Mormon Tea (Ephedra nevadensis / Ephedra viridis)
1. Identity, Taxonomy, and Botanical Description
Species and Nomenclature
The common name "Mormon tea" is applied most frequently to two closely related North American Ephedra species: Ephedra nevadensis S. Watson (Nevada ephedra, gray ephedra, Nevada jointfir) and Ephedra viridis Coville (green Mormon tea, Brigham tea, green ephedra, Indian tea). Ephedra nevadensis, commonly known as Nevada ephedra, gray ephedra, Mormon tea and Nevada jointfir, is a species of gymnosperm native to dry areas of western North America. Ephedra viridis, known by the common names green Mormon tea, Brigham tea, green ephedra, and Indian tea, is a species of Ephedra. Both belong to the family Ephedraceae and the genus Ephedra. The two are considered distinct because of differences in coloration — E. nevadensis displays a pale glaucous green color, while E. viridis is bright green — among other morphological differences.
There are many varieties of American Ephedra, but the most well known and widespread in the West are Ephedra viridis and Ephedra nevadensis. People often use "Mormon Tea" interchangeably for these two species. Other widely used common names include Brigham Tea, Teamster's Tea, Desert Tea, Squaw Tea, and Whorehouse Tea. Ephedra tea is commonly known by several names including Mormon Tea, Brigham Tea, Teamster Tea, Desert Tea, Wagoner's Tea, and Joint Fir.
Botanical Characteristics
Ephedra nevadensis is an evergreen shrub growing to 1.2 m (4ft). Ephedra viridis is an evergreen shrub growing to 1.8 m (6ft) by 1.8 m (6ft). The E. viridis shrub is woody below, topped with many dense clusters of erect bright green twigs. They may yellow somewhat with age. Nodes along the twigs are marked by tiny pairs of vestigial leaves, which start out reddish but soon dry to brown or black. The stems are green and photosynthetic. Ephedra is an ancient genus, with fossils reaching back 125 million years, and it is a gymnosperm, not an angiosperm — it is more closely allied with pines, spruces, and firs than with angiosperms such as daisies or aspens. The species is dioecious — individual flowers are either male or female, but only one sex is to be found on any one plant.
Geographic Range and Habitat
The range of E. nevadensis extends west to California, east to Colorado, north to Oregon, and south to Baja California, including areas of the Great Basin, Colorado Plateau and desert Southwest. It is found in rocky and sandy soils, generally in areas without trees, and predominantly grows in desert climates. E. viridis is indigenous to the Western United States, where it is a member of varied scrub, woodland, desert, and open habitats, growing at 900–2,300 metres (3,000–7,500 ft) elevations.
Parts Used and Preparation Forms
The fresh or dried stems of Ephedra nevadensis, belonging to the family Ephedraceae, are used to prepare Mormon tea. A delicious tea is made by steeping the green or dried twigs in boiling water until they turn an amber or pink colour. The seeds are also edible: seed can be cooked; it has a bitter taste. It can be roasted and ground into a powder and used to make a bread or mush. Commercial products include dried whole stems, powdered stem preparations, and loose-leaf or packaged tea. Brigham Tea Powder is essentially the powdered form of the dried twigs and stems of the Ephedra viridis plant. To create this fine powder, the plant parts are carefully ground, making it easier to use in various applications.
2. History and Traditional Use
Indigenous North American Traditions
When Mormon settlers arrived in Utah in the late 1840s, they encountered Indigenous peoples who had been brewing the jointed stems of Ephedra species into a beverage for centuries. For Indigenous peoples, Mormon Tea was a versatile medicinal and beverage plant. Numerous tribes — including the Navajo, Hopi, Paiute, Shoshone, and Ute — used preparations of the stems and roots for a wide range of purposes: as a general tonic, to treat sexually transmitted diseases, kidney and urinary disorders, headaches, and skin conditions.
Native Americans made a tea of stems and also a coffee-like tea from the roasted seeds, for both drink and medicinal purposes, to treat such ailments as coughs, colds, rheumatism, stomach ulcers, kidney problems, and anemia. The Shoshoni, Havasupai, Paiute, and other tribes also used an infusion of the plant (minus the root) to treat various venereal diseases, including gonorrhea and syphilis, uses that likely contributed to another common name, "whorehouse tea."
Several groups utilized Ephedra as a beverage and made a tea from it, including the Papago, Pima, Cahuilla, White Mountain Apache, Havasupai, Kawaiisu, and Zuni. Ephedra was used as a treatment for diarrhea by the Tewa. The White Mountain Apache used ephedra to treat gonorrhea and syphilis. Among the Zuni people, an infusion of the whole plant (except the root) is taken for syphilis. They also use it to make a tea-like beverage.
