Benefits of Pine Needle Tea & Potassium Iodide: Bio Nutrition

By: Jordana Tobelem RD, LDN

Bio Nutrition is a dietary supplement line with an abundance of products that contain the highest quality formulated ingredients. They have a variety of supplements that offer an array of unique health benefits. Two of Bio Nutrition’s most popular products include pine needle tea and potassium iodide. We are going to discuss a bit about what these products are, the benefit of pine needle tea, and the outstanding benefits of potassium iodide. Let’s get started!

What Is Pine Needle Tea?

For those of you who are tea lovers or fans of herbal medicines, pine needle tea is definitely a product to try. Pine needle tea comes from pine needles (the leaves of a pine tree), mostly from East Asia, and specifically Korea. In Korea, pine needle tea is known as “sollip-cha.” Pine needle tea is made by steeping the needles in hot (just under boiling temperature) water. It can be enjoyed either cold or hot. Its flavor is known to be woody, citrusy, and piney, with hints of mint. Some people feel that pine needle tea is more on the bitter side, but that can be adjusted by just adding a drop of your favorite sweetener and a squeeze of fresh lemon. Pine needle tea is naturally caffeine free, so it can be enjoyed any time of day or night.

Bio Nutrition’s Pine Needle Tea product comes in a package that contains 30 individual tea bags that contain the highest quality pine needles.

One Big Benefit of Pine Needle Tea

The main benefit of pine needle tea is that it contains a high concentration of vitamin C. Since pine needle tea naturally contains vitamin C, it makes it extremely useful in helping those battling a common cold or illness. Vitamin C is so important because it is an antioxidant, which helps the body to boost its immune defenses and fight off illness and infections. So, next time you feel yourself coming down with common cold symptoms, steep yourself a cup of pine needle tea!

One of the most ancient medicinal properties of pine needle tea is its ability to help provide mental clarity and reduce brain fog. It has been found that the vitamin C in pine needle tea plays a role in elevating mood and promoting a better sense of well-being.

Aside from the content of vitamin C, another benefit of pine needle tea is that it contains high levels of vitamin A. Vitamin A is another antioxidant that helps the  body fight off free radicals, which are known to be cancer-causing molecules. Vitamin A is also good for vision, immunity, red blood cell production, as well as hair and skin health.

What Is Potassium Iodide?

Potassium iodide supplements have gained much popularity in recent years. Potassium iodide is a chemical compound that is being formulated into dietary supplements due to its protective properties against radiation. Potassium iodide and radioactive iodine are both forms of iodine, but they are very different. Potassium iodide actually protects the human body from radiation, whereas radioactive iodine is harmful and toxic when absorbed into the body.

Benefits of Potassium Iodide

There are many benefits of potassium iodide. The most prevalent benefit of potassium iodide is its ability to protect the thyroid from harmful radiation. This type of iodine is not radioactive and is used to help block radiation from being absorbed by the thyroid. Potassium iodide is often used in emergent situations when dangerous levels of radiation are released into the environment, such as in a nuclear power plant accident.

The thyroid is the gland that is responsible for producing important hormones for the body and regulating metabolism. However, another one of its functions is that it is responsible for filtering iodine from the bloodstream. But, it cannot distinguish between the harmful radioactive iodine and the beneficial form. Thus, the thyroid will absorb the dangerous levels in a radioactive situation, which puts that person at risk of developing thyroid cancer.

Since the thyroid will absorb both forms of iodine, its important that potassium iodide is taken at the right time, so that it can help block the thyroid from absorbing the dangerous radioactive iodine, by allowing it to put its work into absorbing the non-harmful version. This will only work if the potassium iodide is either taken before the contamination occurs or shortly afterward.

Precautions for Potassium Iodide

Potassium iodide should only be taken as directed by your healthcare practitioner or emergency response officials. There are certain regulations regarding who should or should not take potassium iodide and the amount that should be taken. It is typically only recommended for individuals under the age of 40. It is important to note that you should not take potassium iodide if you have an iodine sensitivity, a thyroid condition, or if you are taking antihypertensive or thyroid medications. It is also not a treatment for thyroid conditions and cannot reverse the damage that has already occurred.

Conclusion

I hope you have gained some new information about these two highly popular dietary supplements. The most outstanding benefit of pine needle tea is its abundance of naturally occurring vitamin C. Whereas, whereas the benefits of potassium iodide are its ability to protect the thyroid from harmful radiation and support a healthy thyroid. Although we only discussed two of Bio Nutrition’s supplement products, there are so many more to discover. This supplement company certainly does not skimp when it comes to its number of available products. You can browse their array of high-quality products by clicking here. From vitamins, minerals, and teas, to powders, Bio Nutrition has a product for you.

Please make sure to always consult with your health care practitioner before taking any new vitamins, minerals, and supplements.

References:

10 reasons you should be drinking pine needle tea. Forestholidays.co.uk. (2022).

Alfaro, D. (2021, December 22). What is Pine Needle Tea? Uses & recipes. The Spruce Eats.

Bio nutrition. (2022)

Better Health International. (2022)

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022, April 1). Facts about potassium iodide (KI).

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Nohely. (2022, June 2). Pine Needle Tea. Bio Nutrition.

Nohely. (2022, June 3). Potassium iodide. Bio Nutrition.