What Is The Best Tea For Your Health

Coffee Versus Tea In The Morning

Do you usually begin your mornings with a hot cup of coffee? If, so, youre not alone. Millions of Americans use coffee to help them get going in the morning.

But since coffee is a diuretic it means it can lead to dehydration if you overdo it. Coffee can also stimulate the adrenal glands, causing a release of adrenaline, which can place unnecessary stress on them.

If youre a coffee lover and youre looking for a better, safer way to get your morning dose of caffeine, then tea can be a great alternative.

While its true that coffee has more caffeine than tea does, tea comes with a variety of health benefits that coffee does not. And the lower caffeine content is not necessarily a bad thing.

I know that these days many people just want whatever drink contains the most caffeine, because they rely on that to help them wake up and get ready for the day. But after a certain point, more caffeine is no longer beneficial.

Too much caffeine can leave you feeling anxious and jittery. And once it wears off, it leaves you more fatigued than ever. People who are sensitive to caffeine may not even be able to drink coffee since it can lead to major side effects such as bowel issues, an upset stomach, or even panic attacks.

Tea is a safer alternative. It is not as acidic as coffee and even teas with a high caffeine content dont leave you jittery like coffee, because they contain L-Theanine.

Weve established that tea is great. But what type of tea is best to drink in the morning?

Oolong Tea Combat Cancer

Polyphenols like thearubigin and theaflavin, which are higher in oolong tea in comparison to other varieties, combat carcinogens and help to reduce the risk of cancer. This is because polyphenols act as chemopreventive agents to suppress the development of other forms of cancer.

Although more than 50 epidemiologic studies that were looking into the association between tea consumption and cancer risk have been published, the results have been often inconsistent. Some studies have linked tea consumption to reduced risks of prostate, lung, ovary, colon and breast cancers.

Relieves An Upset Stomach

A cup of black tea may help you with an upset stomach. The compound called tannins, which is present in black tea, has a helpful astringent effect on the intestinal lining. A study showed that black tea tablets could be an effective and inexpensive way to help manage diarrhea in children with acute nonbacterial diarrhea.

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The 10 Best Teas For Stress In 2022

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Has stress wound you up? Taking a time-out with a calming cup of tea can help.

• Best to help you relax:Lemon balm
• Best to calm a busy mind:Passionflower
• Best to help you sleep:Valerian
• Best calming fragrance:Lavender
• Best for stress-free alertness:Green tea
• Best for a calm, refreshing taste:Peppermint

Sometimes the stress of modern life can make you feel like youre living in a pressure cooker. Were all looking for a relief valve, and a calming cup of tea may be a good one.

A cup of tea is easy, affordable, enjoyable, and best of all, may soothe some of that stress.

Tea is a multitasker. It can help slow you down and at the same time energize and refresh. It has a long history. Legend tells us that tea drinking began more than 5,000 years ago when some tea leaves blew by chance into the Chinese emperors boiling water.

But with so many tea options on the market, its difficult to know which one to choose to help you relax and reduce any negative effects of stress. Thats where this list comes in.

Which Tea Can Help Ease Cold And Flu Symptoms

When youre sick with a cold or the flu, one of the first recommendations from a doctor is to drink more fluids.

While water and other drinks are crucial to your recovery, many people reach for tea to battle their illness. For employees around the world, tea can also help soothe the symptoms of an illness while on the clock.

And one of the only downsides of using tea to get over an illness is the plethora of options. There is an abundance of teas to help you, depending on your illness or need.

The teas warm liquid alleviates your throat and helps with congestion. It also increases antibacterial properties that aid in promptly curing colds. When you add some honey to your tea, it helps with coughing and if you use a lemon in your tea, the body will receive a boost of vitamin C, weakening your cold.

While you may think all teas are the same when it comes to helping with a cold or the flu, this is not the case. Some teas contain properties that give the immune system a boost and get rid of bad germs. Herbal and true teas benefit colds as well as flu symptoms, so youll be back to your healthy self in no time.

Just keep in mind, the right tea is in no way a substitute for the antibiotics or medication prescribed to help with your illness. But, since most employees continue working while sick, we often need some help dealing with symptoms while at the office.

In that case, these are the teas you should drink while youre sick with a cold or the flu:

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Reduce The Risk Of Cardiovascular Disease

Some of the main risk factors for cardiovascular disease are related to the total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and triglycerides, and green tea can help improve these factors, lowering total and LDL cholesterol and protecting the LDL particles from oxidation.

People who drink green tea have up to a 31% lower risk of cardiovascular disease, according to studies.

Things To Consider When Choosing Herbal Tea

You may wish to consider numerous things before purchasing your next box of herbal tea. These include:

Tea blends made for specific purposes

Many herbal tea blends are made with a specific purpose in mind, such as diet teas, detoxifying teas, sleep aid teas, and energizing teas. You will find that many of the teas with said properties will encompass a mixture of the ingredients we have mentioned above. You could choose based on any ailments you want to reduce symptoms when choosing herbal tea.

