Uncovered: Is Herbal Tea Good For You?

Herbal tea is a delicious beverage. But is herbal tea good for you? Is it better than water? Is it healthy to drink it every day?

Indeed, doctors recommend drinking water to replenish the fluid in your body. However, the benefits of herbal tea make this beverage worth it.

Herbal tea contains a high amount of antioxidants and nutrients that can provide your body with the right nutrients.

Some of its health benefits would include improving your immune system, reducing your inflammation, and suppressing your appetite. These are just some of its benefits.

You may wish to add sugar or milk to your tea.

It’s okay to do that. But don’t overdo it.

This beverage is healthy. Indeed. But its health benefits will be canceled out if you add a lot of sugar or milk.

Because of its many health benefits, you might consider drinking it every day. But is it healthy to do so?

Read: Why People Drink this Tea?

Is It Healthy to Drink Herbal Tea Everyday? Can Herbal Tea Be Harmful?

Herbal tea is a beloved beverage. It’s been used for thousands of years.

Several studies showed that herbal tea contains compounds that could reduce the risk of chronic conditions, like diabetes, heart disease, and cancer.

Despite it being healthy, it’s still vital to drink it in moderation. You can drink it every day.

But you should still limit it up to 4 cups a day.

If you drink over 4 cups or more than 950 ml per day, you may experience the following side effects:

1) Affect Sleep

You need at least 8 hours of sleep each day. But you can’t achieve that if you drink a lot of herbal tea.

Remember that tea has caffeine. And we all know that caffeine can disrupt the sleep cycle.

How?

Melatonin tells the brain that it’s time for you to sleep. However, some studies revealed that caffeine, or too much of it, could inhibit the production of the said hormone.

It results in having poor sleep quality.

If you don’t get enough sleep, you may suffer from several mental issues, like impaired memory, fatigue, and reduced attention span.

Chronic sleep deprivation can result in obesity. It can also lead to poor blood sugar control.

Unfortunately, there’s no possible way how much caffeine you can drink can affect your sleep patterns. The reason for this is that every person’s metabolism is different.

Some people can drink more than 200 mg of caffeine and they can still sleep properly.

Others, however, can’t tolerate drinking more than 200 mg of caffeine. It means that their sleep quality is significantly affected.

For that reason, if you are experiencing poor sleep quality, you might want to consider cutting your caffeine consumption. It might be the cause of your poor sleep.

2) Increased Stress and Anxiety

It still has something to do with the caffeine content of herbal tea.

Thus, if you over-consume herbal tea, it may result in restlessness and feelings of anxiety.

An average cup of tea has approximately 61 mg of caffeine. But the definite amount depends on the brewing method.

Out of the many teas available, back tea contains the most caffeine. And the longer you steep it, the higher its caffeine content will be.

Indeed, studies showed that caffeine doses under 200 mg a day wouldn’t cause anxiety. However, some people are more sensitive.

In that case, if you are sensitive to caffeine, you should limit your intake.

Read: Can Herbalife Tea Cause Anxiety?

If you think that you feel jittery or nervous every time you drink herbal tea, then it is a sign that you have too much caffeine. Thus, you should cut back to alleviate your symptoms.

There are caffeine-free herbal teas. However, they are not true teas because they didn’t come from the Camellia sinensis plant.

3) Affecting Iron Absorption

Tea contains tannins.

Tannins are compounds that provide the tea a distinct flavor. They also offer health benefits.

They belong to a group of compounds known as polyphenols. Tannins are known to help in reducing inflammation. They also protect your body against cellular damage.

Unfortunately, tannins can hinder iron absorption.

When they reach the digestive tract, they bind with iron in your foods. As a result, the iron in those foods won’t be available for absorption.

It won’t affect you if you have healthy iron levels.

But if you’re already suffering from iron deficiency, then too much tannin can affect your body’s ability to absorb iron.

You don’t need to avoid herbal tea altogether. You just have to limit your consumption.

Choose to drink tea between meals.

4) Heartburn

If you have pre-existing acid reflux symptoms, then you might want to avoid drinking herbal tea.

The culprit is still the caffeine in the tea.

Caffeine is a known aggravator of heartburn or reflux symptoms. It causes your stomach to produce more acid.

However, drinking herbal tea doesn’t necessarily trigger heartburn.

Every person is different.

Thus, if you consume a significant quantity of tea every day and you experience heartburn frequently, then you should reduce your intake.

If that improves your symptoms, then you can say that herbal tea is the culprit.

5) Headaches

Caffeine intake may cause certain types of headaches. Some studies showed that even if you drink 100 mg of caffeine each day, it can still contribute to daily headaches.

However, the exact caffeine amount that can trigger a headache will depend on the person’s tolerance.

Thus, if you are experiencing recurrent headaches, they may be related to your tea intake. Try eliminating herbal tea from your diet and see if your symptoms improve.

What is the Healthiest Herbal Tea?

Herbal teas have different health benefits. Finding the healthiest tea isn’t the most constructive approach.

True teas come from the leaves of Camellia sinensis. What differentiates one product from the other is how it is harvested or processed.

There are slight variants in the antioxidants of every tea. For example, white tea has the highest amount of antioxidants because it is the least processed.

That’s why for some people, it is the healthiest tea.

But it still depends on your preference. Here are some herbal teas you wish to try, besides drinking black tea, white tea, and green tea.

1) Chamomile

It’s commonly for its calming effects. That’s why it’s perfect to be used as a sleep aid.

2) Peppermint tea

It supports the digestive tract. Plus, it has antioxidant properties, as well as anticancer, antiviral, and antibacterial ingredients.

3) Ginger Tea

This spicy drink contains a punch of disease-fighting antioxidants. It is also useful in fighting inflammation while stimulating your immune system.

4) Hibiscus Tea

It has antiviral properties. Several studies showed that this tea can fight against the strains of bird flu.

But no evidence drinking this tea could help in fighting off flu viruses.

5) Rooibos Tea

It has been used for medical purposes. But there are few scientific studies to prove its health benefits.

Conclusion

Is herbal tea good for you? It is good for you as long as you consume it moderately. Drinking too much of it may cause some side effects.

Can herbal tea help you lose weight? Here’s our answer.