Does Drinking Tea Improve Your Mental Health
Whilst it may be fairly common knowledge that tea, in moderation of course, can benefit your physical health, it’s perhaps less well known that tea can improve your mental health.
And no one is more pleased to hear this news than we are at the Indian Tea Company. In 2019, 33% of Britons said they drink 4 to 5 cups of tea a day, which, when you take non-tea drinkers into account, can stack up to staggering 36 billion cups of tea a year.
So, it’s pretty encouraging to hear that all this tea drinking is beneficial to not just our physical wellbeing, but also our mental health.
But how exactly does drinking tea actually improve your mental health? Well, as a group of people obsessed with tea and the positive properties it has, as we are here at the Indian Tea Company, we thought you might like to learn exactly why tea is so good for the mind, body and soul.
Drinking Tea Aids Sleep
Good quality, consistent sleep is one of the most important factors in maintaining good mental health. In fact, sleep disturbance can be one of the first signs of mental health issues, and is often the sign of ongoing anxiety, stress or depression.
Despite containing caffeine, tea also contains a natural chemical known as theanine which, put simply, has properties thought to reduce anxiety and stress in the brain. Drinking tea consistently, in particular green teas, is thought to alleviate the impacts and causes of insomnia, helping us to sleep soundly and give our brains the vital rest they need to achieve a good state of mind.
Take a look at our selection of green teas, to pick out a blend that can soothe your burnt out brain at the end of a long day, and help you get that all important rest.
Tea Drinking Allows You to Stop
Tea drinking anywhere in the world requires a touch of ritual before the drinking itself. Whether you’re in Japan whipping up a matcha tea, lovingly brewing an Indian spiced tea, or simply putting the kettle on in the office kitchen or at home, making tea gives you a chance to take a time out from whatever you’re doing.
It’s easy to become overwhelmed and bogged down in the daily tasks of the day, and for many, getting lost in these tasks can result in burn out or stress.
Stopping for a moment, going through the comfortingly familiar ritual of making a brew, and taking a minute to take your mind off the things in life that are stressing you out can really help and prevent life from getting on top of you.
Have a browse of some of our tea making accessories, from pots to infusers, which can add just that little extra bit of joy with every cup.
Tea Contains Brain Boosting Ingredients
We’ve already touched on our friend theanine, the compound found in tea that can aid sleep and therefore improve your mental health.
In more positive PR for this little amino acid, studies have shown that it actually has stress reducing properties in its own right, which can help people relax and unwind. So much so, that many companies have now started selling L-theanine itself as a powder designed to help with anxiety.
At the Indian Tea Company, we think we’ll stick to getting our theanine from the natural source of tea (much cheaper than forking out £30 for a bag of powder). Combined with the caffeine found naturally in tea, theanine aids memory, brain function, and essentially helps you get in ‘the zone’, which explains why drinking tea whilst revising for an exam or working seems to help you power through.
However, theanine isn’t the only brain boosting ingredient found in tea. The compound ECCG, an ingredient found mostly in green tea, also helps to aid brain function and has been shown to develop a relaxed and attentive state of mind.
Quite simply, tea actually contains a blend of chemicals and compounds that are good for your brain, and what’s good for the brain is good for your mental health.
Drinking Tea Can Release Serotonin
You know that warm, happy feeling when someone offers to make you a cup of tea? Or, even better, when one lands unannounced on your desk? Did you ever think there was a slightly deeper, scientific reason for our first reaction to some bad news or a sad event being, ‘let’s put the kettle on’?
A lot of the reason for this is that a cup of tea can actually help to release serotonin, one of the most important neurotransmitters for a healthy, happily functioning brain.
Whether it’s taking the time to chat to a friend over a steaming mug, or just a small act of kindness from someone offering to make you a cuppa, these positive feelings that stem from these events help to promote healthy brain function and can improve your mental health.
In Summary
Can drinking tea improve your mental health? Absolutely.
Whether it’s the comfortingly familiar sound of a boiling kettle, the mindful routine that goes into making the perfect tea, the enjoyable social side of tea drinking, or simply the chemical make-up of tea, there are so many reasons why drinking tea can benefit your mental health.
At the Indian Tea Company, we hardly need any more excuses to enjoy a good brew, but if it’s good for your brain, who are we to deny the experts?