Hibiscus tea, which has a tart flavor, has shown benefits in humans. However, don’t toss that tea just yet: She says it has heart-healthy antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and cholesterol-lowering benefits. The authors of the study found that approximately 9% of infants may be getting dietary botanical supplements and herbal teas during their first year of life and said, “the wide variety of dietary-based supplements and teas given to infants increases the likelihood that some are unsafe.”Īlthough often marketed as a way to aid sleep and relaxation, McKay says there is no solid support for that claim. The FDA has cautioned against the use of herbs for infants based on a study published in the journal Pediatrics. “Most of the bottled, ready-to-drink iced teas have such small amounts of tea flavonoids, plus lots of added sugar, that they will not confer the same health benefits as a freshly brewed cup of tea.” McKay notes to keep in mind that adding ice dilutes the actual amount of tea you are drinking. It is also unclear whether the quantities of the herbs in commercial herbal tea blends are sufficient to see a health benefit, she says.ĭrinking hot or cold tea doesn’t seem to make a difference, says McKay, as long as you brew it yourself. It means we cannot confirm their effects - or the claims that may be made by some of these companies.” McKay notes, though, that “does not mean that they are useless. Many herbs have been used in traditional and folk medicine for centuries, but few have been formally studied. Some are mixed with actual tea, some not. Herbal teas, also called tisanes, are made from steeping flowers, leaves, roots or other plant materials. Brewed coffee has 95 to 200 mg of caffeine in a cup.īlack and green tea are the only “real” teas, from Camellia sinensis, a shrub native to China and India. The same amount of green tea has 24 to 40 mg of caffeine. According to the Mayo Clinic, an 8-ounce cup of black tea has 14 to 16 milligrams of caffeine. However, the average cup of tea has much less caffeine than coffee. Both black and green tea contain caffeine, which can make some people jittery. There are some precautions to consider too. “Both green and black tea contain theanine, an amino acid that can help to improve attention and enhance the ability to learn and to remember.” Giancoli, a spokeswoman for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. The fermentation process that makes black tea converts EGCG into other compounds, but there are compounds in black tea that promote heart health and fight cancer as well.Īnd tea might make you a wee bit smarter, says Andrea N. One of these, epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), is found in abundance in green tea and is thought to help combat the free radicals that can contribute to cancer, heart disease and clogged arteries. Here are some common tea ingredients and what is known about their benefits:īoth contain flavonoids, which are antioxidants. There is a lack of research on the effects of herbal tea on pregnant and nursing mothers.” There has not been as much research on herbal teas.”ĭietitian Keri-Ann Jennings adds: “I caution any pregnant or breast-feeding woman to speak to their doctor before drinking any herbal tea. “The best scientific evidence we have on the health benefits of tea is based on research on black and green tea. Both traditional teas (black and green) and herbal teas are made from plant-based products, which are good for you,” says Diane McKay, an antioxidant researcher at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University, who conducts research on teas’ health benefits. “There are few downsides to drinking tea.
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