The Perfect Cup of Tea for Every Occasion
Tea is so much more than just a comforting and tasty beverage. Different types of teas can actually help you sleep better, feel calmer, improve your focus, boost your energy, and more! The ingredients, flavors, and aromas of various teas interact with your body in ways that can gently promote specific benefits.
This guide will explore the top teas to drink for common needs including waking up, destressing, improving focus, relaxing, easing nausea, aiding sleep, and more. Read on for tea recommendations perfectly suited for different times and situations in your day.
Best Teas for Waking Up
Need a little boost to help you start your mornings feeling refreshed? Skip the coffee and reach for one of these energizing teas instead.
Matcha Green Tea
Matcha is a green tea powder that contains caffeine along with L-theanine, an amino acid that promotes alert calmness. The combination provides sustained energy without jitteriness. Have a cup to wake up without getting the caffeine jitters.
Yerba Mate
This South American tea contains caffeine, theophylline, and theobromine which together give a powerful energizing effect. The theophylline helps your body use caffeine more steadily. Yerba mate promotes smooth, non-jittery alertness.
Assam Black Tea
Grown in India, assam is a bold, full-bodied black tea. It has a robust malty flavor and higher caffeine content compared to other black teas, making it a great option for waking up in the morning. Brew a strong cup for an instant energy boost.
Best Teas for Destressing
Wind down at the end of a stressful day or calm your nerves before a big event with these relaxing tea options.
Long used for its soothing properties, chamomile contains apigenin which binds to certain receptors in your brain promoting relaxation. The floral aroma and comforting flavors of this caffeine-free tea will help you unwind.
Lavender Tea
Not technically made from tea leaves, lavender tea is fragrant, caffeine-free and mildly sweet. Drinking it is associated with reduced anxiety and lower blood pressure. Lavender's scent induces calm to put your mind at ease.
Peppermint Tea
Peppermint contains menthol which has a relaxing, muscle-soothing effect. It also aids digestion, helping ease any tension caused by stomach issues. Inhaling the minty aroma while sipping this herbal tea is calming.
Best Teas for Improving Focus
Drinking certain teas may help you feel more clear-headed and better able to concentrate.
Containing both caffeine and L-theanine, green tea boosts alertness and focus without the "wired" feeling of coffee. L-theanine, an amino acid, produces alpha brain waves associated with calm concentration.
Oolong Tea
Oolong also contains caffeine and L-theanine, providing a balance of sustained mental clarity. Different oxidation levels of oolong range from more energizing to relaxing. Try a few to find your perfect concentration-boosting cup.
Ginkgo Tea
Tea made from the leaves of the ginkgo biloba tree contains flavonoids that act as antioxidants and may improve cognition by increasing blood flow to the brain. The boost in circulation helps you focus.
Best Teas for Relieving Nausea
Gentle, soothing teas can help calm your stomach and ease nausea.
Ginger Tea
Ginger root has long been used to aid digestion and relieve nausea. Studies confirm it's helpful for various types of nausea from morning sickness to motion sickness. Fresh or dried ginger steeped in hot water makes a therapeutic nausea-fighting tea.
Fennel Tea
Like ginger, fennel contains compounds that relax the gastrointestinal tract to relieve stomach upset. Anethole, the component responsible for fennel's licorice-like flavor, is thought to be particularly beneficial for easing nausea.
Peppermint Tea
Peppermint's ability to improve digestion extends to calming nausea. Its muscle-relaxing qualities help ease stomach cramps, spasms, and discomfort that can cause nausea. Drinking peppermint tea can effectively relieve an upset stomach.
Best Teas for Aiding Sleep
The following calming, caffeine-free teas can help you unwind before bedtime and achieve restful sleep.
Chamomile Tea
mentioned above for its soothing properties, chamomile is also one of the best teas for promoting sleep. Apigenin binds to sleep-promoting receptors in the brain increasing sedation. Sip a warm cup of this floral favorite before bed.
Valerian Tea
Valerian root contains compounds that increase levels of the inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA associated with sedation and sleep. Studies of valerian extracts have found improvements in the quality and duration of sleep. The earthy, slightly sweet tea eases insomnia.
Lemon Balm Tea
With both sedative and antianxiety effects, lemon balm promotes relaxation and sleep. It contains compounds that interact with GABA receptors, resulting in a tranquilizing effect ideal before bed. The lemony flavor also aids digestion for better sleep.
Customize Your Tea to Your Needs
As you can see, certain teas are better suited for different purposes depending on their ingredients, flavors and aromas. Keep this guide handy and refer to it when you want a cup tailored to meet your current needs, whether waking up, destressing, focusing, relieving nausea, sleeping, or more. Experiment to find your favorite teas for various occasions throughout your day.
With the astonishing variety of teas available today, you're sure to discover many that you love. Drinking teas targeted for specific benefits can gently promote wellness in many ways. So, brew yourself the perfect customized cup for each situation. Your body will thank you.