All the Wellbeing. None of the Regrets. Drinking Tea has Scientific Data for Mental Wellbeing.

I’ve always loved drinking tea. Wrapping my hands around a warm cup induces a level of calm that simply makes everything feel good.

“Life is like making tea…boil your ego, evaporate your worries, dilute your sorrows, filter your mistakes, and get a taste of happiness.” ~ Earlene Grey

Seems like science supports my tea-drinking habit. Data backs up the soothing properties of tea through its helpful antioxidants, stimulating metabolism, and dopamine releases. That’s a win for body, mind and soul.

Especially nowadays when we want to experience more joy and happiness. Drinking a warm cup of tea may be a 1% difference maker to ignite that bit of slight change.

Look when you’re doing a solitary trade — oh, like writing per se — it’s no easy feat to stay positive and upbeat all the time. We all need those small motivators to charge the spirit light.

Tea is the most commonly consumed beverage and second-ranked drink after water. Even so, it can be overwhelming when people first start sipping tea. Understandably, the world of tea is massive and constantly evolving.

So, let’s break it down. What’s the story of the tea plant or Camellia sinensis, the evergreen shrub that sprouts bitter-tasting leaves and spreads its roots throughout the entire world.

And what are its all-important, scientifically-backed benefits that contribute to overall happiness and wellbeing.

Origin of Tea

Some of my fondest memories are sitting at the small kitchen table sharing a cup of chai with mom. Watching her brew the tea leaves, ginger, cardamom, and cloves and hearing the clink of steel spoon against her age-old steel tea pot still resonate as nostalgia for yesteryears.

As she brewed, she’d share stories of how her grandmother and great-grandmother in rural India would actually pluck the leaves from nearby wild tea bushes. Baking them in the hot sun using age-old recipes, grinding with practiced hands to craft chai in brass vessels over a coal fire.

I was mesmerized not just with the sacred techniques but how their self-empowering skills made them badasses — pioneers of their time.

As I delved into tea’s origins, the first story I came across was of Shennong, a mythical Chinese emperor whose servant was boiling some water and a tea leaf fell into it. The emperor drank the infusion and was struck by its pure flavor and restorative quality.

Another story of tea’s origins is from northeastern India. The Buddhist monk Bodhidharma. He had taken a vow to meditate for nine years straight without any rest. He became furious with himself after five years when he fell asleep so as punishment, he cut off his own eyelids. A tea tree sprouted at the same spot that he threw them. He began to chew on the leaves and was able to finish his meditation.

The tea plant, Camelia sinensis, is native to Asia. There’s plenty of debate of whether it’s native to China or India (my personal opinion that the archaeological evidence points towards India). The leaves were chewed for energetic benefits and later on began as a beverage in 200 BC.

But, for me, it’s those pioneering women who took the raw ingredients, through trial and error, they perfected the art of blending spices, and infused each cup with their grit and ingenuity.

Science in Tea’s Happy Benefits

There are six tea types: green, yellow, white, oolong, black, and pu-erh differentiating them by how the tea is processed and where it’s grown. The real way to know is tasting the difference.

When I was pregnant with my first-born, I craved white tea; many times with added fruit flavor like strawberries, etc. Just to prove that I’m still in bodily control, I’d force myself to brew a cup of chai only to gag and retch. To reiterate the new tea flavor palette, my in-control child would do belly somersaults and karate kicks for added punctuation!

Sometimes, being forced to try new things, like uncomfortable taste buds, makes changes more palatable.

Beyond invigorating flavors, drinking tea has historically-rooted calming effects on the mind and nerves.

Science researchers have delved into tea’s myriad health benefits. One of tea’s standout features is its high antioxidant content. These combative agents fight the “rust” in our bodies helping with longevity through cell reparation.

Numerous studies suggest that tea consumption may benefit cardiovascular health. Both green and black teas have polyphenols and other compounds that support heart health by reducing inflammation and improving blood vessel function.

Tea contains caffeine, a natural stimulant that can enhance mental alertness and concentration. It also has an amino acid called l-theanine, promoting focus without the jittery side effects.

Drink More, Worry Less

Because I’ve been drinking the brewed beverage for decades; I enjoy being asked “Why do I love tea?” After some thought, here’s what I know to be true. When I cup my hands around a warm cup of tea, time slows down, opening my mind to connect to, well, me.

In a meditative sort of way, tea connects us to ourselves. And like the bond I share with my mom, tea connects us with others.