What Tea Helps With Depression

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Suggested Green Tea Products For Depression

Please consult a health practitioner before taking any health supplements.

Green Tea Powder

A good quality green tea powder is a good investment when it comes to detoxing and support natural antioxidant defence. It can be steeped to prepare tea or included in smoothies or juices.

Green teas with high theanine content include varieties such as Matcha and Gyokura.

Ensure that you buy good quality tea powder which is free from heavy metal contamination.

Green Tea Powder: Buy from iHerb

Green tea Supplements

Green tea supplements are a good option for those who do not like the taste of green tea but would like to boost their natural antioxidant defense with green tea catechins.

Taking green tea supplements on an empty stomach is said to improve its absorption. Green tea supplements with vitamin C or black pepper extract have better absorption.

What To Remember When Drinking Tea

You need to limit drinking your tea drinking to in between meals only. Teas contains flavonoids, a certain kind of antioxidant that may complicate the iron your body gets from the food you eat . Flavanoids can bind to the plant-based iron that you eat, decreasing your bodys ability to absorb it by up to 64%.

You also want to limit the amount of pre-brewed tea that you drink. When you brew tea and drink it plain, it does not contain sugar or calories. However, many bottled and instant teas today are overloaded with sugar and calories, which can quickly add up.

Also, drinking too much black tea per day can result in headaches, diarrhea, irregular heartbeats, and heartburn . Although black tea only contains a small amount of caffeine, if you drink it repeatedly throughout the day, you will exceed the healthy limit of caffeine that your body can handle.

Cup & Leaf reports that green tea may cause side effects such as stomachaches, sleeping problems, and bleeding disorders, especially in those suffering from gastrointestinal issues, iron deficiency, a low caffeine tolerance, anemia, anxiety, bleeding disorders, cardiovascular conditions, diabetes, liver conditions, osteoporosis, and women who are pregnant or nursing. It is best to drink tea when its freshly brewed and slightly cooled. Tea that is very hot can damage your digestive system and even promote throat cancer.

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Green Tea And Coffee Consumption Is Inversely Associated With Depressive Symptoms In A Japanese Working Population

Published online by Cambridge University Press: 04 March 2013

Ngoc Minh Pham*

Affiliation:Department of Epidemiology and Prevention, Clinical Research Center, National Center for Global Health and Medicine, 1-21-1 Toyama, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8655, Japan

Akiko Nanri

Affiliation:Department of Epidemiology and Prevention, Clinical Research Center, National Center for Global Health and Medicine, 1-21-1 Toyama, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8655, Japan

Kayo Kurotani

Affiliation:Department of Epidemiology and Prevention, Clinical Research Center, National Center for Global Health and Medicine, 1-21-1 Toyama, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8655, Japan

Keisuke Kuwahara

Affiliation:Department of Epidemiology and Prevention, Clinical Research Center, National Center for Global Health and Medicine, 1-21-1 Toyama, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8655, Japan

Ayami Kume

Affiliation:Department of Epidemiology and Prevention, Clinical Research Center, National Center for Global Health and Medicine, 1-21-1 Toyama, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8655, Japan

Masao Sato

Affiliation:Department of Applied Biological Chemistry, Graduate School of Bioresource and Bioenvironmental Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan

Hitomi Hayabuchi

Faculty of Human Environmental Science, Fukuoka Women’s University, Fukuoka, Japan

Tetsuya Mizoue

Affiliation:Department of Epidemiology and Prevention, Clinical Research Center, National Center for Global Health and Medicine, 1-21-1 Toyama, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8655, Japan

*

Best Relaxation Tea For A Good Nights Sleep

This is the best tea for relaxation and a good nights sleep. It is comprised of mostly organic herbal ingredients that are known to calm your nervous system, including passionflower, which is known for its ability to soothe the nervous system. This product also contains valerian, which is a popular herb that is known for its use in treating occasional sleeplessness.

Offering a pleasant, mildly bittersweet, minty, earthy taste, Nighty Night Valerian Relaxation Tea is perfect to drink before bed, as it promotes a good nights sleep. All of the ingredients in this tea are certified organic, kosher, and GMO-free. This is the best tea for overall relaxation.

PROS

• Reduces pre-bed anxiety
• Some have reported they discontinued sleep aids after finding this tea
• Not only does this tea help you fall asleep, but it also helps you stay asleep as well
• One of the best teas for anxiety and panic attacks

CONS

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Improvement In Depression & Learning Abilities

There is another noteworthy 2013 study published in the American Botanical Council that demonstrates the benefits of drinking green tea for fighting depression. This study also showed how the consumption also improved the subjects learning abilities. The focus of this study was to see if the tea helped in restoring the Reward System in the brain and curing anhedonia.

