We all know & discuss about the nutritional benefits of fruits & vegetables. But there are some flowers that are also helpful for prevention of disease & fight cancer. Normally we use this flowers to decorate our house, but never thought that it can be used in different purpose also. Most of these flowers are normally used as tea or to make a drink or cooking purpose. But we don’t know their benefits actually. Let’s discuss about some of them.

1. Hibiscus flower- This flower nowadays are used in form of tea or others drink. Hibiscus tea has been known to prevent hypertension, lower blood pressure, reduce blood sugar levels, keep your liver healthy, help with menstrual cramps, help with depression, aid digestion and help with weight management. Its rich in Vitamin C, contains minerals such as flavonoids and has laxative properties. It is also popular nowadays for health benefiting properties such as reducing the risk of cancer, preventing hair loss and relieving nausea and sore throats.

2. Blue Pea flower- Blue pea is used as a tea. Butterfly pea tea is known for its beautiful colors but funnily enough what’s less known is its ability to preserve health & beauty. The blue flower has been studied to show that it helps combat wrinkles and protects your skin from premature aging.

It has several health benefits. It is rich in antioxidants and helps in digestion. It lowers blood pressure and has anti-anxiety, anti-asthmatic and pain relieving properties. When steeped the butterfly pea flower releases antioxidants much like green tea. Antioxidants help your body lower risk of infections, cancer and is great for your heart health. The tea helps reduce inflammation in the body as well as symptoms such as breakouts or rashes. The flower has also been known to revitalize the brain.

3. Jasmine- Jasmine can help prevent against a variety of severe illnesses including heart disease, diabetes and cancer. Thanks to high concentrations of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties, jasmine tea can also help promote beautiful, healthy skin and boost your immune system. Normally used in tea, drinks & cooking preparations.

4. Marigold flower- It is also known as Calendula, these flower types are not the first thing you’d think of for making tea. They’re more common in the world of essential oils and skin care and are used to treat almost all sorts of skin issues. But they have plenty of benefits as a tea, too. With their peppery taste, immune-boosting, antioxidant, antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties, they make for the ideal detox tea. These yellow flowers can also be used to color dishes yellow or orange like saffron.

5. Orange Blossom- These small white flowers bloom during the month of May and tea made from them is really good for people with anxiety, muscle pain and digestive problems. These pretty flowers can also be used to make orange blossom honey which is full of lots of antioxidant & anti-carcinogenic properties.

6. Lavender- It is great for headaches, stomach-aches and calming nerves as well as antioxidant & anti-inflammatory properties.

7. Saffron- Saffron contains an impressive variety of plant compounds that act as antioxidants molecules that protect your cells against free radicals and oxidative stress. Notable saffron antioxidants include Crocin, Crocetin, Safranal, and Kaempferol. Crocin and Crocetin are carotenoid pigments and responsible for saffron’s red color. Both compounds may have antidepressant properties, protect brain cells against progressive damage, improve inflammation, reduce appetite, and aid weight loss.

In test-tube studies, saffron and its compounds have been shown to selectively kill colon cancer cells or suppress their growth, while leaving normal cells unharmed, This effect also applies to skin, bone marrow, prostate, lung, breast, cervix, and several other cancer cells.

8. Clove- Cloves are high in antioxidants, including eugenol and vitamin C, both of which can help reduce oxidative stress. Test-tube studies show that the compounds in cloves may reduce cancer cell growth and promote cancer cell death. Eugenol is toxic in high amounts and overdosing on clove oil may cause liver damage, especially in children.

9. Banana Flower- We can make several dishes and beverages by using Banana flower including salad, pakoda, banana flower curry, thoran, wine etc. Banana flowers having antioxidant activities, which display a wide variety of biological functions, mainly related to intervention in various stages of cancer development such as initiation, progression, promotion, invasion and metastasis. The extract of banana flower has antioxidant property that prevents free radicals and control cell and tissue damage.

There are many more flowers which are beneficial for health & nutritionally enriched. Moringa flower (known as Drumstick or Sajne), Rose, Pumpkin flower, Hummingbird (commonly known as bok phool)& many more are in the list. Many of them are toxic & over dose can cause poisonous effect too. So don’t choose blindly, know your food properly to be healthy.