olidhealth.com – Stress from work or the environment can make your days messy. You will find it difficult to carry out activities. Caring for your mental health is very important, especially in the COVID-19 pandemic which makes it more uncomfortable. The new physical distancing rules make us uneasy to keep in touch with family and beloved ones.
In order to release the stress and boost your mood, One of the choices is taking herbal tea as your mood booster. The content of herbal teas may already be known to many people in medicine and overcoming the coronary disease. However, herbal teas can also improve your mood and have sedative properties for pleasant sensations. Balancing the “happy” hormone with herbal tea can boost your mood and relaxation effect to make your day productive.
In this article, we overview the type of herbal tea and its effect on your mood. There are many options of herbal tea you can pick and try to match your appetite.
Herbal Tea and “Happy” hormones
As previously mentioned about moods and mental health, Herbal tea can serve as a mood booster and relaxation therapy to reduce stress and depression. How to boost your mood is to consume herbal tea since the compound in herbal tea can be affected the “happy” hormones in your body. What is the “happy” hormone? And what does that have to do with mood?
In your body, there are many hormones that are known to maintain emotions, rationality, etc. Dopamine, serotonin, and endorphins are known as “happy” hormones [1]. Below is information about these hormones.
- Dopamine – Known as pleasure hormone. It is a hormone and neurotransmitter to give a “reward” sensation to the brain.
- Serotonin – A special hormone in your body that regulates your mood and makes happiness feeling.
- Endorphin – Known as a natural painkiller hormone that can reduce stress and deal with physical pain.
Maintaining each of these hormones has its benefit for your body, especially for your mood and stress relief. Herbal tea is one of the options to maintain these hormones because it can “switch on to off” its hormones production.
There are herbal teas that have benefits for boosting your mood and giving relaxation sensation to your mind.
Green Tea
The dried leave of Camellia Sinensis is used to make this tea. It’s well-known around the world as a mood booster and stress relief. In our opinion, This is the best herbal tea choice because its have more benefit than you think.
Firstly, It has an antioxidant called catechin or epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) which is abundant in dried leaves tea, especially in green tea. This compound also can be found in antioxidant-rich berries and nuts. It may have the benefit to reduce bad cholesterol and improve heart health [2].
Secondly, this tea also has caffeine and an amino acid called L-theanine which is used to improve your mood and reduce stress. L-theanine compounds are contributed to increasing serotonin levels and promoting positive thought. If L-theanine and caffeine are present together, it can improve your memory and concentration.
Lastly, this tea also has benefits in cognitive therapy as a natural medication. Studies suggest that green tea intake in older people can slightly improve their cognitive function.
For consideration, take 1 – 2 cups of green tea a day to boost your mood. Don’t take it excessively because according to the expert it can cause liver poisoning by consuming too much green tea in one day.
Black Tea
Black Tea is as same derived as green tea which is from Camellia Sinensis. However, the difference in production. While green tea production is not oxidized, Black tea production uses a complete oxidation process.
The content of black tea is slightly different because of the oxidation process. Black tea has lost epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), but in return, its have theaflavin, thearubigin, and flavanol compounds. It’s formed during the oxidation process and has antioxidant properties. Theaflavin also has other benefits to reduce blood sugar levels and cholesterol. Black tea also has fewer L-theanine compounds than green tea.
Furthermore, Black tea has more caffeine than green tea which have benefit for boosting your mood and improving the release of neurotransmitters hormones such as dopamine and serotonin.
Lemon Balm Tea
This herbal tea came from the leaves of Melissa officinalis or lemon balm tea. The plants look like mint and are native to the Middle East, Asia, and Southern Europe. Another name of this tea is melissa tea.
Some studies find that lemon balm tea has flavonoid and rosmarinic acid compounds which have benefits for lowering anxiety and boosting your mood. It also has a sedative effect to improve pleasant sleep. The flavonoid compound in this tea serves as an antioxidant agent to fight off free radicals.
Other benefits of lemon balm tea such as enhanced brain function, lowering your blood sugar level and reducing the risk of heart-related disease.
There are no limitations to consuming this herbal tea, but we suggest consuming it on a reasonable amount.
Lemongrass Tea
lemongrass is native in South Asia and Southeast Asia. It’s used as spices in Asian cuisine. the botanical name is Cymbopogon citratus and has a citrus aroma as a bug repellent. In ayurvedic medication, it can be used to relieve pain, promote immunity, and improve sleep.
Lemongrass essential oil is more popular than lemongrass as tea. The essential oil has many benefits such as boosting your mood, relieving stress and reducing the risk of depression. It can also be used as a sedative and analgesic. Moreover, Lemongrass as tea has the same benefits as its essential oils.
Lemongrass tea can be easily brewed at home and can be added with honey to have more benefits for boosting your mood.
Ashwagandha Tea
Ashwagandha tea comes from the root of Withania somnifera or known as Indian Gingseng. This herbal tea has a dirt taste and is slightly bitter, so honey is usually added to give the tea a sweet flavor. Ashwagandha tea has been used in Ayurveda medicinal for decades as an ancient medication.
Theobromine compound exists in ashwagandha tea which has benefits for balancing your mood, promoting positive thought, and reducing anxiety. According to the expert, this herbal tea also has nootropic content to boost brain function.
For consumption purposes, 3 months consuming 1 cup of ashwagandha tea is safe. However, there is unknown side effect after 3 months. Excessive consumption of Ashwagandha can lead to vomiting, diarrhea, and stomach upset. Pregnant women and people with autoimmune diseases should avoid this tea for safety.
Rosemary Tea
Rosmarinus Officinalis is the origin of rosemary tea. The plant is an evergreen shrub and native to the Mediterranean region. Besides it used for making tea, it is also used as an essential oil or can be extracted for addition to other products. This herbal tea has rich in vitamins, iron, and calcium which have many benefits for health.
