8 Best Herbal Teas to Help Reduce Anxiety and Stress

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8 Best Herbal Teas to Help Reduce Anxiety and Stress

For some people drinking a cup of tea is part of their everyday morning routine. For others, tea is for when you are sick or for warming up on a chilly day.

Tea can be a very enjoyable addition to your day but it also brings a lot of health benefits! Herbal tea has been used for a very long time as a type of medicine.

Certain teas are able to help with gut health, sleep, sickness, and even mental health.

But there are so many herbal teas out there… How do you know what tea helps with what? It can be a bit confusing!

So, if you’ve been thinking about drinking herbal tea to help with your health, specifically mental health keep reading! Here are the best herbal teas to help reduce anxiety! 

It’s important to start off by saying that this is not medical advice and if you have concerns about your anxiety or anxiety management it’s best to talk to a professional! 

Do herbal teas work for anxiety? 

Sometimes the simple act of sitting down and enjoying a hot cup of tea can be the stress relief that you need. Imagine how calm your morning routine could be with a cup of herbal tea! However, when anxiety is knocking at your door, it’s not always enough. 

Some herbal teas have an ingredient called L-theanine which is an amino acid that supports and helps balance your mood. This same ingredient can be found in many supplements that claim to help with anxiety and that is because of the mood-stabilizing effect it can have. 

Herbal teas also have antioxidants that help your body deal with stress hormones, as well as anti-inflammatory properties which are important because anxiety can cause swelling in your body! 

So when asking the simple question “do herbal teas work for anxiety” it’s of course, impossible to answer definitively.

In essence, yes, herbal teas can help reduce anxiety due to L-theanine, antioxidants, and anti-inflammatory ingredients. However, will it be enough to help everyone? No. 

Using herbal tea as a method of treating anxiety can and should be explored but remember, consult with a doctor if your anxiety is concerning you. 

The best herbal teas for anxiety 

There are many herbal teas out there! Some are very tasty, some aren’t. Some teas have caffeine, some don’t. Everyone likes different things and may find more benefits from one kind over another. 

Also, keep in mind there are many tea mixes out there that people love! For this post, we are talking about the individual herbal teas with great benefits! Now, let’s get into it. 

Lavender tea 

Just like the smell of Lavender can make you feel calm, so can drinking it! I’m sure you’ve noticed Lavender scented soaps, candles, and essential oils that are marketed toward calmness and stress relief; that’s for good reason. 

Lavender can help ease stress and calm your nerves which helps lower your anxiety overall. This is also widely used as a “sleepy time” tea as Lavender is great for relaxing before bed. 

Peppermint Tea 

There is some evidence that peppermint tea was used in medicine long ago in Greece and Egypt. While peppermint tea can be used for stomach aches and headaches, some use it for stress and anxiety! 

It seems like the scent alone can help with stress so researchers think the aromatherapy from the tea stimulates the nervous system! 

Green tea 

I’m sure you’ve heard of green tea at one point in your life. It is often known for all its health benefits.

Green tea has been linked to improved mood, brain function, and has that handy ingredient we talked about earlier, L-theanime. 

The one possible con of green tea is the caffeine. For some people with anxiety, caffeine can be a trigger. 

Turmeric Tea 

Turmeric is a member of the ginger family and is a root. Like ginger, turmeric is high in anti-inflammatory properties. These properties can help soothe inflammation in the body which can be caused by anxiety. 

Valerian root tea 

Back in the day, valerian root was used as a mild sedative. People with insomnia have found valerian root helpful for sleep. 

This tea has ingredients in it that can interact with the GABA receptors in your body. GABA is a chemical that helps you regulate your nervous system and sometimes people with anxiety have lower levels of GABA. 

Passionflower tea 

Passionflower has been shown to help people sleep better and to reduce some symptoms of anxiety. 

Similarly to valerian root, passionflower has ingredients that work with your GABA receptors which helps calm your body and mind. 

Lemon balm tea 

Lemon balm is from the mint family. This is a great tea on its own or can be mixed with other flavors such as passionflower. 

There are some mixed findings on the use of Lemon Balm for anxiety but the fact that it has been shown to help with heart palpitations, insomnia, and inflammation does point to some support with anxiety as those are often symptoms! 

Chamomile tea

This is probably one of the most well-known teas for bedtime. That is because it’s caffeine free and full of antioxidants that promote sleep. Many people with anxiety know it’s hard to get a good night’s sleep! 

There have even been studies that have shown drinking camomile tea over time may help with depression. 

In conclusion 

There is quite a bit of research showing the health benefits of herbal teas. When looking for herbal teas to help reduce anxiety it’s important to look for ingredients such as L-theanine, antioxidants, and anti-inflammatory properties. 

While there is evidence that herbal teas can help with anxiety, there is still more research to do. If you feel like herbal tea could help you regulate your anxiety, definitely give it a try but remember it is a form of supplement and may not work for everyone! 

Do you use herbal tea for your anxiety? Are you going to try one of these teas?