Anhedonia is the root cause of the issue. Depression causes an inability in the patient to experience pleasure. This has been connected to the dysfunction of the Reward System. Some of the interesting facts of this study were as follows:

• One set of participants were given green tea 3 times daily for 5 weeks
• Another set was given a placebo, a cellulose
• The subjects had to play a game that offered a small financial reward
• The green tea group showed a dramatic increase in reward learning

The researchers concluded that drinking the tea helped repair the Reward System and cured depression and anhedonia.

Natural Remedies For Depression

Ive been on depression medication since I was 9 years old, well technically it was prescribed for anxiety in the beginning, but soon I was treated for both. In 3rd grade I was able to say, rather clumsily, I am taking chill pills because there is an imbalance of serotonin in my brain. Depression is like a worn-out unwanted companion that constantly clings to me, a burden, yes, but very familiar. Over the years I have realized that there are a lot of things that I can do that dont require prescription medications to help keep my mood fluctuations under control. They take time and effort , but its well worth it in my mind. I still have not weaned myself off of my medications entirely, but it is a goal that I someday hope to achieve and one that I constantly strive for.

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Is Green Tea Good Against Depression

Depression is widely common yet it is a serious condition that can affect all aspects of your life, including health, mental, and emotional condition. It causes you to suffer from feelings of sadness and loss of interest. It can negatively affect your ability to function in personal, professional, and social life. If you or your loved one is suffering from depression, it is recommended to increase your intake of vitamin-rich foods. Foods rich in antioxidants, such as green tea can play an important role in improving your condition and helping you lead a healthier and better life.

Green Tea Catechins And Theanine Have A Natural Anti

Green tea polyphenols or antioxidants help fight depression possibly by acting on the HPA axis.

HPA axis is the network between the hypothalamus, a part of the brain and the major hormone-secreting glands in the body- pituitary and adrenal glands.

This network regulates our stress response and is influenced by cortisol levels, a hormone that participates in stress response. HPA axis dysfunction is observed in Major Depressive Disorder.

Catechins lower the level of stress hormone and ameliorate HPA axis dysfunction to relieve depressive and anxiety symptoms.

Another mode of action by which they reduce depressive symptoms is by influencing brain chemistry and improving antioxidant defences in the brain.

However, one study indicates that green tea catechins have negligible monoamine oxidase inhibitory action.

MAOIs or monoamine oxidase inhibitors are antidepressant agents that inhibit the activity of enzyme monoamine oxidase to recycle and preserve brain chemistry for a better mood.

So does that mean it does not affect our brain chemistry?

Well a study published in Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 2014 highlighted that a single dose of green tea extract influenced serotonin levels in human participants.

Whether it influences brain chemistry or not, catechins antioxidant and anti-stress action could be efficient enough to protect from mental health conditions.

Anhedonia is associated with disturbed reward learning.

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Why Herbal Tea For Depression

The symptoms of depression vary wildly from one patient to another, and so does the form of treatment. The most common type of treatment is the prescription of antidepressants, along with counseling.

While counseling is a proven treatment and doesnt have any side effects, the same cannot be said for antidepressants. Antidepressants have many side effects which can impact your recovery.

So, what are the other options? Well, herbal tea has proven very effective in combating depression.

A 2015 paper that analyzed a host of other studies on the link between herbal tea consumption and depression concluded that it is indeed a valid form of treating depression.

A cup of tea has always been associated with stress reduction. Herbal teas also contain certain natural chemicals that help elevate your mood and overcome depression.

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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The Best Tea For Stress And Depression: 15 Types Of Teas To Try

Stress and depression may affect your mind, body, and mood. When you feel stress, drinking the best tea for stress and depression can be a good way to relax and soothe your mind.

Even some studies showed that certain types of herbal properties could help reduce stress and depression, calm anxiety, and change your bad mood.

Besides that, sipping the tea in the middle of the day and the evening can increase the immune system, inhibit inflammation, and sharpen the memory. Look and find out 15 types of teas for stress and depression.

What Is St John’s Wort

The St. John’s wort plant has yellow flowers and is a weed in some parts of the U.S. It has been used for medicinal purposes in other parts of the world for thousands of years. Many studies have evaluated the effectiveness of St. John’s wort. Some studies have shown a benefit, but other studies have not.

