How Does Tea Help With Anxiety
While many of us turn to a cup of a tea as comforting pick-me-up, scientific research suggests theres more to it than a soothing warm temperature and calming scent. Though there is no cure for anxiety, drinking teas made from herbs with reassuring calming and sedative properties may help with symptoms associated with chronic stress, anxiety, and depression on our bodies something scientific evidence has backed up through research.
A 2009 study from the University of Pennsylvania, for instance, found that ingesting the herb chamomile may have modest benefits for some people with mild to moderate generalized anxiety disorder .
A 2010 study, meanwhile, proved that silexan an oral lavender oral reduced generalized anxiety in a manner similar to that of prescribed medications.
In addition, the simple action of incorporating a relaxing activity into your routine, such as a drinking a cup of tea, meditating, and doing deep breathing exercises, can also help to ease a troubled mind.
Why Is Drinking Tea Good For Your Body
Researchers credit teas beneficial health properties to its antioxidants, polyphenols, and phytochemicals. Teas antioxidants are primarily known to fight the free radicals that damage the cells in your body.
The antioxidants in tea can also protect you from a variety of cancers. Damage from free radicals has been linked to cancer, cardiovascular disease, and neurological degeneration, so drinking anything to help reduce these will benefit your health.
Additionally, drinking tea may reduce the risk of having a heart attack, stroke, and other diseases. It can also help lower your cholesterol and blood pressure levels.
Drinking tea can help you lose weight by regulating your metabolic rate and digestion. In one study, participants who drank tea on a regular basis had a lower waist circumference and lower BMI than those who did not drink tea. Scientists believe that drinking tea on a regular basis lowers the risk of metabolic syndrome, which can lead to diabetes, artery disease, and stroke. The antioxidants in tea help increase your bodys ability to burn fat instead of muscle as fuel, which also helps improve muscle endurance.
Because it keeps you hydrated, tea keeps your digestion system working properly, and helps your body rid itself of waste. It also allows you to burn more calories during the day due to its caffeine content.
Now that you know why you should drink tea, lets talk about how you should drink tea to get the most anxiety relief.
Tea As An Anxiety Strategy
Healing herbal teas are a fun place to start. But even in the best case scenario, they’re just a Band Aid for your anxiety. You’ll get some relief, but that relief will be temporary and won’t be that meaningful. You simply cannot expect any tea to provide you with the cure you need.
That’s why those that use tea alone simply cannot hope to see tea as anything other than what it is – a drink that may reduce some of your anxiety. You still need to pair it with coping strategies and tools that will keep your anxiety from coming back.
Potential Non-Medicinal Benefits of Tea
Something working in tea’s favor is that there are several benefits of drinking tea that are unrelated to the medicinal qualities of the tea itself. In other words, the simple act of drinking nearly any kind of decaffeinated tea can have a fairly unique impact on your ability to reduce your anxiety. The following are very real benefits of drinking tea, even if the tea has zero medicinal value:
There are also the potential benefits of antioxidants that may be beneficial for overall health, and when your body is healthy your anxiety is less prone to extreme fluctuations.
None of these are medicinal in any way, and none of these are cures for anxiety. But every little bit helps, and these additional benefits of drinking tea are very real and beneficial for those that are suffering.
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So Does Valerian Work
Valerian root is an herbal supplement that may have an effect on your anxiety. But whether or not it does is questionable. Like most herbs, little research has been conducted, and the research that has been completed tends to be very poor.
That’s why, while it’s something you can consider, it’s not something you should depend on. The truth is that even herbal medicines are still medicines – they have their own side effects and risks , and no medicine of any kind can genuinely cure anxiety. They can only numb it temporarily. Always discuss with your doctor before taking supplements or alternative medicines.
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Does Kava Tea Help Anxiety
Are you searching for a natural, over-the-counter solution to help ease your anxiety? If so, you may want to consider trying Kava Tea!
Kava rootis packed with a range of organic compounds, and specific nutrients that make the plant so valuable, and effective. But does Kava tea help with anxiety?
Kava is known for its medicinal properties to make you feel more relaxed, ease anxiety, and promote sociability and sleepiness, naturally. Clinical evidence verifies that kava works as well as some anxiety medications, loweringanxietysymptoms, and even causing a state of euphoria.
Kava root is considered to be very potent and can cause a bit of a buzz when consumed. So much so, that the root is even banned in some countries for this reason. In the South Pacific Kava is a popular drink during socializing, just like alcohol is considered to be a social drink in the U.S. The extreme relaxation, and euphoric effects of Kava, give people the idea that you feel a sort of high from drinking it. Also known as a deep state of relaxation.
