A warm cup of tea is the perfect way to start and end your day. Tea can help us unwind, leaving us feeling relaxed and calm. Tea can help relax your body, and it boasts several mental health benefits as well. Research is showing that enjoying a cup of your favorite tea can improve your mood, focus and maybe even help battle depression. Below are a few examples of the positive effects tea can have on your overall mood and mental wellness.
Lowers stress levels
Drinking tea has been found to lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol. Cortisol is the primary stress hormone and increases sugars (glucose) in the bloodstream during high stress situations, and is responsible for an increased heart rate during these times. All of this may lead to a greater chance of relaxation in the mind and body.
May help ward off symptoms of depression
A 2018 study in South Korea found that frequent green tea drinkers were 21% less likely to develop depression over their lifetime than non-tea drinkers. Scientists are unsure whether this is due to the biological effects of the ingredients in the tea alone, or the context that usually accompanies drinking tea – choosing your favorite flavor, brewing your tea and taking a break from the world…or both!
Boosts memory and focus
Enjoying a cup of green tea has been found to improve brain function in healthy individuals. A 2017 review of more than 100 studies found that green tea can impact the brain in three ways: reducing anxiety, improving memory and helping increase focus and attention. It’s unclear which compounds in tea are responsible for these effects; it is believed that the benefits are due to the presence of both caffeine and L-theanine, an amino acid found in tea leaves.
While plenty of research is still taking place, it is clear that tea has many benefits on mental health. Choose your favorite flavor today, sit back, relax and take a break from the chaos of the world around you. You deserve it!
Sources and additional information:
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-00398-1
https://bmcgeriatr.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12877-019-1259-z
https://www.wdsu.com/article/drinking-tea-helps-improve-your-mental-and-physical-health/36516958