Besides water, tea is the most popular drink in the world. Tea is over a thousand years old and has passed through different cultures as we know it today. It has an active ingredient that can promote physical and mental health.
These active ingredients found in our favorite green tea or herbal wellness tea blend have been known to have essential bodily benefits, such as promoting healthy inflammatory responses, promoting better sleep, and aiding in relaxation. If you are all about your physical and mental well-being, you should check out herbal wellness teas.
There are many ingredients in tea, some nutritional while others help maintain general wellbeing. Now let us check out some of the active ingredients in your favorite tea.
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Catechins
The most active ingredient found in tea is proanthocyanidins. These are polymer chains of flavonoids that aids the body in preventing the oxidation of cells. The best-known kind of flavonoid found in tea is Catechins.
While the scientist is not particular about which type of tea is richest in this substance, it is known that over 30 percent of Catechin can be found in fresh green tea leaves. It is believed that ingredients used in green tea and herbal wellness tea blends get their characteristic effects from having a good quantity of catechins. Some of its benefits include:
- It reduces the impact of oxidation on the body
- It aids in healthy metabolic digestion.
- It aids the body in achieving a healthy reduction of the number of blood lipids
- It helps the body drops blood viscidity and prevents blood clot formation
L-Theanine
Another active ingredient found in tea is theanine. It is an amino acid with the highest concentration in tea plants. It is famous for its psychoactive properties and role in improving mood and cognitive abilities.
It increases the formation of brain waves called the alpha wave, known for causing a state of alert relaxation. It also affects neurotransmitters in the brain, such as GABA and dopamine. It is an active ingredient in most leaves in herbal wellness tea. Some of its benefits include the following:
- It increases relaxation and promotes mood
- It promotes sleep
- It promotes mental alertness
- It promotes mental function
- It promotes weight loss.
Caffeine
Caffeine is a powerful stimulant that can be found in tea. It is the most widely used psychoactive substance in the world. While it is popularly believed that caffeine is only found in caffeinated drinks and coffee, it is interesting to note that tea has more caffeine by weight than coffee.
Caffeine stimulates the central nervous system, reducing drowsiness and increasing vigilance. The quantity of caffeine differs depending on the tea you take. Black teas and herbal wellness tea blends are made from a plant that contains more caffeine than white and green tea. Some of the benefits of caffeine include:
- It keeps the brain mentally alert and reduces reaction time
- It promotes relaxation in the body
- Helps the body process glucose better
- It relaxes the muscles of the body
- It promotes athletic performance
Theobromine and Theophylline
Theobromine is a stimulant belonging to the class of organic compounds called xanthines. They are known to dilate blood vessels as a diuretic and heart stimulant. It also has physiological effects on the body.
The impact of these substances is noticeable even if it comes in trace amounts in tea. Some of the caffeine ingested metabolizes into theophylline and theobromine, so you need not worry. Some of the benefits of Theobromine and Theophylline include,
- It helps relax the airway muscles, making breathing easier
- It stimulates the rate of heart contraction
- It promotes blood flow in the body
- It promotes relaxation
Overall, whether you take white, black, green, or herbal wellness tea, the content of its ingredient contains active ingredients such as L-theanine, Catechin, caffeine Theobromine, and Theophylline in amounts that are needed by the body for healthy growth and development. While it is essential to know that these active ingredients are helping the body effectively, it is combined with a balanced diet, good rest, and exercise to get the optimal effect.
Drinking a lot of herbal wellness tea will have little or no impact if you do not take good care of your body and eliminate bad habits. Tea continues to stimulate both our bodies and our minds, from the picking to the processing to the preparation. So, if you haven’t been consuming tea, now is the perfect opportunity to get started and benefit from its numerous effects on the body.