Native American tribes such as the Shoshone and Paiute boil tea using the stem of the plant and combined it with the bark of Purshia tridentata, another shrub. The Navajo have used the plant as a dye solution to produce a yellowish-green color on woolen rugs, whereas other species can produce a light tan or reddish dye.
Mormon Pioneer Adoption
Mormon tea acquired its name because the beverage made from steeping the dried stems of the ephedra plant in boiling water was deemed not to violate the rules of the Church of Latter Day Saints (Mormon), whose people began to settle in what is now Utah in the mid-nineteenth century; Mormon people were forbidden from consuming caffeine. The settlers quickly adopted the practice, and "Mormon tea" became a common household drink throughout the territory, particularly among those who abstained from coffee and caffeinated beverages on religious grounds. The name "Brigham Tea" is a nod to Brigham Young, the second president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), who reportedly endorsed its use as a mild herbal remedy.
Early Mormon pioneers steeped the green or dry twigs in boiling water to make a tea for both social drink and more often as a medicinal, a use likely adopted from local Native American tribes.
Relationship to Chinese Ephedra (Ma Huang)
Mormon tea is a close relative of the Asian species used medicinally in China. Chinese Ephedra (Ephedra sinica) or Ma Huang has been used in TCM for over 3,000 years and appears in the earliest text, the Divine Farmer's Materia Medica. It was the plant from which the modern drugs ephedrine and pseudoephedrine were originally isolated. However, as detailed below, the North American species used as Mormon tea are chemically distinct from their Asian counterparts in their alkaloid profiles.
3. Key Chemical Constituents
Alkaloid Status: A Critical Distinction
The most pharmacologically significant difference between Mormon tea species and the Asian Ephedra sinica (Ma Huang) is the alkaloid profile. The New World species of Ephedra are not thought to contain significant amounts of ephedrine alkaloids. E. nevadensis S. Watson probably contains no ephedra alkaloids (EFSA, 2009; Trujillo and Sorenson, 2003). Other American and European species of Ephedra, e.g., E. nevadensis (Nevada Mormon tea), have not been systematically assayed; based on unpublished field investigations, they contain very low levels (less than 0.1%) or none at all.
For E. viridis specifically, the evidence is somewhat contradictory. Information about the chemistry of this species is contradictory. James D. Adams, Jr. and Cecilia Garcia claim it contains no ephedrine, but that it does contain pseudoephedrine. However, a gas chromatograph analysis of samples conducted by Richard F. Keeler found no measurable amount of ephedrine, pseudoephedrine, norephedrine, or norpseudoephedrine. The toxic symptoms found in his study were consistent with a high tannin content rather than with alkaloid poisoning. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) similarly noted this nuance: Ephedra californica and Ephedra viridis contain pseudoephedrine, but no ephedrine.
This low alkaloid profile aligns with broader surveys of North American Ephedra taxa, where ephedrine content rarely exceeds trace amounts and often approaches zero, as opposed to 1–3% dry weight in Eurasian species. Plants of the family Ephedraceae (Ephedra viridis and Ephedra funerea) also grow in North America in the southwest; however, these plants do not contain the Ephedra alkaloids.
Polyphenols: Tannins and Proanthocyanidins
The most pharmacologically active constituents identified in Mormon tea species are polyphenolic compounds, most notably condensed tannins (proanthocyanidins). Mormon tea contains large amounts of tannins, which have a drying effect. The tannins in Mormon tea can reduce body secretions such as mucus. The "body" and the appellation "tea" given to the infusions made from the stems of species in the southwest United States is likely a result of their proanthocyanidin content.
Tannins are a class of polyphenolic compounds with complex structures widely found in plants. They usually exist in condensed form in Ephedra, including dimer, trimer, and tetramer proanthocyanidins, as well as hydrolytic tannins. Ephedra contains flavonoids (leucodelphinidin, leucopelargonine, leucoanthocyanidin, lucenine, vicenin-1, and vicenin-2), tannins, and benzylmethylamine.
Lignans
Phytochemical investigation of Ephedra viridis (whole plant) led to the isolation of four lignans, including (+)-9-acetoxyisolariciresinol (a new lignan), lariciresinol, 9-acetoxylariciresinol, and isolariciresinol. This work was conducted at the National Center for Natural Products Research, University of Mississippi. All the isolates were tested for their antioxidant activity and cytotoxicity against a panel of solid tumor and human leukemia cells. They were also screened for estrogenic activity using a recombinant yeast estrogen screening (YES) assay. Most of the lignans exhibited moderate antioxidant activity without any cytotoxicity. None of them were estrogenic in the YES assay.