If you choose to use it, be sure to learn all you can about it, and check with your doctor before taking it. St. John’s wort can interact with medicines or supplements you may be taking and may have side effects.

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Traditional Medicinals Cup Of Calm

This tea uses chamomile, catnip, lavender, and passionflower herbs to offer a host of sleep-enhancing and stress-relieving benefits.

Chamomile and lavender are better known for helping anxiety. Although catnip and passionflower are primarily used to improve sleep quality, they may also aid in anxiety relief.

Matcha Tea And Depression

A special and very powerful form of green tea, matcha has been shown by scientific research to have positive effects on the mind and mood.

One study published in the Journal of the American Society for Clinical Nutrition noted that a higher consumption of green tea was associated with a lower prevalence of cognitive impairment in subjects aged 70 years and older.

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Green Tea Antioxidants & Depression

Green tea is rich in antioxidants that strengthen the immune system and help fight diseases. It also helps in reducing cell damage from free radicals. Interestingly, this tea is among the most researched teas in existence.

Green tea has a unique amino acid called L-Theanine. Researchers have found it to be the key player in helping fight depression:

• L-Theanine has a natural calming or soothing effect
• It also slows down caffeine absorption
• Research studies have also indicated natural anti-anxiety properties
• Studies show that green tea has a direct influence on the nervous system, inducing calmness

It is capable of inhibiting a-amylase activity. This activity has been associated with stress.

Why Is Coffee Better At Reducing Depression Risk Than Tea

Some components in coffee might counteract the negative effects of depression, according to one 2014 Japanese study.

Coffee also contains chlorogenic acid, ferulic acid, and caffeic acid. These acids can reduce the inflammation of nerve cells that takes place in the brains of people with depression.

This may relieve some of the discomfort and distress that depression can bring, some of which occurs due to inflammation.

Not all tea is less effective than coffee at reducing the risk of depression. The study also identified that green tea has a high antioxidant content and can be as effective as coffee in protecting against depression.

Green tea contains folate, which may also help with depression. The study linked green tea and coffee consumption to a reduced risk of depression.

Not all studies agree that caffeine only has positive effects for people with depression.

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It Can Reduce Inflammation And Oxidative Stress In Depression

Inflammation plays a key role in the pathogenesis of depression and could contribute to the progression or worsening of the disorder.

It may also be responsible for the physical symptoms of depression such as pain, gastric inflammation, reduced sleep. High levels of stress hormone cause excessive inflammation in depression.

Add-on therapies with an anti-inflammatory effect such as exercise and omega-3 fatty acids are found to improve mood in depression.

Green tea and its major active component EGCG has anti-inflammatory action. It inhibits the activity of major molecular targets that participate in inflammatory processes.

In fact, the higher flavonoid content of green tea imparts a stronger anti-inflammatory action to it in comparison to black tea.

This anti-inflammatory action of the catechins could be useful in curbing neuroinflammation or brain inflammation in depressive disorder.

Along with inflammation, there is a marked increase in oxidative stress levels in depression. Research suggests that the products of oxidative damage may serve as important parameters for predicting depression status and identifying the effectiveness of antidepressant treatment.

Most of the green teas health-promoting activity is attributed to its antioxidant action.

A study published in Molecular Nutrition and Food Research, 2006 revealed that green tea catechins confer a neuroprotective action by strengthening antioxidant defences.

Regular Green Tea Consumption May Reduce The Risk Of Depression

In 2005, an observational study involving Finnish Population revealed that daily tea drinking was associated with low levels of depressive symptoms.

In fact, those who consumed 5 or more cups of tea per day did not have depression.

Further another study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2009 reported that a more frequent consumption of green tea was associated with a lower prevalence of depressive symptoms in an elderly Japanese population.

While 2-3 cups of green tea per day were associated with lower depressive symptoms, 4 or more cups of tea per day had an even more pronounced effect.

Drinking coffee or tea without any sweeteners is associated with lower risk of depression but adding artificial sweeteners but not honey or sugar increased the risk.

Recent meta-analysis studies also indicate that tea and coffee consumption decreases the risk of depression. In fact an additional 3 cups per day in tea consumption lowers the risk of depression by 37%.

Kang and colleagues recently published their investigation on the risk of depression and non-alcoholic beverage consumption in The European Journal Of Clinical Nutrition, 2018.

They assessed 15 observational studies involving 20,572 cases of depression among 374,691 participants.

Their findings confirmed that coffee and tea intake is associated with reduced risk of depression irrespective of gender, country, amount consumed and other factors such as alcohol, smoking and physical activity.

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