How Tea Helps You Cope with Stress
Author: Millennia TEA’s Official Science Steeper - Allison Tannis, MSc RHN
Bet you could use a little bit of zen - it could be as close as your teacup.
Things are a bit crazy these days. Stress is impacting all of us. Nutrition and a healthy lifestyle can play a role in your ability to cope with stress, ward off anxiety and depression, and improve your mood. Research shows tea can raise your spirits. Here are a few sips of why tea might be one of the best natural remedies to help you cope with stress.
Can Tea Really Reduce Stress?
Studies have shown natural components in tea leaves benefit health:
- Lower stress hormones
- Improve mood
- Better cognitive function (learning, memory, attention)
- Improve focus
- Ward off depression
- Lower risk of dementia
Best Natural Ways to Improve Mental Health: Tea
Tea’s benefits to mental health and behaviour are gaining attention as today, more than ever, physicians are seeking ways to tackle the increasing burden stress, anxiety, and depression are having on human health. Nutrition and healthy lifestyle habits, including sipping on a cup of tea, play important roles as preventative medicines. Tea is being explored by researchers across the globe as a natural way to improve mental health. The results are promising – tea is healthy. Ingredients in tea leaves can raise your spirits and help you cope with stress. Cheers, to that!
Does Tea Really Help with Stress?
Both stress and anxiety-like symptoms are improved when people drink green tea, conclude scientists. After reviewing all of the studies to date, researchers reported in a review that green tea improves mood, cognition, and reduces stress and anxiety-like symptoms.
What’s in Tea that Helps Relieve Stress?
Tea leaves contain a number of natural compounds that relieve stress, including catechins, such as epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), the amino acid L-theanine, and caffeine.
EGCG
EGCG on its own is known to help people feel calm, improve memory and attention.
L-theanine
L-theanine has been called the closest thing to meditation that you can consume. About a half-hour after consumption, L-theanine promotes alpha-wave brain production, which is an index of wakeful relaxation. That’s similar to what is experienced during and directly after meditation. Research shows L-theanine has a calming effect, improves relaxation, and reduces tension. Able to pass through the blood brain barrier, L-theanine can bind to receptors in the brain causing a relaxing effect.
Caffeine
Caffeine improves mood, alertness, and cognition. Tea leaves contain a bit of caffeine, less than the amount found in a typical cup of coffee. In combination with L-theanine, caffeine appears to create a calm alertness many find helpful for work and studying.
Tea May Even Help You Sleep!
Researchers in Japan found drinking green tea with a lower caffeine content helped a group of middle-aged adults sleep better. Did you know the second cup of your steeped Millennia Tea has less caffeine? Yes, because Millennia Tea is freshly frozen tea leaves you can brew them up to 3x to take advantage of the health benefits. If desired, discard the first brew, and sip away on the second brew knowing it contains lower caffeine and higher antioxidants.
References:
The effects of green tea amino acid L-theanine consumption on the ability to manage stress and anxiety levels: a systematic review. Plant Foods Hum Nutr 2020 Mar;75(1):12-23.
The science of tea’s mood-altering magic. Nature 566, S8-9 (2019).
Habitual tea drinking modulates brain efficiency: evidence from brain connectivity evaluation. Aging 2019 June, 11(11):3876-3890.
Mechanisms underlying the anti-depressive effects of regular tea consumption. Nutrients 2019 Jun; 11(6): 1361.
Effect of green tea phytochemicals on mood and cognition. Curr Pharm Des 2017;23(19):2876-2905.
Reduce stress and improve sleep quality caused by green tea are associated with reduced caffeine content. Nutrients 2017 July; 9(7): 777.