Kynurenic Acid Derivatives
Kynurenic acid and several derivatives — namely 6-hydroxykynurenic acid, 6-methoxykynurenic acid, and 7-methoxykynurenic acid — are present in the photosynthetic stem tissue of many Ephedra species. The compound 6-hydroxykynurenic acid is widely distributed in both Eurasian and American species of Ephedra. This compound occurs in trace amounts in many other plants, but in large quantities only in the senescing leaves of Ginkgo biloba. The 6-hydroxykynurenate levels in individual plants sampled in a southern Nevada community of E. viridis can be quite variable. Seeds typically have a lower 6-hydroxykynurenate content than the stems of the same species (e.g., E. nevadensis and E. viridis).
Flavonoids and Other Compounds
The chemical compounds isolated from the Ephedra species include alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins, polysaccharides, and others. Secondary metabolites in the genus include flavonoids (flavonols, dihydroflavonol, flavanone, flavones, anthocyanin), tannins (dimers, trimers and tetramers of proanthocyanidins), lignans, naphthalenes, esters, terpenoids, phenolic acids, and quinones. Pharmacological studies have shown that flavonoids in Ephedra can scavenge diphenylpicrohydrazide free radicals, and the strength of the antioxidant effect is related to the number and structure of hydroxyl groups of its active ingredients. Long-chain fatty acids have also been identified in Ephedra seeds: GC-MS analysis identified high concentrations of long-chain fatty acids in Ephedra species; for example, n-tetradecanoic, n-pentadecanoic, n-hexadecanoic, and n-octadecanoic acids were found in seeds of E. nevadensis, E. viridis, and other species.
4. Mechanisms of Action
Astringency and Mucus Reduction
The principal proposed mechanism of action for Mormon tea relates to its high tannin content. Mormon tea contains large amounts of tannins, which have a drying effect. The tannins in Mormon tea can reduce body secretions such as mucus. Tannins bind to proteins on mucous membrane surfaces, causing a local astringent effect. This mechanism is consistent with the traditional use of the tea as a remedy for nasal congestion and catarrhal conditions.
Antioxidant Activity
Pullela et al. reported the phytochemical constituents and biological activity of E. viridis Coville. In this study they identified and isolated four compounds — lariciresinol, isolariciresinol, 9-acetoxylariciresinol, and 9-acetoxyisolariciresinol — which were evaluated for their antioxidant activity and cytotoxicity against a panel of solid tumors and human leukemia cells, showing moderate activity. Flavonoids in Ephedra species more broadly also demonstrate free-radical scavenging capability in vitro, though this has not been specifically studied in human subjects consuming Mormon tea.
Absence of Sympathomimetic Alkaloid Mechanism
In contrast to Asian Ephedra species, Mormon tea does not operate through a sympathomimetic (adrenergic) mechanism because the relevant alkaloids are absent or present only in negligible quantities. Many Eurasian species produce phenylethylamine alkaloids, mostly ephedrine and pseudoephedrine, that interact with adrenergic receptors in the mammalian sympathetic nervous system. Ephedra viridis, lacking measurable levels of ephedrine, pseudoephedrine, norephedrine, or norpseudoephedrine alkaloids in its tissues, exhibits a lower risk profile for sympathomimetic adverse effects compared to alkaloid-rich species like Ephedra sinica.
5. Scientific Evidence by Area of Use
5.1 Respiratory Conditions (Cold, Congestion, Sinusitis)
Mormon tea is most widely associated, both traditionally and in contemporary use, with relief of nasal and respiratory congestion. Mormons steeped dried ephedra stems to make a caffeine-free hot drink, and Native Americans used an ephedra tea to relieve congestion. The proposed biological rationale is the astringent effect of tannins on mucous membranes.
Evidence strength: Absent at the clinical level for E. nevadensis / E. viridis specifically. People sometimes use Mormon tea for common cold and many other conditions, but there is no good scientific evidence to support these uses. No human clinical trials specific to E. viridis pharmacological efficacy have been identified, reflecting its low alkaloid profile and primary documentation in ethnobotanical or veterinary contexts.
Clinical evidence for ephedra's use in respiratory conditions exists only for the alkaloid-rich Asian species (E. sinica). Clinical indications for the alkaloid-bearing drug include rhinitis, acute chills and general colds, and sinusitis. The drug is also used as a bronchodilator to treat bronchial asthma. These indications are supported by clinical trials. These findings do not translate directly to Mormon tea, which does not contain the pharmacologically active alkaloids responsible for bronchodilation.
