Black Tea Helps Ease Anxiety

[ButterfliesInHerEyes]

Who would've thunk it?

If you drink black tea you will de-stress faster because your levels of cortisol, a stress hormone, will go down more quickly, say researchers from the University College London. This study applies only to black tea.

You can read about this study in the journal Psychopharmacology.

The researchers observed 75 volunteers. They were all male, non-smoking, regular tea drinkers. For a period of six weeks one group was given 4 cups of black tea per day while the other was given a placebo that tasted, looked and smelt the same. Both groups had to refrain from drinking other teas, coffees and herbal and/or caffeinated beverages during this period.

All the volunteers were exposed to stressful tasks while the researchers monitored their cortisol levels, blood pressure, blood platelet levels, and how they subjectively rated their levels of stress.

The scientists found both groups experienced similar increases in heart rate and blood pressure during the stress-inducing situations. Levels of cortisol 50 minutes after each stressful task dropped 47% among the black tea drinkers and just 27% among the placebo drinkers. The black tea drinkers also had lower levels of blood platelet activation. The black tea drinkers also expressed themselves in a more relaxed way 50 minutes after a stressful task, when compared to the placebo drinkers.

The scientists are unsure which black tea ingredients help people recover from stress.

The team emphasized that black tea does not lower stress levels while the stressful event is taking place. It helps you get over it more quickly.


Source: Medical News

[olschesky]

i drink black tea every morning....usually 3 cups......don't notice that it has made any difference in my stress/anxiety level......who knows??

[asianeko]

Chamomile helps too!

[ButterfliesInHerEyes]

It doesn't lower your stress level, it just helps you recover from it faster.

[asianeko]

Chamomile actually does lower stress levels, and it also works as a mild sleep aid. It can help with wounds and swelling as well. It's been used for everything from anxiety relief to indigestion relief to managing Crohns Disease.

Black tea seems to have some pretty amazing effects though. I can't wait to hear more about studies!