This week I made some changes to our menu and there is one addition that I truly love: this drink made with apple cider vinegar and blue butterfly pea flower.

What is blue butterfly pea flower?

Known botanically as Clitoria ternatea, this intensely blue flower, beautiful and magical to the eye, has been used for centuries in Southeast Asia and in the Ayurvedic tradition of India for its incredible medicinal properties. It was used to treat conditions related to the nervous and digestive systems, as well as fevers, arthritis, skin problems, and even diabetes.

Its antioxidant, antimicrobial, antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory, and antiproliferative/anticancer properties make this versatile plant a powerful ally for improving our overall health.

In countries like Thailand and Malaysia, this flower is infused in hot water to prepare traditional beverages and is also used as a natural food coloring in rice and desserts. What’s fascinating is that its color changes depending on the pH; for example, when you add an acidic element like lemon juice or apple cider vinegar, it transforms from deep blue to a vibrant purple. That chemical transformation is truly magical and a real delight to watch.

This incredible blue color comes from compounds called anthocyanins, especially ones known as ternatins. Anthocyanins are polyphenols with widely studied antioxidant capacity. This means they help neutralize free radicals, unstable molecules that contribute to cellular aging and oxidative stress. In simple words: it contains substances that protect our cells from internal “wear and tear.”

In addition, it has antidiabetic properties. Let me explain.

First, let’s understand something important. When we eat sugar or carbohydrates, our glucose rises, but the problem begins when that glucose starts sticking to our proteins and forms what are called advanced glycation end products, or AGEs.

Think of it as if sugar were “caramelizing” our tissues from the inside. This accelerates cellular aging and is linked to complications of diabetes such as damage to blood vessels, kidneys, and nerves.

Scientific studies found that the extract of this flower helped reduce by almost half the formation of these harmful compounds thanks to its natural antioxidants.

Researchers then conducted studies in diabetic animals. In those rats, the extract helped lower blood glucose, improved important serum proteins, and reduced markers of kidney damage and blood fats such as cholesterol and triglycerides. This suggests that it not only influences sugar levels but also the entire metabolic environment.

In healthy men, when they consumed a beverage with this flower together with sugar, their glucose and insulin spikes were lower compared to when they consumed sugar alone. In other words, the body handled that sugar load better.

That does not mean we can eat sugar freely because “the flower fixes it.” It means it may help soften the metabolic impact after a sweet meal.

Let’s go back to the drink.

For this preparation, we combine the power of blue butterfly pea flower with the power of apple cider vinegar, since the acetic acid in vinegar slows the transformation of starches into sugar and helps the muscles use that glucose as it circulates through the body. This prevents glucose from rising abruptly after a meal and, as a result, insulin release is also more moderate and stable. This means less stress on the pancreas and better protection of insulin sensitivity in the long term.

Are you beginning to understand the power of this combination?

We’re going to add a little fresh lime juice to bring freshness and flavor, and sparkling water or filtered water; that way we avoid damaging your tooth enamel with the vinegar.

How does this drink work?

If you drink it 15 to 20 minutes before your meals, you may not only reduce the post-meal glucose spike and benefit from the properties of blue butterfly pea flower, but also help decrease appetite and inflammation.

I know! If you’re not used to the strong taste of apple cider vinegar, you’ll want to add something sweet. But don’t do it. You would be taking away its medicinal purpose.

Blue Magic Fizz

Ingredients

• ½ tsp blue butterfly pea flower powder

• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar (with the mother)

• ½ lime

• Ice

• Sparkling water

Instructions

• Place a splash of filtered water in a glass and add the blue butterfly powder. Using an electric frother, dissolve the powder completely.

• Fill the glass with ice and add sparkling water.

• Add a slice of lime, squeeze half a lime into the glass, add the apple cider vinegar, and enjoy the blue magic as it transforms into purple before your eyes.