5.2 Urinary Tract and Sexually Transmitted Infections
For Indigenous peoples, Mormon Tea was a versatile medicinal and beverage plant. Numerous tribes — including the Navajo, Hopi, Paiute, Shoshone, and Ute — used preparations of the stems and roots for a wide range of purposes, including to treat sexually transmitted diseases, kidney and urinary disorders, headaches, and skin conditions. As a medicine, people take Mormon tea for sexually transmitted diseases such as syphilis and gonorrhea. It is also used for colds, kidney disorders, and as a "spring" tonic.
Evidence strength: No clinical evidence. Some species were used in treatments of questionable efficacy for venereal disease in North America during the last century. No controlled human studies have evaluated Mormon tea specifically for urinary tract infections, gonorrhea, or syphilis. The antimicrobial properties identified for Ephedra extracts in general (including antibacterial activity observed in animal or in vitro settings) have not been tested in human clinical trials for Mormon tea species.
5.3 Antioxidant Activity
Phytochemical investigation of E. viridis led to the isolation of four lignans, all of which were tested for antioxidant activity and cytotoxicity against a panel of solid tumor and human leukemia cells. They were also screened for estrogenic activity using a recombinant yeast estrogen screening (YES) assay. Most of the lignans exhibited moderate antioxidant activity without any cytotoxicity.
Evidence strength: In vitro only. These findings are from laboratory isolation studies (published in Planta Medica, 2005), not from human clinical trials. The moderate antioxidant properties observed in isolated lignans cannot be directly extrapolated to the consumption of a brewed tea by humans.
5.4 Potential Anti-inflammatory and Antimicrobial Properties
Some Ephedra species have anti-inflammatory, antiviral, hepatoprotective, antibacterial, and antifungal activities as well as anticancer activities. The chemical compounds isolated from the Ephedra species include alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins, polysaccharides, and others. In vitro and in vivo pharmacological studies on crude extracts, fractions, and few isolated compounds of Ephedra species showed anti-inflammatory, anticancer, antibacterial, antioxidant, hepatoprotective, anti-obesity, antiviral, and diuretic activities.
Evidence strength: Preliminary, largely in vitro and animal-model data for the broader genus. These findings predominantly relate to alkaloid-containing Asian species. One investigation administered E. viridis extracts to streptozotocin-induced diabetic and normal rats, reporting alterations in blood glucose and body weight parameters alongside antibacterial activity against tested pathogens, though detailed quantitative outcomes remain unpublished in accessible peer-reviewed formats. No human clinical data exist for these applications in Mormon tea.
5.5 Non-alkaloid Components and Potential Therapeutic Uses
Because alkaloids are the main components causing toxicity in Ephedra, the safety of Ephedra must be considered. However, the non-alkaloid components of Ephedra can be effectively used to replace ephedrine extracts to treat some diseases, and reasonable use can ensure the safety of Ephedra. This observation, from a 2023 review published in Molecules (PMC), refers primarily to the Asian alkaloid-rich species, but has implications for understanding why the polyphenol-rich Mormon tea species may carry a more favorable safety profile.
6. Body Systems Associated with Mormon Tea
- Respiratory system: Traditional and contemporary use for congestion, colds, sinusitis, and as a general respiratory tonic. Native Americans used an ephedra tea to relieve congestion. The mechanism proposed is tannin-mediated astringency of mucous membranes.
- Urinary/renal system: Multiple tribes used preparations for kidney and urinary disorders. Traditional use also included as a diuretic or "blood purifier."
- Genitourinary system: The Shoshoni, Havasupai, Paiute, and other tribes used an infusion of the plant to treat various venereal diseases, including gonorrhea and syphilis.
- Gastrointestinal system: Ephedra was used as a treatment for diarrhea by the Tewa. Tannins' general astringent properties may provide a mechanistic basis for anti-diarrheal use.
- Integumentary system (skin): Topical use of poultices made from crushed stems was reported for skin irritations among some Indigenous groups.
- Antioxidant/cellular protection: Lignan and flavonoid compounds in the plant show in vitro free-radical scavenging activity, though no human evidence exists.
7. Dosage Forms and Reported Preparations
Mormon tea is prepared and consumed primarily as a brewed herbal infusion. A tea is made by steeping the green or dried twigs in boiling water until they turn an amber or pink colour. The herbal tea is prepared using the powdered dried-up branches of the plant.
No standardized clinical dosages have been established for Mormon tea (E. nevadensis or E. viridis) in peer-reviewed human trials, as no such trials have been conducted. The following preparation guidance has been reported in non-clinical sources:
- Traditional infusion: Twigs (fresh or dried) steeped or briefly boiled in water. No specific gram quantity is established in the clinical literature for these species.
