There’s nothing like a warm cup of tea in the morning or before bed to warm your soul and rejuvenate your body. As an avid tea drinker, I’ve dived deeper into what tea actually does for your body, and can say it does much more than just taste good. The biggest health difference tea has helped me with is digestion. Certain types of tea can also help with headaches, energy, and fighting off sickness. Here are a few different types of tea, and what they can do for your health.
“True” tea is made from tea leaves of the camellia sinensis plant. The most common types of “true” tea are black, green, and white tea. Most herbal teas are made from tea leaves infused with herbs flowers, and roots, and these would be teas like chamomile, ginger, chai, and so on.
Chamomile Tea
Chamomile tea is made from hot water infused with chamomile flowers. It is best known for reducing stress, improving digestion and sleep, and it’s natural calming properties. This tea boosts our bodies production of dopamine, a happy hormone, and can also help with migraines. If feeling stressed or anxious, try making yourself a cup of chamomile tea. Not only will consuming this delicious tea calm you down, but take a moment to step away from your stressors to sit down and actually enjoy it.
Peppermint tea
If looking for a cure for a common cold, try a warm cup of peppermint tea. It is known for treating common colds, headaches, and also an upset stomach. Also, I love drinking peppermint tea specifically for the natural peppermint flavor it has.
Green tea
There’s nothing like starting your day with a warm cup of green tea with lemon. Green tea is a great alternative to coffee, because it doesn’t contain as much caffeine. Green tea can help boost your metabolism, protect heart health and improve blood circulation. It also may be able to help prevent breast and lung cancer. My go-to way of drinking green tea is grabbing a big mug, a Bigelow Green Tea with Lemon tea bag, a lemon slice, and a sprinkle of turmeric. Turmeric is a great spice for digestion and has little flavor. This is how I start my morning every single day, and it’s a great way to wake your digestive system up after a long night’s sleep.
Black Tea
Black tea contains about half the amount of caffeine as a cup of coffee, giving this tea the highest amount of caffeine out of all of the teas. It is also great for gut health and your immune system. It helps to boost the amounts of good gut bacteria in your body which can help your body fight off sickness and viruses. Studies have also shown that drinking black tea can lower your risk of heart disease.
Yerba Mate
Yerba mate is a traditional Spanish infusion made from the mate plant. If you’re looking for a highly caffeinated cup of tea, yerba mate is the way to go. However, those who drink large amounts of yerba mate are at an increased risk for mouth, esophagus and lung cancer, due to the extreme temperatures it can be prepared at.
Ginger Tea
If you’ve ever had an upset stomach and your mom told you to drink ginger ale, here’s why: ginger helps to break down food which leads to the reduction of stomach and digestive pain. Instead of drinking ginger ale which is filled with tons of added sugar, try a cup of ginger tea. It can reduce bloating, excess gas, and stomach cramps. So if you’ve eaten something that’s not sitting well in your stomach, try a warm cup of ginger tea.
These are just the few teas I incorporate into my diet, but there are so many more that have great health benefits. Bigelow Tea is by far my favorite brand. If you don’t love the taste of green tea but want to drink it more, I recommend Bigelow’s Acai and Wild Blueberry Green Tea. It’s my favorite of theirs and is a beautiful deep pink color.