Blackberry leaves, blackthorn berries, linden flower, or rowanberry tea for brain fog?

[jnmaciuch]

A few months ago I started drinking an herbal tea blend from a Polish brand. It's the Mountain herbal blend from Loyd, which unfortunately looks like it's no longer being produced by the company.

Several times in a row when I drank this specific one, I noticed a consistent relief from my brain fog. Not enough to completely eliminate it, but enough to be repeatedly noticeable. I drink herbal teas very frequently since I'm sensitive to caffeine and like the taste, so I definitely was not expecting any medicinal benefit when I was drinking it.

I'll often get very brain foggy after trying to work on my computer for several hours in a row. But within 30 minutes of drinking this tea, I suddenly no longer have problems looking at the screen or comprehending text (whereas normally it takes a few hours to slowly recover). I've also started drinking it whenever I have to drive anywhere since it really reduces the amount of energy it takes to stay alert and focused.

Trouble is, I can't narrow down exactly what ingredient is giving the positive effect. The listed ingredients are:
34% rosehip
20% blackberry leaves
18% blackthorn berries
13% linden flower
10% rowanberries
5% peppermint

I can reasonably rule out rosehip and peppermint, since they're frequently included in other blends and I haven't noticed comparable effects. I figured I'd ask if anyone else has tried one of these other ingredients in a tea and noticed any similar effect as a way to try to narrow it down. I've been trying to track down some of these ingredients individually to test it out but have had some trouble sourcing them.

 

[Hutan]

Maybe your body just really likes malic acid?
Rowanberry—A Source of Bioactive Compounds and Their Biopharmaceutical Properties

Rowanberry stands out as the fruit with the highest total analyzed organic acids content, in comparison with other fruits like: jostaberry, lingonberry, black currant, red gooseberry, hardy kiwifruit, vaccinium macrocarpon and aronia [28]. From the organic acids, the malic acid prevails in the composition of rowanberries [38].

The teas, syrups, jellies and alcoholic extracts from rowanberries were traditionally employed as remedies for flu, fever, infections, gout and rheumatism [16,17].

Products based on mountain ash are used mainly in traditional medicine for lowering cholesterol level, toning the nervous system, physical toning and delaying the aging process, visual acuity enhancement, in tuberculosis and rheumatism treatment, to calm coughing and for scorbutic treatment [20].

There's a long list of ailments rowan is supposed to help with. Possibly on the principle that stuff that tastes bad must be medicine. It's also reputed to protect you from black magic, so there's that.

(note: rowan berries should be cooked before eating)

 

[Peter T]

I assume blackthorn berries are sloes. Should we be trying sloe gin? (Comment not intended seriously)

I have not come across sloes being used for anything other than gin.

 

[jnmaciuch]

Maybe your body just really likes malic acid?
Rowanberry—A Source of Bioactive Compounds and Their Biopharmaceutical Properties





There's a long list of ailments rowan is supposed to help with. Possibly on the principle that stuff that tastes bad must be medicine. It's also reputed to protect you from black magic, so there's that.

(note: rowan berries should be cooked before eating)

The weird thing is that malic acid normally has the opposite effect for me! Huge boost in physical energy at the expense of extra brain fog (though the brain fog is qualitatively different than my normal on-the-computer-too-long brain fog).

Whatever the malic acid content is I would guess it’s pretty low, the taste of the tea is 90% mint, 10% something vaguely herbal. Not really a trace of acidity.

Interesting about the black magic though. Perhaps we’re all just cursed?

[Edit: now that I think about it, malic acid does seem to slightly speed up my brain fog recovery if it’s caused by using my brain for too long. But it’s not the same effect as with the tea, and a bit hard to tell because of the whole extra-brain-fog-on-top-thing]

 

[Peter T]

Google suggests sloe jam or jelly, sloe curd, sloe chutney, sloe chocolate amongst other options and Google AI says: “Historically, blackthorn bark, flowers, and fruit were used in various remedies for cleansing the blood, aiding digestion, and easing rheumatism”

 

[jnmaciuch]

I assume blackthorn berries are sloes. Should we be trying sloe gin? (Comment not intended seriously)

I have not come across sloes being used for anything other than gin.

Well I do sometimes have a taste for gin but it does replace brain fog with, well, brain slog haha.

 

[Mij]

Maybe it's the combination blend that's helpful?

 

[jnmaciuch]

Maybe it's the combination blend that's helpful?

Yeah that’s a possibility. I was hoping to test that out as well if I can source the ingredients individually but so far I’ve only found options that are too expensive for a tiny amount, or I’ll have to buy everything in bulk.

I’m planning to stop by a Polish herbal shop at some point to see if they have anything in stock

 

[jnmaciuch]

I’ve also been trying to look up information on compounds that are high in these ingredients and possible medicinal effects, but overwhelmingly I’m just getting information on “powerful antioxidants.” Since I drink plenty of teas with berries and other anti-oxidant rich ingredients, I doubt that’s the specific benefit.

 

[Mij]

I drank organic rosehip tea with hibiscus for years. I loved the flavour but can't say it made me feel better.

 

[NelliePledge]

Rose hip syrup was a thing for young kids in the 60s

 

[Tao Fogger]

I did a quick google and it seems that Upsy Mountain Tea contains the same ingredients in the same percentages.

Not that this helps you work out which help, but perhaps could be an alternative source.

 

[jnmaciuch]

I did a quick google and it seems that Upsy Mountain Tea contains the same ingredients in the same percentages.

Not that this helps you work out which help, but perhaps could be an alternative source.

Oh thanks! It's probably the same blend that is just repackaged by multiple European brands. Glad that I can continue to have a supply at least.

 

[jnmaciuch]

I drank organic rosehip tea with hibiscus for years. I loved the flavour but can't say it made me feel better.

Rose hip syrup was a thing for young kids in the 60s

I did buy rosehip syrup as well (the Polish grocery store has an entire aisle for various teas and syrups, medicinal or not, for every flavor you could imagine). No effects, which makes sense since other tea blends with rosehip didn't do much for me. I'm thinking it has to be one of the more uncommon ingredients in the list. This morning while shopping I picked up a linden flower syrup, so I'll test that out as well.

 

[Peter T]

Rose hip syrup was a thing for young kids in the 60s

Gathering wild rose hips for vitamin C was organised by the Government here in the UK during World War II. I remember someone from the Department of Agriculture setting up a table in the various villages in Weardale in the NE of England with weighing scales and people were paid by the pound for the rose hips they had collected. Such excitement for us children. It would have been in the early 1960s.