Butterfly Pea Flower Benefits & Side Effects

Have you ever looked at a bright blue tea, drink or cocktail and wondered whether artificial colouring was used? You might be surprised to know that the colour can come from butterfly pea flowers, a completely natural source of vivid blue. Made from the flowers of Clitoria ternatea, butterfly pea tea is naturally caffeine-free and famous for changing from blue to purple when you add lemon or another acidic ingredient to it.

Beyond its eye-catching appearance, butterfly pea tea is also interesting for what it contains. The flowers are naturally rich in antioxidants and have traditionally been associated with memory and general wellbeing. More recently, scientists have also looked at this plant's possible effects on blood sugar, brain function and cardiovascular health.

So, what do we know so far? Here are some of the most interesting potential benefits of the butterfly pea plant.

Rich in Antioxidants

The intense blue colour of butterfly pea flowers comes from natural pigments called anthocyanins. More specifically, butterfly pea flowers contain a group of anthocyanins known as ternatins.

These are part of the same broad family of plant compounds responsible for the blue, purple and red colours of foods such as blueberries, blackberries and purple cabbage.

Butterfly pea flowers have shown strong antioxidant activity in laboratory studies. Antioxidants help the body deal with free radicals, unstable molecules that are produced naturally in the body and can contribute to oxidative stress.

This makes butterfly pea tea an interesting way to add naturally occurring antioxidant compounds to your diet, alongside other colourful fruits, vegetables and teas.

Possible Effects on Blood Sugar After Meals

One particularly interesting study looked at what happened when butterfly pea flower extract was consumed together with sugar.

The study involved 15 healthy men who drank a sugary beverage either on its own or together with butterfly pea flower extract. When butterfly pea was added, the rise in blood sugar and insulin after drinking the beverage was lower. The researchers also found an increase in several measures of antioxidant activity.

This suggests that compounds in butterfly pea flowers may have an effect on how the body handles carbohydrates after a meal.

What About Memory and Brain Function?

Butterfly pea has a long history of use in traditional Ayurvedic medicine, particularly in preparations connected with memory, learning, and mental wellbeing.

Modern studies have begun looking at these traditional uses too. Animal research has found interesting effects related to memory, learning and changes in the brain associated with forming and storing memories.

Butterfly pea has also been studied in relation to mood, anxiety and stress, making brain health one of the more interesting areas of research surrounding the plant.

It’s worth noting that most of these studies have used concentrated extracts or other parts of the plant rather than a simple cup of flower tea. Still, they offer an interesting scientific perspective on why Clitoria ternatea has been associated with memory in traditional herbal practices for so long.

Is Butterfly Pea Tea Good for Blood Pressure?

Butterfly pea flower has also been studied for its possible effects on the heart, blood vessels and blood pressure.

In one study using hypertensive rats, concentrated butterfly pea flower extract produced effects related to lower blood pressure and improved blood vessel function.

This has made butterfly pea an interesting subject for cardiovascular research. It is not yet clear if a cup of butterfly pea tea has a noticeable effect on blood pressure, but the research gives us another reason to enjoy this colorful tea more happily.

Butterfly Pea Tea Side Effects and Safety

Digestive discomfort is sometimes mentioned as a possible side effect of butterfly pea tea, and you may also come across claims that its tannins can irritate the stomach. In reality, there isn’t much evidence showing that these are common problems with butterfly pea flower tea specifically. As with any herbal tea, it’s sensible to pay attention to how your body responds. If drinking butterfly pea tea seems to cause discomfort, try reducing the amount or stop drinking it altogether.

As for concentrated butterfly pea extracts or supplements, you should be more careful, and moderation is a sensible approach. Pregnant or breastfeeding people, anyone taking medication, and those with medical conditions should speak with a healthcare professional before regularly using them.

So, Is Butterfly Pea Tea Healthy?

There’s plenty to find interesting about butterfly pea flower tea. It’s naturally caffeine-free, rich in anthocyanins and has shown antioxidant activity. One small study also found promising effects on blood sugar and insulin after consuming sugar, while other research has explored possible connections with memory, mood, blood vessels and blood pressure.

At the same time, butterfly pea research is still developing. Some areas have been studied much more than others, and quite a lot of the research on memory, mood and cardiovascular effects comes from animal studies or uses concentrated extracts rather than a regular cup of tea. So, while the early findings are interesting, they are best viewed as potential benefits rather than established effects of drinking butterfly pea tea.

Fortunately, butterfly pea tea doesn’t need an impressive list of health benefits to be worth drinking. It’s an unusual herbal tea with a mild, earthy taste, a beautiful natural blue colour and the fun ability to turn purple with a squeeze of lemon. Those are already plenty of good reasons to enjoy this flower tea on its own or use it to add a splash of natural blue to drinks and cocktails.

References

1. Chusak C, Thilavech T, Henry CJ, Adisakwattana S. Acute effect of Clitoria ternatea flower beverage on glycemic response and antioxidant capacity in healthy subjects: a randomized crossover trial. BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine. 2018;18:6. DOI: 10.1186/s12906-017-2075-7 .
2. Vidana Gamage GC, Lim YY, Choo WS. Anthocyanins From Clitoria ternatea Flower: Biosynthesis, Extraction, Stability, Antioxidant Activity, and Applications. Frontiers in Plant Science. 2021;12:792303. DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.792303 .
3. Maia NMA, Andressa I, Cunha JS, et al. Clitoria ternatea: Perspectives on Its Application in Foods and Potential Health Benefits. Plants. 2025;14(21):3322. DOI: 10.3390/plants14213322 .
4. Maneesai P, Chaihongsa N, Iampanichakul M, Meephat S, Prasatthong P, Bunbupha S, Wunpathe C, Pakdeechote P. Clitoria ternatea (Linn.) flower extract attenuates vascular dysfunction and cardiac hypertrophy via modulation of Ang II/AT1R/TGF-β1 cascade in hypertensive rats. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture. 2022;102(6):2253–2261. DOI: 10.1002/jsfa.11563 .
5. Ahad MA, Chear NJY, Lim GK, Che Has AT, Murugaiyah V, Hassan Z. Bio-enhanced fraction from Clitoria ternatea root extract ameliorates cognitive functions and in vivo hippocampal neuroplasticity in chronic cerebral hypoperfusion rat model. Ageing Research Reviews. 2023;89:101990. DOI: 10.1016/j.arr.2023.101990 .
6. Mukherjee PK, Kumar V, Kumar NS, Heinrich M. The Ayurvedic medicine Clitoria ternatea—From traditional use to scientific assessment. Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 2008;120(3):291–301. DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2008.09.009 .