How to Steep a Solution

Have you found yourself being met with a cup of tea whilst facing distressing occasions? Was it herbal tea late at night? Black tea in the morning? There’s actually some thought process and reasoning behind why tea can improve your mood and stability.

Let’s start off by figuring out what tea really is–all true tea comes from one plant, Camellia sinensis. The only difference in how tea appears and tastes is the process the leaves undergo, they can be dried, steamed, fired, and oxidized to enhance flavor or color. Teas that encounter a longer oxidation process (black teas) tend to contain more caffeine whereas teas that undergo less oxidation (white teas) tend to contain the least caffeine. The correlation is not direct, but it is noticeable when looking at different types of tea. True tea (tea from Camellia sinensis) ranges from the main white, yellow, green, oolong, red, and black. You may be wondering about herbal teas, and why they are not listed. Herbal teas come from herbs, if you couldn’t guess. Herbs are not part of the Camellia sinensis family, which does not classify them as tea. We refer to things such as chamomile and peppermint as tea because we steep them like tea, however, they do not scientifically count as proper tea.

The physical and mental reactions to tea are why it is so commonly offered, there are benefits that vary from tea to tea, but many stay consistent. When a hot liquid enters your system, it expands your blood vessels and improves your blood circulation. This is directly linked to muscle relaxation and organ function. Research has linked anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties to tea which can help lower the risks of many illnesses. But how does tea help you mentally? Drinking tea helps lower levels of the stress hormone known as cortisol, improve general cognition while lowering risks of strokes and dementia, reducing levels of anxiety which can be tied back to blood circulation, and lower rates of depression. Some of the compounds found in tea have naturally calming benefits such as, polyphenols, l-theanine, and you guessed it, caffeine. Polyphenols are responsible for the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of tea, while l-theanine produces neurochemicals like serotonin and dopamine, and caffeine can be an amazing stimulant.

Now that we know more about tea, let’s figure out what tea best helps our needs. The best teas for calming yourself down and improving your well-being are green, chamomile, lemon balm, lavender, peppermint, white, among many other herbal teas. Herbal teas have little to no caffeine and many benefits that certain true teas can not provide. Tea preferences will be different for everyone, but these have many positive benefits! There are many ways to make tea, but the most common method is by using a tea bag. Depending on the type of tea you’re making, the water temperature and steep time will vary! However, this is true for all methods such as loose-leaf steeping. Tea bags will have finer particles making the quality slightly weaker, but you will still be able to benefit from drinking it!

Steeping a cup of tea can help improve your mood, your day, or even your life–following a routine that allows you to decompress with a hot cup of tea could help balance out your strong emotions or tense moments. Consider making tea the next time you find yourself upset.

Ld, C. J. M. R. (2022, January 19). Relaxing teas for stress, anxiety, digestion, and sleep. Cerebral. https://cerebral.com/blog/relaxing-teas-for-stress-anxiety-digestion-and-sleep

Godman, H. (2025, February 1). Does drinking tea really help health? Harvard Health. https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/does-drinking-tea-really-help-health

Maloney, K. (2023, October 11). Why Warm Beverages are Comforting, According to Science. MUD\WTR. https://mudwtr.com/blogs/trends-with-benefits/why-warm-beverages-are-comforting-according-to-science