According to the expert, drinking or inhaling the scent of rosemary tea has enhanced mood and lower anxiety. It has rosmarinic acid that can prevent cognitive decline and improve serotonin and dopamine level.
Carnosic acid and rosmarinic acid in rosemary tea also have antioxidant properties to protect cells again free radicals. Carnosic acid itself has the benefit to improve the digestion system, especially to help balance good bacteria in your gut. In Ayurveda medicine, rosemary leaves are used to cure skin wounds as it has antibacterial properties.
Apart from its uses for health, be careful with people who have allergic reactions to rosemary before consuming this tea. Pregnant women are also careful to drink rosemary tea and seek medical advice from their doctor.
Chamomile Tea
For tea lovers, Chamomile tea is well-known for its flavor and benefit for mood-boosting. this herbal tea is brewed from the daisy-like flower of Matricaria recutita. The plant itself is native in Europe, but it has been cultivated around the world. The dried or fresh flower chamomile is used as an herb and have benefit for health, especially for antidepressant, reducing anxiety, controlling mood, and stress.
The extract in chamomile tea contains apigenin which has a sedative effect to improve sleep quality. It also can reduce insomnia and prevent illness because it has antioxidant properties. According to the expert, the chemical compound in chamomile may have other benefits to improve digestion system, promote heart health, reduce blood, and even as anti-cancer.
Before you drink this tea, we would like to inform you that chamomile tea may have allergic reactions in some people. If you have an allergy to flowers such as daisies, we do not recommend drinking this tea. In addition, don’t take this tea with alcoholic beverages because have the same sedative effect.
Yerba Mate Tea
This unique herbal tea is common in South America, especially in Brazil, Argentina, and Paraguay, and distributed across the world. Ilex paraguaiensis or yerba mate is an herb that has the benefit to fixed your mood.
Some studies say that yerba mate can increase your mood, focus, and make pleasant sleep. The main compound in this tea is caffeine as a stimulant and mood booster, followed by theobromine and theophylline in a small amount. Yerba mate also has quercetin and rutin compounds which can reduce the risk of high blood sugar.
Besides its benefit, be careful about the risk of too much consumption of yerba mate which can be affected to mouth, lung, and stomach health. It has polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) which are also present in grilled meat and tobacco. Carcinogenic PAHs can cause cardiovascular diseases or even cancer. However, it is still unknown and needs a more scientific approach to prove this matter.
Blue Tea
Blue tea or butterfly pea flower tea is blue-colored tea that has benefits for boosting your mood. The botanical name of this tea is Clitoria ternatea. This herbal tea can be used as a diabetic remedy to help regulate blood sugar. The blue color in its flower contains anthocyanin which contributes as an antioxidant agent. Studies suggest that it may have the benefit to reduce the risk of tumor and cancer [3].
Clitoria ternatea is native in South East Asia, especially in Indonesia. Fresh blue flowers can be brewed to make tea. According to the expert, this herbal tea serves as a nootropic that can boost brain performance besides it can improving moods and reducing depression symptoms.
There is no limits intake for consuming blue tea since it doesn’t contain caffeine. However, be mindful to not overconsume it. Too much consume blue tea can cause diarrhea and nausea. Pregnant women also are cautious to consume this tea and take advised doctors before consuming it for safety
Kava Tea
Piper methysticum is a domestication variant of kava that is native to Hawaii and Micronesia. It dried root is used to make tea or medicine to relieve pain. The active compound in this herbal tea is kavalactone which has a sedative effect to treat anxiety. Kavalactone also has the benefits to make relaxing sensations, boost your mood, and help people with trouble to sleep.
Unfortunately, kava is banned in several nations such as Canada, Australia, Germany, France, and Switzerland. Many cases of liver toxicity are caused by kava tea. Although, some cases were reported caused by infused kava in alcoholic beverages. Kava has side effects if be consume longer than 3 months such as fatigue, headache, diarrhea, or dizziness.
For safety consumption, take kava tea as a variant to your tea collection, and don’t add unnecessary drinks like cocktails or other alcoholic beverages.
St John’s Wort Tea
Hypericum perforatum is the botanical name for st john’s wort which is commonly used for anti-depressant and depression therapy. The leaves and flowers in this plant have hypericin and hyperforin compounds to reduce the function of neurotransmitters as antidepressant properties.
Fresh leaves and flowers of st john’s wort can be brewed to make tea. This herbal tea can make a delightful sensation to improve your moods. It also balances serotonin, dopamine, and noradrenaline hormone in the body to make pleasant moods. According to the expert, it also has benefits as an antitumor, antiviral, and anti-cancer.
There have controversial issues about the side effects of this tea. Don’t take any anti-depressant medication combined with this tea since can cause serotonin syndrome. Mild symptoms in this disease such as increased blood pressure and heart rate. In the worse case, it causes fever, diarrhea, seizures, and tremor.
We recommend consuming this tea 1 cup a day to boost your mood and prevent its side effect because over consume it.
Conclusion
There are many herbal teas that have benefits to improve your mood. The content of each herbal tea affects the “happy” hormone to create positive thoughts and reduce stress. In addition, this herbal tea also has other benefits such as antidepressants, antioxidant agents, and many more. However, mental treatment with herbal teas is not the only option.
Mental treatment to boost your mood can be done in various ways besides taking herbal tea. Exercising, doing your hobbies, and take healthy food are good examples to maintain mental health. So, drinking herbal tea is not enough to boost your moods and make a “happy” schedule to improve your life.
Reference
[1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4449495/ – Happiness hormone related to health
[2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2855614/ – Green tea benefit overview
[3] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6546959/ – Clitoria ternatea benefit