Medication

If you are on any medication, make sure that the herbal teas you are drinking wont affect the potency of your medication. Many of the medications we take are derived from plants, and some of them are quite potent. For instance, grapefruit can make your body absorb more antidepressants than is intended. Similarly, some Cystic Fibrosis medication is affected by blood oranges.

Flavor

Wide varieties of herbal teas are available, with a massive range of flavors to choose from. If you enjoy sweet flavors, you might like to try these naturally sweet teas:

Rooibos is a versatile tea that can be drunk hot or cold. It is often mixed in blends with spices and honey and has anti-aging properties. This tea offers a sweet taste with zero caffeine.

Licorice root is one of the sweetest herbs on the planet. It can be used to treat stomach discomfort, inflammation, and a sore throat. It has both antimicrobial and antiviral properties.

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Lowers The Risk Of Obesity

Green tea can boost the metabolic rate and decrease body fat, especially in the abdominal area, thus could help with weight loss. One study conducted in China concluded:

Consumption of two servings of an extra high-catechin GT leads to improvements in body composition and reduces abdominal fatness in moderately overweight Chinese subjects.

A randomized controlled trial in 240 men and women that went on for three months concluded that the green tea test group had a significant decrease in body fat percentage, body weight, and abdominal fat.

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Another type of tea that many experts recommended and that Ive personally fervently embraced as well is oolong. Oolong teas are lightly caffeinated, and their mild flavors can range from light and floral to roasted with a smokey undertone. Another reason oolong teas can be great for a mindful, meditative tea ritual is because their loose leaves are ball- or twisty-shaped and therefore lend themselves to an amazing visual experience when steeped in hot water.

Besides their flavor, I love how oolong tea leaves unfurl, open up, kind of demand your attention and allow you to go into a contemplative mode, said tea educator and consultant Anna Ye. Try out Nantou Four Seasons, an oolong thats milky, floral and has beautiful unfurling leaves. Because oolong tea leaves are so dense, Ye said, theyre also great to drink without a strainer in an unfussy bowl or small tea cup.

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Best Matcha: Golde Pure Matcha

How is matcha different from green tea, you ask? Well, matcha is essentially a green tea powderbut it’s harvested differently than its counterpart, resulting in more concentrated flavor, antioxidant volume, and caffeine levels. As for an A+ matcha pick, you can’t go wrong with this option from Golde, made with 100% pure, shade-grown green tea leaves from Uji, Japan.

Pure Matcha, Golde

Tea Has Less Caffeine Than Coffee

Herbal blends have no caffeine, while traditional teas have less than 50% of what typically is found in coffee. That means you can consume it without those pesky effects on your nervous system, says Leslie Bonci, nutritionist and owner of Active Eating Advice. If you’re trying to switch from coffee to tea, try a chicory root tea like Teeccino, which has a mouth feel and flavor similar to coffee. Chicory root is also known to help reduce stress and is a prebiotic so may be helpful to your gut.

Bonus: this tea will give you a kick of energy without the caffeine.

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Best Matcha: Encha Ceremonial Grade Organic Matcha Green Tea

• Reasonably priced for ceremonial matcha

• Vibrant color and aroma

• Packaged in bags not tins

A list of the best green teas wouldnt be complete without at least one matcha option. Matcha, which literally means powdered tea, is a type of green tea thats made by drying young tea leaves and then grinding them into a powder. The powder can be mixed with hot water for a traditional matcha or paired with your favorite milk or non-dairy milk substitute for a green tea latte.

There are lots of matcha options out there, but the Encha Ceremonial Grade Organic Matcha Green Tea earned the best matcha tea spot for several reasons. It has the light signature grassy flavor of matcha without being overpowering. Even if youre new to matcha, youll enjoy the mellow subtly sweet flavor of Encha.

Its organic and comes directly from Kyoto, Japanmatchas birthplace. At first, the price may make you raise an eyebrow, but keep in mind that a little goes a really long way. You only need about 1/2 to 1 teaspoon per cup, so youll get 30 to 60 servings from one pouch.

Form: Matcha powder | Caffeine: 60 milligrams | Steep Time: N/A | Ingredients: Pure matcha green tea powder

• Easy to find in-store and online

• Multiple flavors available

• Prices vary widely by retailer

• May not be sweet enough for some

Form: Bottled iced tea | Caffeine: 44 milligrams | Steep Time: N/A | Ingredients: Brewed tea, ascorbic acid, and natural flavor

• Not too sweet, not too tart

• Slightly more sugar than other brands

Chamomile Tea: Sleep Enabler

Though herbal teas do not come from the traditional tea plant, they still have some health benefits, says Brill of soothing herbal teas like linden or chamomile. These teas help with a less-direct, but still crucially important, benefit for cardiac wellness: sleep. One of the things many of my patients have issues with is getting enough sleep, says Steinbaum. Sleep is such an important part of restorative health for everyone. I tell people to get into the habit of having a nighttime routine to wind down, and include a cup of warm chamomile tea right before bed.

