There are many ways to treat an anxiety disorder. Some people use drugs, yoga, acupuncture, vitamins and the list goes on. But did you know that drinking tea can help relieve anxiety?
Tea contains a unique anxiety reducing amino acid called L-Theanine that helps create a calming sensation. The irony is that tea often contains caffeine. Nonetheless, people who drink tea often say that they feel calm after having a cup.
In addition to reducing anxiety, studies have shown that L-Theanine may be effective in promoting concentration, strengthening the immune system, lowering blood pressure, and increasing the formation of the inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA (an amino acid that suppresses anxiety). It’s also thought to increase dopamine levels, while having no known side-effects.
So, how do we know that tea is safe to drink in quantity? Well, for starters, tea is the most consumed beverage worldwide after water and has been consumed for thousands of years. Plus, studies on rats have shown that consuming high doses of L-Theanine has no harmful effects.
To get the full effect of L-Theanine in tea it’s recommended that you have 1-3 cups of tea daily. This is yet another natural remedy that you can throw into your anti-anxiety tool box. It’s also a reminder that anxiety relief is everywhere if you know where to look for it.
This is interesting to hear, and always good to know something else that can help reduce your anxiety. Thanks for the info Paul
chamomile is my comfort in the morning…and swiss vervaine melange herbal tea in the evening. This tea helps soothe your body and nerves and calms your mind. It definitely helps me sleep better at night and the taste is great!
Hi Dan, Thanks. I’m always on the lookout for ANYTHING that is safe and helpful.
Hey Ria, Thanks for the tip. There are so many types of tea… hmmm have to write about that someday.
I never knew that tea actually had a chemical in it that reduced anxiety. I just know that it soothes me, so that is cool that now I understand the science behind it.
It’s funny I feel that drinking tea and taking a bath are very similar in the way that you are soothed by the heat and the smell of the herbs which also relax and comfort your body. I am a big fan of baths as well in case you couldn’t tell 😉
I am a long-time anxiety sufferer (20 years or so), but recently officially diagnosed with anxiety disorder. While trying to stay medication free, I have given up pretty much all caffeine, but if good effects of tea outweigh the effects of caffeine, I’ll have to try this out. Thanks Paul.
I avoid caffeine like the plague. Always find it gets me wired and nervous. Instead I tend to drink red bush or rooibus tea which is pretty good. Also I have decaf green tea which seems to do teh trick as well. I tried chamomile for a while but I think it might have given me palpitations…I’m not sure on this one but I have a strong suspision.
Hi Al, Andy has a great point; Tea does come in decaffeinated form. So if caffeine doesn’t sit well with you then you can still enjoy a cup.
Nice save Andy, I totally forgot about the Decaf.
im nineteen years old and a new sufferer of anxiety and panic attacks, and ive searched for EVERY natural way to help me calm myself down and unwind because i dont believe in taking medications, and i find that chamomile tea helps so much when im feeling like i cant fall asleep. it feels like it completely unwinds my nerves and my mind. but im always looking for any new teas that work to relax(:
I discovered a new tea fir a little pick me up called Ginseng Vitality Rooibos. It’s from Teavana(I really love this place) it has zesty ginger root and soothing St. John’s Wort. It taste great hot or cold. It really helps me with my mood. I feel so energized after I drink it. give it a shot!
I find that drinking Valerian tea with a little honey really helps to me to relax before bedtime. I’ll be trying Chamomile next….
I am a long time sufferer of depression and anxiety. Anxiety is so high right now that I am about to jump out of my skin! I will for sure try the tea tonight. Crossing fingers.
I am going to start drinking tea now because I feel anxious all the time. Good article
try cannabis
works wounders for me
hi everyone i drink alot of green tea and peppement and it seems to help me
Bump for the Cannabis…. puff a day workes wonders… i go from being HULK angry to a soft push over
Recently I started drinking about 3-5 tea cups a day and I noticed a DRAMATIC improvement which is what got me to research tea drinking and anxiety. I then found this page. 😀
Here’s an example of what I might have…
In the morning, I drink Tetley’s Clarity Blueberry Ginseng or Soothe Ginger Mint — these seem exceptionally calming. Then I have a black tea of sorts. After lunch, I have a green tea. Then I have a fruit tea later on, and a finish it with camomile or another green tea.
Only one of the teas have significant caffeine and that seems to be fine as I’ve balanced it with herbal teas too.
May we all rid ourselves of our anxiety!
Caffeine in anxiety sufferers invariably causes palpitations and has been included in the DSM criteria very recently by psychiatrists.
The other day i ingested Crocin cold n flu by mistake and was surprised at the hangover and sleeplessness, though i had given up caffeine. On examining the composition, it contains caffeine. When caffeine is given to caffeine intolerant ones who have achieved supertolerance before being intolerant, it is bound to relapse the symptoms.
I am really skeptical about tea if not decaffeinated.
Paul and other readers i have created a site in the Facebook called CAFFEINE ANAPHYLAXIS. I would request you all to go through it.
Will the tea get rid of anxiety caused by smoking synthetic weed?
I doubt it, but it can help take the edge off.
Do not drink tea for anxiety. Tea causes anxiety. It contains a poisonous alkaloid similar to caffiene, though distinctly different (theophelline sp?). The calm you may feel from the increase in neurotransmitter activity is always accompanied by anxiety, only to be felt once the stimulation is wearing off. Exercise is the answer to anxiety. Painful and true.
Dan is that true for all teas or just non-herbals? I only drink peppermint or other such herbal teas. I do drink coffee which definitely does not help with my anxiety but mine isn’t that bad and is mainly caused by smoking too much marijuana. Easily fixed by taking extended breaks from it. Curious about the smoking synthetic weed comment, never heard of that.
Whether you are a fast or slow caffeine metabolizer (determined by the form of liver P450 enzyme you have inherited) answers the question. If you are a fast metabolizer the caffeine will help relieve anxiety and will also act to prevent heart attacks; slow metabolizers are just the opposite. I found out I was in the fast group from the analysis done by 23ndMe. You may also be in the slow group but can build up a tolerance to caffeine over time.. Fascinating stuff! So be careful about what a doctor tells you regarding the dangers of caffeine.
I just wanna know what is the safest most effective tea to help calm anxiety at night followed by the difficulty breathing?
I want to switch from coffee to decaf tea. I read that comimile tea helps sleep. Tea helps anxiety? I drink decaf so I don’t get headaches.
Does pepermint tea relax you? I have always had caffeine and don’t like how it makes me feel. It is a drug though and hard to get unadicted.