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Other Teas For Anxiety
There are countless other teas that may be useful for anxiety. St. John’s Wort, for example, is a popular tea used for depression. In many people, depression and anxiety are linked, so drinking St. John’s Wort may actually improve anxiety symptoms.
Other popular tea choices include:
- Chamomile Tea
- Peppermint Tea
- Lemon Balm Tea
None of these teas have much support behind them, but users of the teas swear to their effectiveness and with the exception of peppermint tea , none of the teas appear to have any side effects.
How Drinking Tea Can Relieve Anxiety
There are many ways to treat an anxiety disorder. Some people use drugs, yoga, acupuncture, vitamins and the list goes on. But did you know that drinking tea can help relieve anxiety?
Tea contains a unique anxiety reducing amino acid called L-Theanine that helps create a calming sensation. The irony is that tea often contains caffeine. Nonetheless, people who drink tea often say that they feel calm after having a cup.
In addition to reducing anxiety, studies have shown that L-Theanine may be effective in promoting concentration, strengthening the immune system, lowering blood pressure, and increasing the formation of the inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA . Its also thought to increase dopamine levels, while having no known side-effects.
So, how do we know that tea is safe to drink in quantity? Well, for starters, tea is the most consumed beverage worldwide after water and has been consumed for thousands of years. Plus, studies on rats have shown that consuming high doses of L-Theanine has no harmful effects.
To get the full effect of L-Theanine in tea its recommended that you have 1-3 cups of tea daily. This is yet another natural remedy that you can throw into your anti-anxiety tool box. Its also a reminder that anxiety relief is everywhere if you know where to look for it.
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Does Drinking Tea Relieve Stress And Anxiety
Anxiety is an emotion depicted by feelings of tension, worried thoughts, and physical changes like increased heart rate, tightness in the chest, increases in the stress hormone cortisol, and increased blood pressure.
Stress is the feeling of being overwhelmed or unable to cope with mental or emotional pressure. Many different situations or life events can cause stress. It is often triggered when we experience something new, unexpected, or that threatens our self-awareness, or when we feel we have a lack of control over a situation.
Stress and anxiety are common experiences for most of us. Many people feel stressed and/or anxious at some points throughout the day or week when theyre trying to meet a deadline, manage their responsibilities, making important decisions, etc., which is completely normal. In fact, approximately 70% of adults in the United States say they feel stress or anxiety daily.
When someone experiences consistent and chronic ongoing stress, it can cause or exacerbate many serious health problems, including depression, anxiety, cardiovascular disease, stroke, and more. For this reason, it is very important to try different approaches to managing chronic stress including talking to your doctor if needed.
One of the most beneficial aspects of being a regular tea drinker may be its ability to help relieve stress and anxiety, which can lead to improvements in many aspects of life.
When To Seek Help
If your stress becomes overwhelming or chronic, you may need more help than a cup of tea can give.
Everyone needs extra help at times. If you feel stress is beginning to disrupt your daily life, dont hesitate to reach out to someone you think can help. This may be a family member, close friend, people in your social or spiritual community, a support group, or especially if you suspect you may be developing a health condition due to your stress a health or mental health professional.
If you have a mental health diagnosis, the teas we recommend may be good add-ons to treatment, but they arent replacements.
Youll want to consider seeking professional support if youre having symptoms of:
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How To Make The Perfect Cup Of Green Tea
- Add one teabag to your cup or if making tea in the teapot, add 2 or more bags.
- Use fresh water rather than pre-boiled or diffused water for a more vibrant flavour.
- After boiling your water, let it rest for a few minutes. This allows the temperature to drop naturally to the ideal heat for your green tea, between 140-185°F / 60-85°C.
- Pour the water over the teabag, this will help release the flavour and aroma.
- Let the tea brew for one to two minutes, or longer if you prefer the full maximum flavour.
- Sit back, relax and enjoy!
Whilst some enjoy the pure taste of green tea by itself, many choose to add a little honey to sweeten. Mint or lemon are also elements that can be added that complement the taste of green tea.
Although it is usually enjoyed hot, it can also be cooled down and ice cubes added for a refreshing drink on a hot summers day.
The Republic Of Tea Get Relaxed
This one is all about those florals it smells and tastes strongly of lavender and rose, so if you’re not into that, this might not be the one for you. If you are, however, it offers potent aromatherapeutic benefits. It also has rooiboswhich adds a lovely sweetnesspassionflower and chamomile. This one left me almost as calm as the Cup of Calm, but slightly less tranquilizedwhich was actually a good thing, depending on the circumstances. While I’d reach for Cup of Calm when I was having an acute panic episode, Get Relaxed was perfect for sipping throughout the workday to feel mellow and chill, no matter how much was on my plate.