Patients with a coronary artery stent, or who are taking aspirin or Coumadin blood thinners, should consult their doctor before drinking chamomile tea, because it may increase risk for internal bleeding.

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Health Benefits Of Tea: Herbal Teas

Made from herbs, fruits, seeds, or roots steeped in hot water, herbal teas have lower concentrations of antioxidants than green, white, black, and oolong teas. Their chemical compositions vary widely depending on the plant used.

Varieties include ginger, ginkgo biloba, ginseng, hibiscus, jasmine, rosehip, mint, rooibos , chamomile, and echinacea.

Limited research has been done on the health benefits of herbal teas, but claims that they help to shed pounds, stave off colds, and bring on restful sleep are largely unsupported.

Here are some findings:

• Chamomile tea: Its antioxidants may help prevent complications from diabetes, like loss of vision and nerve and kidney damage, and stunt the growth of cancer cells.
• Echinacea: Often touted as a way to fight the common cold, the research on echinacea has been inconclusive.
• Hibiscus: A small study found that drinking three cups of hibiscus tea daily lowered blood pressure in people with modestly elevated levels.
• Rooibos : A South African herb that is fermented. Although it has flavonoids with cancer-fighting properties, medical studies have been limited.

Why Trust The Spruce Eats

Lindsay Boyers is a certified holistic nutritionist with extensive food and drink-testing experience. Shes developed over 1,000 original recipes and is constantly on a mission to find the best options across all food and beverage categories.

This piece was updated by Derek Rose, the coffee and tea expert for The Spruce Eats. He researches a variety of products, from tiny tea infusers to high-end kettles, and interviews field experts for their insight. He is especially a fan of matcha, enjoying it in everything from lattes and smoothies to the traditional form.

Shunan Teng is the founder and CEO of Tea Drunk and an avid tea educator. Tea Drunk was founded in 2013 and has a brick-and-mortar tea house in New York City. Its teaware and Chinese teas can be purchased online.

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What Is Tea Made Of

Despite all of the varieties of tea you might see at your local cafe, all “true” teas meaning the ones that aren’t considered “herbal” like chamomile or hibiscus are derived from the same shrub that’s grown all over the world: the camellia sinensis plant a.k.a. the tea camellia tree.

So, “there isn’t a white tea plant or a green tea plant,” says Lisa Boalt Richardson, the director of World Tea Academy and the author of Modern Tea: A Fresh Look at an Ancient Beverage. Instead, what gives each type of true tea their distinct color and flavor is the manufacturing process, which includes:

• The time the leaves are harvested
• How long and in what way they were allowed to wither
• How long the leaves were oxidized or browned

Each part of the process not only influences the look and taste of the tea, they illicit certain chemical reactions that change the micronutrients within the leaves, according to Richardson.

Best Loose Leaf: Thrive Market Organic Darjeeling Green Loose Leaf Tea

• Distinct but not overpowering taste

• Ethically sourced

• Available in just one size

• Only sold by Thrive Market

If you prefer loose-leaf green tea over bagged options, Thrive Markets Organic Darjeeling Green Loose Leaf Tea is our top pick. Not only is the tea organic, but the leaves are handpicked and ethically sourced from local farmers, so each package helps support small communities in the Himalayas, from where the tea is harvested. And since the only ingredient is organic Darjeeling green tea leaves, the natural floral sweetness and smooth finish really shine through with each brewed cup.

Form: Loose leaf | Caffeine: 20 milligrams | Steep Time: 2 minutes, 30 seconds | Ingredients: Organic Darjeeling green tea leaves

“The number one thing to improve tea at home is to stop covering it. This is essential for green and yellow teas. For other kinds, if the tea isn’t very good quality then leaving it open will increase the taste.” Shunan Teng, Founder and CEO of Tea Drunk

One way to brew tea openly is by using a fairness pitcher , which is common in Gong Fu brewinga traditional Chinese style of tea preparation.

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Use Tea Crystals To Form A Mask Or Face Scrub

Instead of spending a fortune on face masks and pricey facial scrubs, you can use any of our best teas for healthy skin to make your own.

To make a face mask: Mix your tea crystals with a touch of raw, unpasteurized honey and olive oil. Apply to your face and leave on for about 15 minutes. When times up, simply wipe it off with warm water and a clean towel.

To make a facial scrub: Mix your tea crystals with a bit of raw, unpasteurized honey, olive oil, and coarse sugar. The more sugar you add, the more exfoliation youll have. Scrub it all off, and youll slough away dirt, dead skin cells, and more.

Keep in mind, if your skin is irritated and red already, a softer mask without sugar may be a better option for you.