Stress is a daily part of our lives. Fortunately, coping mechanisms exist! What do you use to cope with stress? Some people exercise, take a bath, listen to music, meditate, talk to a friend, or play with their pets. Others sometimes drink tea to help alleviate stress. It is known that teas contain chemical properties that help people recover from stress. Besides treating stress, drinking teas can also benefit people in other health-related ways. All teas can have different effects, but they are beneficial one way or the other. Whether you use tea to relieve stress or not, sit back, drink some tea, and enjoy some knowledge about drinking this incredibly beneficial heated beverage.
There are many benefits to drinking tea. Drinking tea can help improve your sleep quality of sleep habits, alleviate stress, and give you a slight boost in energy. Ergo, it’s specifically recommended to drink herbal and unsweetened teas as they are more effective. Drinking unsweetened tea also transports antioxidants, such as catechins, into your system. These antioxidants prevent chronic diseases and repair cells and consequently can help reduce the risk of cancer. These drinks also contain anti-inflammatory properties, as the catechins reduce inflammation and relax your blood vessels.
Herbal teas calm the nervous system, especially ones that contain lavender, valerian, passionflower, or chamomile. Lavender increases the quality of sleep, regulates blood pressure, heart rate, and skin temperature. Valerian interacts with chemical messengers and lends a helping hand in the regulation of nerve pulses in the brain.
Tea produces a variety of health benefits: even the common green tea has the surprising ability to strengthen your teeth by reducing cavity severity (on the other hand, it will stain them). Another benefit given from green tea’s polyphenol is that it protects cells and decreases your chances of developing Alzheimer’s. Black tea specifically helps reduce the risk of skin cancer and helps regulate blood sugar levels. If you’re looking for a tasty way to lift your life a little, tea is the way to go, whether you add green or black tea to your diet, I assure you, you won’t regret it.
With tea, you hold a vast arsenal of different and unique flavor profiles and a range of health benefits. If you are looking to better your well-being try considering: chamomile tea, green tea, black tea, rose tea, passionfruit tea, and peppermint tea. For stress and anxiety, drinking chamomile and green tea are perfect to try. chamomile contains flavonoids that bind to brain receptors and reduces irritability. chamomile tea helps with insomnia as well. Green tea contains L-theanine, which is an amino acid that relaxes you. However, green tea is not caffeine-free and it is recommended to limit your intake as it could give negative effects such as difficulty sleeping. On the positive side, the caffeine in green tea helps calm you without having to feel drowsy because some teas could have that effect. Another tea you should try is rose tea. It is full of antioxidants that help with preventing diseases. Another benefit is that it contains vitamins A, C, and E, which can help with your skin (acne, wrinkles, dark circles, provides hydration). Passionfruit tea contains a flavone known as Chrysin. A flavone is a crystalline compound found (mostly) in yellow plants. Chrysin works to help treat anxiety and problems with sleep. (Despite the benefits, it is not recommended to drink this beverage if you are taking any medication). Lastly, the menthol in peppermint tea helps relax your muscles. The lack of caffeine in this minty drink will help calm you without any sleepiness effect, just like green tea. Of course, all teas have their benefits, but these are some that you could have in mind the next time you go to the market.
Unfortunately, drinking tea does come with a few consequences. Although the catechins in these drinks are beneficial, they may also change the way your body’s intake of iron; there is a chance you could become anemic or develop iron deficiency. Catechins can also interfere with certain medications, specifically heart and blood pressure medication. If the tea you are drinking has any caffeine in it, it is important to remember to control your caffeine intake. It is recommended to drink 3 to 5 cups of (caffeinated) tea a day.
Always remember that drinking tea frantically to help with stress will not help you destress. It is important to be patient with de-stressing. Instead, try drinking tea while doing a stress-relieving activity. For instance, listening to music while drinking tea could help one destress. Sometimes, before doing homework, I would brew a cup of chamomile tea and drink it whilst working on assignments. Personally, the process of making the tea, the elegant fragrance, and drinking it just eases my mind and helps me focus when working. Whether you want to relax, better your skin, better your sleep, or all of the above, tea is the way to go!