Agüitas, Tisanes, and Other Backyard Delights Good for Your Brain

By Dr. Geneie Everett

Last summer, the Pownalborough Courthouse garden team hosted a ‘Gathering in the Garden’ featuring a refreshing assortment of garden-grown herbal teas.

Rhubarb was the clear favorite. It is delicious and beautifully colored, but we did not realize it is also considered excellent for the brain. It is packed with powerful antioxidants that combat inflammation and oxidative stress.

These properties are linked to protecting brain cells and may help reduce the risk of neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer’s. The red stalks are rich in anthocyanins, the antioxidants behind their cheerful rosy color, which help protect brain cells from everyday stress and inflammation.

But that’s not all!

Japanese knotweed—yes, the garden menace on everyone’s invasive list—is even more brain-friendly than rhubarb. The whole plant is edible, but at this time of year, the young shoots make a tart herbal infusion with a bright, zippy edge. It is also a notable source of resveratrol, a plant compound also found in red grapes. Research suggests Japanese knotweed is rich in resveratrol, with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that support healthy blood flow, which is one reason it often turns up in brain-health conversations.

(Safety note: If you forage for Japanese knotweed, harvest only the young shoots in early spring and only from areas you know have not been treated with herbicides.)

So here is the thing about tea: if it does not come from Camellia sinensis, it is not

technically tea, even though that is what Americans call most plant-based drinks that are not coffee. When other leaves, roots, flowers, or stalks are steeped in hot water, the result is an herbal infusion. In Spanish, these little herbal drinks are called agüitas; in French, they are called tisanes.

Call them herbal infusions, agüitas, or tisanes if you want to be precise—but whatever the name, rhubarb and young Japanese knotweed are a bright, tart way to fill a cup with bold flavor and a few intriguing compounds linked to brain health.

How to make Agüitas and Tisanes:

Both Japanese knotweed and rhubarb are gloriously tart, but add a touch of sweetness and they stop shouting and start singing. For a bright pink cup with a tart little wink, chop the stems into 2- to 3-inch pieces, cover them with water, bring just to a boil, let them cool slightly, strain, and sweeten to taste.