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Be advised, this tea is known for its high potency which acts as a natural sedative and may cause extreme relaxation or sleepiness. You can indulge in this magic tea daily, as long as you dont drink more than recommended per day. Consult with your doctor if youre taking any medications, as this tea may counteract with other prescriptions, although very uncommon.
Calming Drinks For Anxiety That Even Help With Anxiety Disorders
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Anxiety disorders are now the most common mental health problem in the United States. To make matters worse, many sufferers deal with depression at the same time. While there are plenty of therapies and medications out there, sometimes you just need something a little easier and closer to home. Thats where calming drinks for anxiety come in.
The idea is simple. The drinks in this list can all help you to wind down and feel better. Some have been studied for their potential to help with anxiety. In contrast, others are useful because they keep you hydrated and wont ramp your body back up again. Because of this, most of the drinks should help you to sleep as well.
If you want some more ideas, we also have a list of foods for anxiety and one of foods that help with depression. While the foods and drinks featured on these lists wont cure a mental health problem overnight, focusing on foods and drinks like these is powerful in the long-term.
These drinks have other advantages too. Theyre all healthy and natural ways to wind down. This makes them ideal even anxiety isnt a major problem for you.
- Be Careful With Alcohol
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What Teas Are Good For Anxiety
Not every tea will be right for every person. So in this post, I am including a complete list of teas that you might find helpful. It could take some trial and error to find the one thats right for you.
I know in my case, I enjoy green tea in the morning and herbal tea at night. In the summer, I like to drink iced green tea with fruit infusions.
If you are stuck on which of the following teas to try, I recommend starting with Celestial Seasonings Tension Tamer that is caffeine-free and contains a blend of chamomile, lemon grass, peppermint, and other ingredients.
Should I Add Milk To Green Tea
There is no hard and fast rule to say that you simply cant add milk to your green tea. But some tea experts claim that adding milk to green tea can negate the positive benefits. Milk contains Casein, a type of protein. The casein and the natural tea flavanols bind to form complex molecules which reduces the level of antioxidants available for the body to process. Therefore, if you are drinking green tea for the benefits it is advisable to avoid the addition of milk.
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Drink Peppermint Tea For Anxiety And Tension
Autumn is full of new beginnings. A new school year, new courses, activities and business duties begin.
As the days shortens, the weather changes, it rains often and becomes cold. In short, our carefree summer is over and a month full of tasks and obligations begins.
Even thought of all this can cause you to feel anxiety.
You can drink peppermint tea for anxiety and tension whenever you feel unpleasant.
It is refreshing due to the essential oils and has many healing properties for health problems. Lets see how it can help you when you feel the tension.
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Chamomile Tea Combats Anxiety In Human Studies
Chamomile tea comes from the Asteraceae family of plants and has been consumed for its relaxing effect and health benefits for 2000 years. In ancient times chamomile tea was used by the Romans, Egyptians, and Greeks for its ability to help ease chronic health conditions including anxiety and stress.
There are two types of chamomile used in commercial teas: German chamomile and Roman chamomile. Both are thought to have health-promoting properties when consumed as a tea and provide you with plenty of antioxidants.
Side Effects Of Chamomile Tea For Anxiety
There arent many side effects out there for chamomile tea for anxiety.
However, it is always good to know about cautious steps before using it as a supplement. Some of the reported side effects are given below.
- Can cause eczema which is a skin allergic condition
- Large dosage of chamomile tea can cause vomiting too
- Anaphylaxis , throat swelling and shortness of breath can be caused by chamomile at times for people who are allergic to daisy family
It should be kept in mind that the US Food and Drug Administration does not regulate the production of supplements and herbs.
Therefore, most supplements and herbs are not tested completely and no specific risks or guarantees are known.
Side Note: I have tried and tested various products and services to help with my anxiety and depression. See my top recommendations here, as well as a full list of all products and services our team has tested for various mental health conditions and general wellness.
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Can Drinking Ginger Tea Help With Anxiety
Anxiety and stress are a normal part of the human experience. But in a society full of traffic jams, long work days and economic crises, anxiety troubles some people on a regular basis. Some common approaches to reducing anxiety include stress reduction techniques such as meditation, deep breathing and consuming calming herbs. Ginger is not generally known as an herbal remedy for anxiety. However, if anxiety causes you gastrointestinal symptoms, you may find ginger tea to be soothing. If you are troubled by anxiety on a consistent basis, be sure to see your doctor.