In the last few years, there has been a rise in the use of natural remedies to improve your health. Gone are the days of trying to fix your health issues with over-the-counter prescriptions as we are now in pursuit of a more natural way to stay healthy.
It may not surprise you that loose leaf tea can be an incredibly beneficial tool for healing and improving your health, but the reason why is often missed and that reason is antioxidants.
There are many teas on the market packed with antioxidants and in this article, we will explore some of these teas and the benefits of antioxidants.
What Are Antioxidants and Why Do They Matter?
Before we take a more in-depth look at the best antioxidant tea you can use, we should start by exploring what antioxidants are and why they matter.
Something that you may have heard of is free radicals, free radicals are something that can be developed due to environmental exposure or they can naturally occur during metabolism.
Though they are not necessarily harmful in small numbers, they can cause irreversible cell damage if they are allowed to develop, which could lead to heart disease and even cancer.
If free radicals concern you, fear not, there is a solution. Digesting antioxidants is one of the easiest ways to reduce the number of free radicals in your body.
Luckily for you, antioxidants have been discovered to be present in a huge variety of food and drinks, from fresh fruit to teas.
Including a good amount of antioxidants in your diet can be life-changing and can even reduce some of the damage that may have already been caused.
It can be difficult to change your diet so suddenly, so an easy way to get antioxidants into your body is through drinking tea.
Are Antioxidants in Tea Good For You?
Though there are plenty of options for upping your antioxidant consumption, tea is one of the best out there for several reasons.
- They contain polyphenols and flavonoids, which protect your body against the effects of free radicals.
- Tea has physical and mental health benefits, often being used as a way to ease anxiety and aid sleep.
- Reduce and reverse the effects of chronic medical problems such as arthritis.
If you are unsure where to start, here is a list of teas containing antioxidants and their benefits.
Though a lot of these teas share similarities, there are slight differences such as caffeine content which may make a certain tea fit your lifestyle better than others.
Best Antioxidant Teas
Green Tea
If you are looking for an accessible and popular tea with antioxidants, you may want to consider green tea.
Green tea is often referred to as the ‘miracle’ tea, and this is probably not the first time you have been encouraged to try it.
It is often used as a weight-loss tool but very few people understand why it is so beneficial. Green tea contains one of the highest concentrations of polyphenols, a powerful antioxidant.
It has been linked to reducing your risk of developing diseases such as heart disease and cancer, and it can even reduce your risk of developing diabetes due to its weight loss properties.
If you have little experience with teas and are worried about the taste, green tea would be the best choice for you. It comes in a variety of flavours, so you are bound to find one that you enjoy.
Green tea also only contains around 30-50mg of caffeine, so if you want to decrease your caffeine intake, this may appeal to you.
White Tea
Something that white tea is known for is anti-aging. Well, the main reason that it is so highly associated with anti-ageing is because of its anti-inflammatory properties.
Of course, this shows itself in quite an obvious way on your skin, but these anti-inflammatory properties extend to other parts of the body.
White tea is packed with polyphenols which are powerful antioxidants.
Studies have shown that white tea is one of the best types of tea for reducing free radicals, so it is often used as a vital tool to reduce the impact of inflammation and even weakened immune systems.
If you want to avoid some of the side effects of high-caffeine drinks, white tea is a great solution. It contains 40% less caffeine than a cup of coffee.
Oolong Tea
Oolong tea is another tea that is often used for its weight loss benefits.
However, many people are not aware of the other health benefits that come with drinking it.
This traditional Chinese tea is full of antioxidants such as thearubigins and theaflavins which explains why Oolong has so many health benefits.
Due to its weight loss properties, Oolong has been suggested to help protect against diabetes as well as other conditions such as arthritis and chronic pain.
Dragon Well Tea
Something that may shock you is that Dragon Well tea has double the number of antioxidants than what is found in green tea, so it is unusual that it doesn’t have the same degree of popularity.
This delicious tea originates in China and for centuries Dragon Well has been used to treat a long list of medical ailments.
To this day, it is used in China to treat arthritis and rheumatism.
The reason it can treat these problems so well is because it contains such a high number of antioxidants, which target problem areas such as the joints.
Dragon Well tea is considered to be somewhat of a lifeline in China because it decreases inflammation and encourages weight loss.
The use of this drink in Western countries is increasing every year and it will be no surprise when it reaches the same level of popularity as matcha.
Matcha Tea
It may surprise you to learn that matcha is the best antioxidant tea. Matcha tea has grown in popularity substantially over the last few years.
Matcha has quickly gone from quite a niche tea to a fan favourite for obvious reasons.
First of all, it is absolutely delicious, with a unique earthy taste that the world just can’t get enough of right now.
Another reason it has become so popular is because it is being used as a great alternative to coffee.
Coffee is everyone’s go-to for a quick caffeine boost, but it looks as though matcha is not far behind.
Though an average cup of matcha contains around 70mg of caffeine in comparison to the usual 100mg in a cup of coffee, it has been reported to leave you feeling alert for much longer.
We all know the potential health risks associated with the overconsumption of coffee so matcha serves as a great substitute.
You may be surprised to learn that you can find the same number of antioxidants in one glass of matcha as 10 glasses of green tea, so introducing this drink into your diet can be incredibly beneficial.
One of the main antioxidants that is found in matcha is catechins.
Catechins are naturally occurring antioxidants that are often encouraged in patients with chronic conditions as their anti-inflammatory properties can ease a lot of uncomfortable ailments from arthritis to bowel disease.
The National Institute of Health has published extensive research on how catechins can reduce oxidative damage in the colon, so if this is something that concerns you, you should give matcha a try.
Take Control of Your Health With Antioxidant Tea
If you are looking for a natural way to improve your health, we hope that this article has inspired you to give tea a go.
With its delicious taste and anti-inflammatory properties, you have nothing to lose if you try it and everything to gain if you give it a go.
We have a vast range of antioxidant teas available in our loose leaf teashop, and with so many flavours to choose from, you are bound to find a tea that matches your tastes, so go and have a look.
