TEA: The Ultimate Stress Reliever
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How the latest science backs a variety of different infusions for their calming and relaxing properties
This Stress Awareness Month, the experts at the Tea Advisory Panel (TAP) (www.teaadvisorypanel.com) are sharing their knowledge on the power of the tea plant when it comes to helping us cope with the stress associated with our hectic modern lifestyles.
Stress Awareness Month takes place during April each year and has been a regular event in the health awareness calendar since 1992[1] helping to highlight the causes of and remedies for our modern-day stress epidemic.
To coincide with Stress Awareness Month, we take a look at research reviewed by TAP about people’s tea drinking habits, feelings, preferences, and knowledge – and the data[2] reveals some interesting connections between tea and stress.
TAP member Dr Tim Bond says: “Brits are certainly savvy about some of the stress busting benefits associated with drinking tea. For instance, when asked which health benefits they thought were associated with tea consumption, the survey respondents picked ‘easing stress or anxiety’ as their top answer (39%).”
Dr Bond adds, “Other health benefits chosen by the respondents that can be linked with stress included improving low mood or depression (21%), lowering blood pressure (19%), and helping with sleep problems (18%).”
TAP is formed of a group of independent health and nutrition experts who review scientific research into the health-promoting properties of tea – and it turns out there’s a wealth of evidence to back up the connections between drinking tea and busting stress and its associated health problems.
WHAT STRESS DOES TO THE BODY
TAP dietitian, Dr Carrie Ruxton says: “Stress can wreak havoc with a person’s health. According to one study, stress has the power to impair the function of a wide range of body systems and processes including:
- Brain function, memory, cognition and learning
- Immune function
- Cardiovascular function
- Gastrointestinal function
- Endocrine (hormonal) function”[3]
Creating a vicious cycle of stress, people are also worrying about their health. When survey respondents were asked which current or potential future health problems they were concerned about, their answers included:
- Cancer (32%)
- High blood pressure (28%)
- Heart disease (27%)
- Arthritis (24%)
- Type 2 diabetes (19%)
- Osteoporosis (14%)
TAP member and GP, Dr Gill Jenkins says: “Brits clearly have concerns about their health and need simple solutions to support themselves. The problem is that so much of the health and nutrition information out there is confusing and contradictory. Getting the suggested four to five cups of tea[4] into their daily routine is one simple, sustainable, and stress-free action they can take.”
The good news is that, according to the latest survey, 98% of Brits are already drinking at least one cup of tea a day. Some could still do with increasing their consumption, as just 15% said they drink between five and six cups a day, while 36% are nearly there, saying they drink around three to four cups daily.
THE SCIENCE ON TEA AND STRESS
“People seem to instinctively know to reach for the teabags and kettle when they feel stressed,” says Dr Carrie Ruxton, adding: “A previous tea survey conducted in 2022 showed that 73% of Brits believe an ordinary everyday cup of black tea can help ease stress, with three quarters (75%) believing it can help you relax.”
Their instincts are clearly serving them well when we look at the evidence. For example, after systematically reviewing 11 randomised controlled trials, Dr Gill Jenkins and TAP colleagues concluded that drinking tea – especially black tea – can have a positive effect on cognitive function (attention, mind wandering, and focus), mental wellbeing (stress and mood), and brain function (filtering out irrelevant information and blood flow to the brain). Even just one or two cups a day provided some benefits.[5]
On top of this, Dr Emma Derbyshire and TAP members found a growing body of evidence that tea drinking (both black and green) may help people to relax, and reduce their stress levels and dementia risk, as well as helping their brains to stay healthy into old age.[6]
Herbal infusions have also been shown to have beneficial effects on stress include:
- Lavender Tea: Consuming lavender tea twice daily has been shown to result in lower anxiety and depression levels in older adults when compared to a control group[7]
- Rose Tea: drinking two mugs a day has been shown to result in lower perceived levels of anxiety and improved psycho-physiological wellbeing[8]
- Matcha Tea: drinking 500 mL of matcha green tea (around two cups) has been shown to significantly lower anxiety levels in younger adults[9]
TEA’S STRESS-BUSTING SUBSTANCES
Some of the constituents of tea that help it to exert its calming and relaxing effects include:
- L-theanine: an amino acid naturally found in green and black tea that may help reduce the negative effects of psychological stress and anxiety on health[10]
- GABA: a neurotransmitter that has been shown to improve anxiety levels and sensorimotor abilities, and have a relaxing effect in children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder[11]
- EGCG: green tea contains a special polyphenol, called epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), as well as L-theanine and arginine. These have been shown to exert anti-stress effects[12].
Dr Bond concludes, “The scientific evidence suggests that tea and herbal infusions offer a simple and enjoyable lifestyle measure that anyone can take to help bust stress. Getting stress levels down is important for preventing a range of health complaints. So, there’s plenty of justification for popping on the kettle and enjoying a cuppa this Stress Awareness Month.”
