Why Tea Gives You A Sense of Well Being

The fact tea makes you feel better is almost a cliché. But all clichés start from somewhere. The starting place for tea has to do with the fact it makes you feel better in so many different ways.

You drink tea when you are sick (Physical)
You offer tea to someone who is sad (Emotional)
You drink tea to calm down (Psychological)

So why do so many people believe that tea makes you feel better?

Tea has an amino acid that is shown to reduce stress

This amino acid is called theanine. There are numerous studies showing that people who take theanine supplements consistently have lower levels of stress. And when you combine theanine with caffeine, it helps to boost your brain activity as well as your mood.

It is this boost in mood and brain activity that gives us this sense of relaxation and well being that only tea can provide.

Theanine is only found commercially in tea

Theanine is only found in tea and a very rare species of mushrooms that people do not regularly eat. So, if you are into getting your supplements naturally, tea is the only common way to get a good dose of theanine.

Tea is Hot

There is just something about hot drinks when you are sick that is irreplaceable. If you are stuffy, they help you breathe better. If you have a sore throat, the heat helps to sooth it. It is this reason we all like hot drinks when we are not feeling well. Just like Grandma's chicken soup, hot drinks are one of those old fashioned remedies that always seem to help.

Tea is also full of antioxidants

When we are sick our immune systems need a bit of a boost, especially at the onset of a cold. Tea is packed with antioxidants that help our immune systems fight off different viruses that love to make us feel terrible. In addition, theanine has been shown to help boost our white blood cell count, which is another way to prevent illness.

Summary

Unortunately, a lot of the cold remedies my Grandmother used to give me did not work. Tea was not one of them, but after years of drinking tea, I now realize all of the amazing benefits. Due to the almost magical amino acid, theanine, tea actually is proven to elevate mood, fight colds and make you feel better. And, we all know we want to feel our best always! Here's to happy tea drinking and amazing health!

photo: www.flickr.com/photos/h-k-d/2837128711/