- Powdered stem: Brigham Tea Powder — the powdered form of the dried twigs and stems — is carefully ground for various applications, including as a soothing tea or as an ingredient in herbal preparations.
- For context (Asian ephedra herb, not Mormon tea): The typical dose for Ephedra sinica-based decoction used in historical clinical settings was 1.5–9 g of the decocted herb daily or as herbal tea prepared by boiling dried green stems in water. This figure applies specifically to the alkaloid-bearing Asian species and cannot be directly applied to Mormon tea.
8. Safety Considerations and Regulatory Status
Distinction from Banned Ephedra Supplements
A key safety consideration is correctly distinguishing Mormon tea from the Asian Ephedra sinica (Ma Huang) and its concentrated alkaloid supplements. On February 6, 2004, the FDA issued a final rule prohibiting the sale of dietary supplements containing ephedrine alkaloids (ephedra) because such supplements present an unreasonable risk of illness or injury. This ban specifically targeted supplements containing ephedrine alkaloids — ephedrine, pseudoephedrine, norephedrine, and methylephedrine — in the United States in 2004.
Mormon tea is legally distinct: Ephedra extracts not containing ephedrine have not been banned by the FDA and are still sold legally. The raw Mormon Tea plant, specifically Ephedra viridis and Ephedra nevadensis, is not federally classified as an illegal controlled substance. The federal ban targets the sale of dietary supplements containing isolated ephedrine alkaloids, not the whole plant used for traditional tea.
Tannin-Related Adverse Effects
High tannin content may contribute to mild gastrointestinal disturbances, such as stomach upset or constipation, when consumed in large quantities as a tea. Human data on adverse effects remain sparse. In Keeler's gas chromatograph study of E. viridis, the toxic symptoms found were consistent with a high tannin content rather than with alkaloid poisoning.
Livestock Safety Data
In one study conducted to determine fetal toxicity in livestock, it was concluded that Ephedra nevadensis showed no dietary abnormalities or signs of ailment or toxicity in both the material party and offspring. It serves as a non-toxic grazing source to both wild and domestic livestock. These findings provide some reassurance about general safety at the whole-plant level, though animal data cannot be directly applied to human therapeutic use.
Alkaloid-Related Concerns: Context and Nuance
Although other known species of Ephedra do contain ephedrine, Ephedra nevadensis does not contain significant quantities of the stimulant. Unlike other Ephedra species, such as Ephedra sinica (Ma Huang), Ephedra viridis and Ephedra nevadensis generally do not contain significant amounts of ephedrine alkaloids. While some analyses suggest Ephedra viridis may contain pseudoephedrine, others report no measurable ephedrine or pseudoephedrine. The analytical variability may stem from environmental factors, plant population differences, and differences in methodological sensitivity between studies.
Absence of Human Clinical Safety Data
There are no published, peer-reviewed human clinical trials specifically evaluating the safety of Mormon tea (E. nevadensis or E. viridis) preparations. The current understanding of its safety profile is extrapolated from its chemical composition (primarily polyphenols, minimal or no ephedrine-type alkaloids), its long history of traditional use, and animal studies. People sometimes use Mormon tea for common cold and many other conditions, but there is no good scientific evidence to support these uses.
9. Summary of Evidence Strength
Mormon tea (Ephedra nevadensis / E. viridis) occupies a position distinct from both conventional herbal medicines with strong clinical evidence and from the more studied — and banned — alkaloid-rich Asian ephedra. The following characterizes the current state of knowledge:
- Botanical and chemical identity: Well-established by multiple independent botanical and phytochemical studies. The absence or near-absence of ephedrine-type alkaloids in the North American Mormon tea species is supported by EFSA assessment and peer-reviewed phytochemical investigations.
- Traditional use: Well-documented ethnobotanically across multiple Indigenous North American cultures and the Mormon pioneer tradition. Used historically for respiratory conditions, urinary/venereal ailments, and as a general beverage.
- In vitro / preclinical science: Moderate evidence for lignan-mediated antioxidant activity (Pullela et al., 2005, Planta Medica); general evidence for polyphenol and tannin content with associated astringent and antimicrobial properties across the Ephedra genus.
- Human clinical evidence: Absent. No published randomized controlled trials, observational clinical studies, or systematic reviews have evaluated Mormon tea in human populations for any indication.
- Evidence-based medicine assessment: At present, no clinical use of Mormon tea can be supported by controlled human evidence. All functional claims remain traditional or preliminary.
References
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