasing the ratio of beneficial bacteria in your gut, which is important for health, weight management, and disease prevention.” They are known to assist in reducing and even preventing diabetes, cancer, neurodegenerative and cardiovascular diseases. Using cistus tea to treat a virus and bacteria is powerful.

Linden Botanicals says, “Cistus incanus has the highest polyphenol content of any plant in Europe.”

The International Journal of Molecular Sciences says, “C. incanus polyphenolic-rich extracts have been reported to possess antimycotic, antibacterial and antiviral properties. Recently, aqueous extracts of the aerial parts of this plant have been demonstrated to exert intense antioxidant capacities that could be attributed to their high polyphenol content.”

Particularly they say, “Alterations in cellular ROS/REDOX homeostasis induce the activation of additional antioxidant defense systems constituted by secondary metabolites. In particular, polyphenols have been widely reported to protect plants against oxidative stress, neutralising ROS, chelating transition metals and reducing lipid peroxidation.”

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More impressively, they found, “Ten compounds were identified as flavonols.” Flavonols are specific flavonoids, which are phytonutrients, plant chemicals which are what gives fruits and vegetables vivid colors. Carotenoids are flavonoids, for example.

Scientific Reports specifically set out trying to find solutions to our increasing viral infection load, looking for natural treatment. They found, “Cistus incanus (ci extract) herbal products inhibit human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections in vitro. Ci extract inhibited clinical HIV-1 and HIV-2 isolates, and, importantly, a virus isolate with multiple drug resistances, confirming broad anti-HIV activity. Antiviral activity was highly selective for virus particles, preventing primary attachment of the virus to the cell surface and viral envelope proteins from binding to heparin.”

They found it was not just effective at the HIV virus but with the Ebola and Marburg virus saying “Ci extract contains numerous antiviral compounds and therefore has favorably low propensity to induce virus resistance. Indeed, no resistant viruses emerged during 24 weeks of continuous propagation of the virus in the presence of Ci extracts. These results demonstrate that Ci extracts show potent and broad in vitro antiviral activity against viruses that cause life-threatening diseases in humans and are promising sources of agents that target virus particles.”

Cistus tea use for thwarting off a virus and bacteria can be very powerful.

They concluded, “Ci extract combines broad antiviral activity with low risk of virus resistance. Our results demonstrate that multiple antiviral components within the Ci extract block virus attachment to the host cell.”

Planta Medica found, ” Cistus incanus is rich in polyphenols and has shown several pharmacological activities, mainly antibacterial effects. Furthermore, in situ studies revealed that a C. incanus infusion reduces the initial bacterial adhesion in the oral cavity due to the polyphenols, an indication that C. incanus might reduce the risk of caries disease. By means of diode array detection and mass spectrometry, 29 polyphenols, including ellagitannins, flavanols, and glycosylated flavonols, were identified.”

They found, “The in vitro antibacterial activity of the C. incanus accelerated solvent extracts against Streptococcus mutans, one of the primary cariogenic bacterial species. C. incanus yielded antibacterial properties. Additional in situ experiments indicated that rinses with a C. incanus infusion reduced the initial bacterial colonization of enamel samples exposed to oral fluids for over eight hours.”

The Journal of Dentistry reported a study on rinsing teeth with cistus tea for 10 minutes studying bacteria and non-bacterial film and scum, as well as biofilm covering the teeth. They also measured enzyme activity on the teeth before and after the cistus rinse. They found, “The amount of bacteria detected was reduced significantly. Lysozyme, amylase and glucosyltransferase activities were not affected following a rinse with Cistus-tea. However, peroxidase activity was reduced significantly.”

They concluded, “Cistus tea may be used to reduce the initial bacterial adhesion in the oral cavity.”

It’s an understatement to say medicinal use of cistus is traditional. Genesis 37:25 says, “And they sat down to eat bread: and they lifted up their eyes and looked, and, behold, a company of Ishmeelites came from Gilead with their camels bearing spices and balm and myrrh, going to carry it down to Egypt.”

Bible Hub shows Ellicott’s Bible Commentary says, “‘Myrrh’ was certainly ladanum, the gum of the cistus rose.”

Traditionally it was used to treat colds, coughs, menstrual problems, joint pains, wound healing, as well as maintaining a healthy mouth, and throat. The leaves have commonly been used to treat inflammation of the skin and other parts of the body. Linden Botanicals says drinking two cups of cistus tea a day assists in mosquito and tick bite prevention. 

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*Nourishing Plot is written by Becky Plotner, ND, traditional naturopath, CGP, D.PSc. who sees clients in Rossville, Georgia. She is a Board Certified Naturopathic Doctor, through The American Naturopathic Medical Association and works as a Certified GAPS Practitioner who sees clients in her office, Skype and phone. She has been published in Wise Traditions, spoken at two Weston A. Price Conferences, Certified GAPS Practitioner Trainings, has been on many radio shows, television shows and writes for Nourishing Plot. She serves on the GAPS Board of Directors and has recently been named “The GAPS Expert” by Dr. Natasha and will serve teaching other Certified GAPS Practitioners proper use of the GAPS protocol. Since her son was delivered from the effects of autism (Asperger’s syndrome), ADHD, bipolar disorder/manic depression, hypoglycemia and dyslexia, through food, she continued her education specializing in Leaky Gut and parasitology through Duke University, finishing with distinction. She is a Chapter Leader for The Weston A. Price Foundation. becky.nourishingplot@hotmail.com

“GAPS™ and Gut and Psychology Syndrome™ are the trademark and copyright of Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride. The right of Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Patent and Designs Act 1988.